Brain functions: Boys Vs Girls

I’m studying a lot about brain anatomy and function these days due to my MSc project and whilst searching for suitable brain images on Google, I came across a funny cartoon which got me thinking. About how brain functions in men and women can differ so much – more in terms of logic and thought processes as opposed to actual scientific differences.

It always makes me laugh how a simple situation, everyday common things, can evoke such different response from men and women. For example; I was recently walking with friends to some place or other at uni. Up ahead, someone had had a road accident, at rush hour which slowed traffic right down. After learning that it may have been a pedestrian walking out in front of a car – possible suicide attempt, the following responses of the group were:

Females – Oh my god! I hope he or she is ok. How sad that they tried to take their own life. Things must have been really bad, etc … u get the general gist of it.

Males – Idiot! Look at the traffic! Why did they choose rush hour to do it? Bloody attention seekers! Now we’re gonna be soo late. Argh.

Ok so maybe that’s not all men and women and I’m exaggerating slightly but my point was to illustrate the difference in responses over something so unexpected. Also the image in this post may be slightly unfair to the male population… but hey it made me laugh! :D

Also here's an article I found that I thought was an interesting read. For some bizarre reason, the link wouldn’t work so I've copied and pasted the content :)

ARTICLE:

5. Girls perform better at school
Girls are more likely to achieve higher grades than boys at GCSE and A-level. Among the suggested explanations for this disparity is the tendency for girls to mature earlier than boys, and therefore to be easier to teach. Adolescence for girls usually begins at age 12, whereas boys start to mature, on average, two years later at age 14. Boys are also more prone to hyperactivity (ADD) and dyslexia, which may affect their performance in school.

4. Women live longer
UK life expectancy figures have increased dramatically over the past century (men and women born in 1901 were only expected to reach the ages of 48 and 51.6 respectively). But the gap separating the sexes still remains prominent. Figures for 2008 show life expectancy for men to be 77.2 years, while the average woman can expect to live until she is 81.5. Men are also much more likely to commit suicide: three-quarters of the suicides in 2007 were committed by men. This has been blamed on social expectations for men not to verbalise their emotions.

3. Women make better citizens
In the UK, women make up less than 6 per cent of the total prison population (2005 statistics). It has been argued that the substantial gap between the number of male and female prisoners exists because judges show greater leniency towards female offenders in order to avoid separating mothers from children. Yet the nature of the crimes committed by women—the most common are shop-lifting, fraud and drug offences—differ from those committed by men, and suggest that female offenders pose less threat to public safety.

2. Women are safer drivers
Contrary to the popular stereotype, women are in fact safer drivers than men. In 2006 an overwhelming majority, 97 per cent, of motorists convicted of dangerous driving were male. While women are more likely to make low-level mistakes, such as stalling at a junction, men are prone to taking greater and more life-threatening risks, such as drink-driving or speeding.

1. Women are more cooperative
How the different genders interact with others has been the focal point of repeated studies, and most have shown that women are less competitive and focus more on cooperation than men. In one study held in 2007 participants played "The Prisoner's Dilemma," a game where contestants must choose between the desire to be selfish and the need for compromise. (The premise of the game is that you and your partner in crime are arrested for stealing a painting, which is spattered with blood. You are held in separate cells and do not know what your partner will say. If you both stay silent and cooperate, you will both serve short jail sentences for theft. If you inform and accuse your partner of murder, you will get away scot-free. If, however, you and your partner inform on each other, you will both serve long jail-sentences.) Women consistently chose to cooperate with each other, thereby achieving higher payoffs than men.

Even in situations of stress, women appear to react in a more cooperative manner. Brain scans of 16 men and 16 women put in situations of moderate tension showed that blood flow in women's brains increased in the limbic area, the part of the brain associated with a nurturing and friendly response. Men's blood flow, meanwhile, increased in the area of the brain responsible for the "flight and fight" reaction.