When it comes to the human brain, researchers agree with what people have long believed — men and women really do think differently. Scientists have identified approximately 100 differences between male and female brains that fall into a few basic categories.
Processing
The human brain is made up of material known as gray matter and white matter.
Gray matter is found in localized regions that act to process information and action. White matter acts like a networking grid to connect gray matter regions and other processing areas with each other.
Research shows that male brains use nearly seven times more gray matter while female brains use more white matter.
This may be one reason why men tend to become deeply focused on a specific activity to the point of having tunnel vision, while women seem to transition between tasks more easily.
Men and women also use different parts of the brain when processing some types of information.
For example, women use the cerebral cortex when performing spatial thinking, like navigating while driving a car. Men use a completely different part of the brain known as the left hippocampus to perform the same types of tasks.
Because the hippocampus automatically records spatial information, men are more likely to think in terms of distance and directions to turn east or west. Women more often rely on landmarks as they navigate, such as turning at the corner past a particular drug store.
Chemistry
The chemicals involved in brain function are the same for males and females. But the ratio of these chemicals is often different.
Males tend to have higher levels of testosterone, a male sex hormone, which contributes to physical aggression and impulsiveness.
Women show higher levels of serotonin which, among other things, contributes to the ability to sit still. Women also show higher levels of oxytocin, which helps with bonding and relationship building.
Structure
Male and female sex hormones start working in the human brain early in life.
Just 26 weeks into pregnancy, ultrasound scans show visible differences between the brains of boy and girl babies. When researchers compare the parts of the male and female brain, they notice several differences that affect how our brains function.
One noticeable difference that is visible in the womb and carries into later life is the thickness of a bridge of tissue connecting the left and right halves or hemispheres of the brain.
In the womb, this bridge is thicker in girls than in boys. This size differences appears to carry into adulthood and may help account for gender differences in the language processing functions of the brain.
While the male brain tends to be about 10 percent larger than the female brain, different portions of the brain are larger in both men and women.
In women, portions of the frontal and temporal areas of the cortex are both larger and more precisely organized. This may contribute to the tendency for women to excel at language skills.
In women, both halves of the brain are active in processing language, while men tend to use only the left hemisphere of the brain for this function.
Overall, this means males have less connection between word centers in the brain and memories or feelings, and are less interested in talking about these things.
Research shows that in grade school, girls tend to excel faster than boys at language skills and fine motor skills such as penmanship.
In general, the areas of girls’ brains involved in these functions develop about six years earlier than those same areas in boys’ brains. Boys are more likely to present with learning disabilities related to language, such as dyslexia.
Males tend to excel over females in brain function involving math and geometry. In general, areas of the brain involved in those functions develop four years earlier in boys than in girls.
Another structural difference is the size of the hippocampus or memory center of the brain.
Women tend to have a larger hippocampus than men, and develop more neural connections in this area. This may account for the tendency of females to make more use of sensory and emotive information than males.
Different, Not Better
Gender differences are recognized as general trends in populations around the world. But research does not suggest that any of these differences make one brain better than another.
Scientists also note that gender differences are trends, not hard and fast rules. For example, some women excel at math or spatial recognition while some men are more adept than their fellow males at recognizing emotions or processing language.
Some researchers believe that nurturing brain function in specific areas can enhance the natural tendency for a particular gender, such as encouraging girls to participate in activities to boost spatial recognition such as playing sports.
Other scientists believe gender brain differences complement each other and contribute to the well-being of men and women working together.
Sources:
WebMD. How Male and Female Brains Differ. Web. March 18, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/how-male-female-brains-differ
Psychology Today. Brain Differences Between Genders. Gregory L. Jantz, PhD. Web. March 18, 2015.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hope-relationships/201402/brain-dif...
Reviewed March 19, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith