There is little that worries people more than the psychological differences between men and women. How do men and women think what they feel, can they understand each other - disputes about this have been boiling for centuries, without abating.

Obviously, the sex differences should correspond to the features in the structure and functioning of the brain. Modern neurosciences (neuroscience, neuropsychology, etc.) provide us with the opportunity to gain knowledge about the biological causes of behavioral and cognitive differences.In general, there is a significant difference in the functioning of the brain of men and women, which affects the reactions, behavior, decision-making and abilities in certain other areas of activity. However, no experiment has shown a difference between men and women in general intelligence. Numerous studies have shown that biological sex does not necessarily rigidly determine the sex of the brain. In a woman, the functions characteristic of men and vice versa may prevail, or a balance of female and male characteristics in the functioning of the brain is possible. So, how does the male brain differ from the female:

Brain structure

The male brain is larger than the female by weight and volume. On average, the brain of men weighs 100 g more than the brain of women. However, in the female brain, nerve cells are located more densely to each other, which contributes to faster signal transmission between them. In the brain in men, intrahemispheric connections predominate, and in women, interhemispheric connections. It is assumed that this feature underlies the difference in the implementation of spatial and social skills. Men have a stronger connection between perception of reality and coordination of actions, therefore, spatial abilities are better developed. Women have a stronger connection between analytical and intuitive modes of information processing, so social skills and the ability to solve multitasking are better developed.

Verbal ability

In the process of intrauterine development, under the influence of testosterone in boys, the growth of the left hemisphere slows down, and it also contributes to the relatively greater development of the right hemisphere. This explains the greater severity of verbal abilities in women (which belong to the left hemisphere), and in men - visual-spatial (mainly related to the right hemisphere). When processing verbal information, women use both hemispheres of the brain, and men - only one. In women, the hemispheres are connected by thicker "cables" of nerve fibers, in men - by thinner ones. Therefore, in particular, in women after a stroke, speech is restored better than in men. And speech and reading impairments in childhood occur in boys twice as often as in girls. According to the popular hypothesis of the American psychologist J. Levy, these differences are also based on evolutionary and social factors. In ancient times, men were mainly engaged in hunting, which required a good development of spatial abilities. The women took care of the children, which required good communication skills. In the course of natural selection, the skills necessary for survival were consolidated, which were passed on to future generations.

Perception

Women hear better and have a more developed sense of smell and taste. Men are better at distinguishing small details of moving objects - this feature may have made them good hunters. Male and female brains perceive color information slightly differently. The color orange appears to be redder to men than to women. It is also more difficult for men to notice differences in shades of yellow, green and blue.

Emotions and memory

In men, the stress response is expressed in the amygdala of the right hemisphere, while the left hemisphere is at rest. In women, on the contrary - under stress, the left amygdala is activated. Therefore, men remember the essence better than the details of emotions, and women remember the details better than the essence of emotional experience. The male brain reacts better to male emotions - in the experiment, men more accurately determine the emotional state of the person in the photo if the person in the photo was also male. Women reproduce emotional events from their own experience faster and more intensively than men. Their memories of emotionally important events, such as their first date or vacation, are brighter and more vivid. Sexual factors influence the aging process in the brain. With age, the process of assimilating glucose, the source of energy, changes in the brain. In women, the metabolic rate falls more slowly than in men. Therefore, women are less prone to cognitive degradation, because their brain is physiologically younger than the brain of a man of the same age. Men become more forgetful with age and are more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. The memory of women under 45-55 years of age is better than that of men. However, after menopause, women's memory deteriorates, which is associated with a decrease in estradiol levels. Also, the effectiveness of learning and the ability to recall previously learned information decreases. Women become more susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases, dementia and other cognitive impairments.

Cooperative activity

Experiments on mutual cooperation show that women cooperate better with each other if they feel that other women are watching them. Men cooperate better with each other in large groups than in small ones. At the same time, it is easier for two men to reach agreement than two women. But at the same time, in a female-male couple, a woman is more inclined to cooperate than her partner. Research on the effectiveness of teamwork has shown that different neural regions are responsible for the mutual tuning of activity in the female and male brains. If the partners are of the same sex, then the brain activity of both is better coordinated with each other. And the greater the synchronization of neural activity, the better the result of joint activity. Moreover, in men, the coordination of activity occurs in some neural circuits, and in women - in others. So, in women, the right temporal cortex takes an especially active part in mutual tuning, and in men, the right lower prefrontal cortex. In mixed female-male pairs, such mutual adjustment does not occur, although they perform cooperation tasks almost as successfully. Women switch from one task to another more easily and faster than men, and they require less brain effort to do this. The male brain requires more energy to switch attention. Women's brains are "calmer" when they are multitasking. In men, however, there is a stronger activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal areas.

Sexual behavior

The sexual signaling system in men is primarily visual. Any visual or tangible image can generate arousal and sexual desire. Therefore, among men there are much more fetishists when a certain type of leg, smell or hair color turns on their "sex button". A woman has many more factors involved for this. The female brain repeatedly calculates all the qualities of a partner, because from an evolutionary point of view, a man's good choice guaranteed the survival of the children.

No, they are not from different planets. Then why very often men do not understand women, and women refuse to see the reason for this misunderstanding? You just need to pay attention to the fact that they have a substantial brain. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that men and women have different brain structures.

The main differences

The brain volume of a man is 10% larger than that of a woman. But women should not worry about this, because a smaller brain volume of the beautiful half of humanity is compensated by its more complex structure. Quantifying the level of intelligence IQ has nothing to do with the volume and weight of the brain. Therefore, the question "Who is smarter?" in any case will be.

The alternating work of the brain in men contributes to the fact that he can focus on only one task. But he will approach its solution fundamentally. A woman can do several tasks at the same time. Therefore, they are more versatile, flexible and balanced. Unlike men, two work at the same time.

Coordination of movements is better developed in men than in women.

In non-standard situations, men are able to make healthier decisions. Women in such cases cannot always choose the right option.

The ensuing consequences

Women tend to combine logic and intuition as one whole. For men: logic - separately, intuition - separately.

A woman can think and feel at the same time. Men, again, have division. He cannot think and feel at once.

Different behavior in stressful situations. Men need to retire, women - to speak out.

Exact sciences are easier for men, for women - humanitarian.

Men react faster to information. Women “catch up” for a long time, but they can easily perceive several streams of information. Men are very annoyed by this "simultaneous game" session.

Men have enough general ideas, women need details. Hence, in scientific terms, men act according to the principle of induction, i.e. From general to specific. Women are more suited to the principle of deduction, i.e. from particular to general.

Men hear literally and concretely what they are told about. Women are very often "haunted" by hints. They are prone to speculation and falsification of facts.

The sociability of women from birth knows no boundaries. But it is easier for men to withstand the competition. If they speak, they are almost always strictly to the point. Therefore, the sociability of women is often with empty chatter and talk about nothing.

With age, the male brain shrinks faster than the female. Apparently, women gravitate more towards a healthy lifestyle.

Male vision is erotic vision. Women are more interested in details or trinkets than erotica.

Men think more with gray matter, women - with white. Hence the conclusion that these are two different types of brain and two principles of action. Therefore, men and women solve the same problem in different ways. But it would be illogical to concretize each individual, since mixed brain types are quite common in nature.

Women are interested in people, and men are interested in things. Women strive for empathy, men prefer systematization. Of course, because the brains of men and women are completely different. Women's brains are better supplied with blood. But men are heavier. Women have more gray matter, men have more white. Supposed differences like these are abundant on the internet, but scientifically questionable. Because it is not at all clear what effect these differences have on functionality.

The myth that the male brain looks and functions completely differently than the female brain is firmly entrenched. That said, the differences are usually very minor, the researchers say. And it is unclear if these minimal differences are in any way related to behavior or specific abilities. Differences are found only in one area of ​​the brain, here the difference is really not just great. Scientists are also sure that it is she who is actually reflected in the behavior of women and men.

The part of the brain in question is only a few millimeters long. It is located deep in the brain, in an evolutionarily very old region, the diencephalon. Its functions are for the most part so basic, so instinctive, that it is hardly more complex in humans than in other mammals. And there is the so-called Nucleus präopticus medialis: a small nucleus of nerve cells, that is, a group of nerve cells that work together to perform certain tasks.

Differences are laid in the womb

This area of ​​the brain belongs to the human sex center. In male mammals, it is the nodal point that is responsible for the "typically male" behavior: dominance, aggressiveness and sex drive. Women, on the other hand, do not have a single center of control. Their dominance, aggressiveness and libido are separated and controlled by different nerve centers in the diencephalon.

Since this special function in men is performed by the Nucleus präopticus medialis, its size is more than twice the size of a woman's. Therefore, the large cell nucleus is the only part of the brain by which researchers can confidently determine whether the brain belongs to a man or a woman.

And already at a fairly early stage. By the beginning of the third month of pregnancy, the fetus develops its germ cells: the ovaries in girls and the testes in boys. The Y chromosome of the male embryo communicates through neurotransmitters to the mother's brain that she needs testosterone to develop into a boy, and builds a receptor binding site for the hormone stimulus. In addition, in the amygdala of the cerebellum, which processes emotional impressions and where, as a result, sexual and aggressive behavior arises.

“Today hardly anyone else doubts that this prenatal difference between men and women has a definite impact on behavior,” says Gerhard Roth, who is a neuroscience and behavioral psychologist at the University of Bremen.

Context

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There is a lot of scientific evidence

There is evidence that the Nucleus präopticus medialis is indeed responsible for "typically male" behavior. For example, scientists transplanted male relatives of Nucleus präopticus medialis into female rats. After that, the rat began to climb onto other females. She also became more aggressive than before and took part in battles for territory.

Among people, there are also indications of how significant the nerve nucleus is for the behavior of the sexes. When men or women feel sexually attracted to people of the same sex. Even at the stage of fetal formation, homosexual men have significantly less Nucleus präopticus medialis than their heterosexual sex mates.

The opposite is true for lesbian women. They have a larger nerve nucleus than heterosexual women. In certain cases, this can lead to the fact that the genetic sex no longer matches the hormonal one. Then they talk about intersexuality.

Scientists suggest that in this case, there was a violation of communication between the embryo and the mother's hormonal system. This manifests itself in a more or less pronounced form for more than 5% of pregnancies.

The stress hormone cortisol also plays a role

Brain researcher Roth concludes from previous research that hormonal relationships are primarily responsible for differences in behavior between the sexes. This is confirmed by the results of behavioral research. For example, it is known that women are more responsive to stress than men, and are usually more fearful and anxious than men.

Stress is closely related to the hormone cortisol: high cortisol levels increase the fear of pain and danger. Women in the brain do not have a special nucleus of neuroticism in the brain. But there is a hormonal cycle that could easily explain why women are more nervous than men.

This is because testosterone suppresses the stress hormone cortisol. Since women, on average, have less testosterone circulating in their brains, their stress hormone can work unhindered. In men, during testosterone-rich moments, the effect of cortisol decreases.

Since these hormonal differences are established before birth, they are likely to influence how behavior develops. For example, brain researcher Roth suggests that boys develop better spatial intelligence over the course of their lives because they are hormonally tuned in to explore and discover. They climb, build and try new things.

Only the mean values ​​differ significantly

Girls are more cautious because of their higher cortisol levels. They often choose to stay with people they know. And so they learn to communicate with others early. So, on average, one can explain the best verbal abilities without claiming a particularly good language center of the female brain.

If that were the case, explains Roth, we could see distinct differences in the area of ​​the cerebral cortex. In the part of the brain where all the zones that turn us into intelligent beings are located, where language, logical thinking and complex feelings arise.

Certain hormonal prerequisites can contribute to the fact that women prefer to work with people, and men - with things. But the qualities that children develop during their life depend more on upbringing. And this does not contradict the fact that Emma will become an excellent engineer, and Lucas - a favorite teacher at school.

Finally, when discussing gender differences, it is always only averages that are discussed. A person's testosterone levels can vary significantly. So little Emma can happily run and climb or knock over her judo partner. Lucas might be better off playing board games with his neighbor's boy better than playing a ball in the garden.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial board.

Why are women less susceptible to pain? Can men multitask? Are women more likely to get depressed? Do men really never listen to doctors? It is difficult to say unequivocally to what extent all of the above corresponds to reality. One can only say for sure that a man's brain and a woman's brain do not always work in the same way. Hence such myths appear. Let's try to figure out how the male and female brains work.

It's simple: I watched my children for a long time. They are now 8 years old. They are twins: a boy and a girl. The same age, the same conditions of upbringing, but the difference in perception is noticeable. When the children accidentally got lost in the crowd, it was the son who quickly got his bearings in where they were. But the daughter quickly established contact with other adults, which helped to find them faster. I can give a lot of such examples. Studying my children, I began to actively delve into this topic. I will describe in more detail what I learned about the difference in the work of the male and female brain.

Major differences between male and female brains

I will analyze the difference between the brain of a man and a woman using the following points as an example:

• structure;
• verbal skills;
• perception;
• memory and emotions;
• teamwork;
• sexual behavior.

Structure

Let's start with who has more brains in women or men? If we compare in volume, then the male brain is 100 grams larger than the female. Despite this difference, in the female brain, nerve cells are located more densely in relation to each other, which contributes to more active transmission of information. In the male brain, you can notice the predominance of intrahemispheric connections, and in the female - interhemispheric. Scientists suggest that this difference is the reason for the difference in social and spatial skills.

In the male brain, the connection between perception of reality and coordination of actions is stronger. Therefore, men have more developed spatial skills. In the brain of the beautiful half of humanity, the connection between intuitive and analytical methods of data processing is stronger. That is why, the beautiful half of humanity has stronger social skills and the multitasking mode is better given.

Verbal skills

With intrauterine development of the fetus in men, the development of the left hemisphere slightly slows down, while the development of the right hemisphere is accelerated. This is due to the effects of the male sex hormone testosterone. This explains the fact that women have better verbal skills (the left hemisphere is responsible for their development), and men have better visual spatial skills.

When processing verbal data in the female brain, two hemispheres work simultaneously. Men only use one thing for this.

In women, the right and left hemispheres are connected by thickened cables of nerves. In the male brain, they are thinner. This is one of the reasons why speech recovers much faster in women after a stroke, and why boys have problems with speech and reading at an early age much more often.

Perception

Women have better developed senses such as:

• hearing;
• sense of smell;
• perception of taste.

It is easier for men to recognize small details of objects in motion. Perhaps that is why in ancient times they became good hunters. Men and women perceive colors completely differently. Orange looks redder for men than for women. In addition, it is more difficult for men to pick up shades of green, yellow or blue.

Memory and emotion

Memory and emotions directly depend on how the hemispheres of the brain work in women and men. In a state of stress, men have a pronounced amygdala of the right hemisphere, and the left, at this time, is at rest. In women, everything is the opposite. In them, under stress, the left amygdala is activated. For this reason, men are better at remembering the essence of what happened, and women notice all the emotional details.

The male brain is better at recognizing male emotions. This was found out after the experiment. Men more accurately recognized the emotions of the people depicted in the photographs in cases when they were also men. Women reproduce experienced emotions better and faster. They have more vivid memories of past experiences, such as a first date or a flashy vacation. Until the age of 45, women have better memory than men. However, after menopause, due to a decrease in estradiol, memory deteriorates. The ability to learn and assimilate new information also decreases.

Teamwork

So, the following differences in the work of the male and female brain. Based on the results of the experiments, it was found that women can cooperate better if they know that other women are watching them at that moment. It is easier for men to work as a team in large groups than in small ones. At the same time, it is easier for a couple of men to come to one compromise than several women. However, in a man-woman pair, it is the lady who is more inclined to reach a compromise.

Sexual behavior

In terms of sex drive, the female brain and the male brain also work differently. The male sexual signaling system works primarily in a visual manner. Therefore, any tangible or visual object can lead to sexual arousal. This explains why fetishists are more common among men, when a certain hair color, smell or image leads to sexual desire.

For women, things are a little more complicated. The difference is that they evaluate many characteristics of men, since the quality of future offspring will directly depend on their choice. On our resource you will find many other useful articles on similar topics. Never stop developing. Good luck!

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Differences between men and women are often tried to be explained by genetics, innate biological properties. Everyone has heard jokes about female logic and male stubbornness, and some even take it seriously. Neurobiology is a young science that studies the structure of the brain and the influence of the processes taking place in it on our behavior. Advances in medicine and technology allow scientists to study the most complex human organ and answer the question: what is the difference between the male and female brains?

If there are differences, how do they affect a person? Are our patterns of behavior and character innate or do we acquire all the features with age?

site shares scientific data about the brain with readers to get even closer to unraveling human nature.

1. Brain size

In the 19th century, physiological scientists discovered that the brain of a man is larger than that of a woman. Since women at that time could not fully express themselves, some people began to argue that the mental superiority of men was scientifically proven. But in the same 19th century, the connection between brain size and intelligence was criticized, so stop believing bearded anecdotes. Modern research confirms that the average male brain more female by 10%, but this does not affect at all neither to pass an IQ test, nor for intelligence generally.

2. The hemispheres of the brain

Have you heard that engineers think with the left brain and musicians with their right? Then remember that this interesting fact is just fiction.

There is no scientific evidence that the left hemisphere is used more by men and the right hemisphere by women. Although some differences Scientists have found that in the brain of men there are more neural connections within each hemisphere, and in the female brain - between the hemispheres. Although science still does not know exactly how the connection methods affect human behavior.

3. The structure of the brain

Different parts of the brain are different in size and density in men and women. For example, the amygdala, hypothalamus, insula, and shell are larger in males. In women, the size of the right frontal pole, hippocampal gyrus, thalamus and some other parts is larger.

But don't tie the size of departments to our behavior. For example, women are considered more emotional, but the amygdala, which is just responsible for emotions, is larger in men.

4. Influence of structure on abilities

Until the end of the 20th century, it was believed that the female brain is better responsible for speech abilities, which gave birth to many stereotypes: from love for endless chatter to "dear, we need to talk." Old studies of speech ability are not credible because too few people have been analyzed. Modern scientists believe that there are no serious biological differences between the speech of men and women at all.

The same can be said for mathematics. Many people still believe that men are better at exact sciences. Numerous studies have shown that men and women were equally adept at math curriculum. The propensity for mathematics is not determined by gender, and there are no purely female and purely male activities.

5. Influence of hormones

How exactly sex hormones affect the brain and human behavior, scientists have not fully figured out. Previously, it was believed that aggressive behavior is a normal state of a man, testosterone is to blame for everything. But modern research