1.
Human relationships - Women tend to
communicate more effectively than men. They focus on how to create a solution
that works for the group. Females talk through issues, and utilize non-verbal
cues.
Men
tend to be more task-oriented, less talkative, and more isolated. They have a
more difficult time understanding emotions (that are not explicitly verbalized).
Women tend to intuit emotions and emotional cues.
2.
Left brain versus both hemispheres - Men tend to process better in the
left hemisphere
of the brain (while women tend to process equally well between the two
hemispheres). This difference explains why men are generally stronger with
left-brain activities. They approach problem-solving from a task-oriented
perspective. Women solve problems more creatively, and are more aware of
feelings while communicating.
a. Mathematical abilities - An area of the
brain called the inferior-parietal lobule (IPL) is typically significantly larger
in men (especially
on the left side) than in women. This section of the brain causes men to
perform higher in mathematical tasks than do women.
b. Reaction to stress - Men tend to have a
fight or flight response to stress situations while women seem to approach
these situations with a “tend and befriend” strategy. During
times of stress women take care of themselves and their children (tending) and
form strong group bonds (befriending).
The hormone oxytocin is released during stress in
everyone. However, estrogen tends to enhance oxytocin resulting in calming and
nurturing feelings. Testosterone (which men produce in high levels during
stress) reduces the effects of oxytocin.
c. Language - Two sections of the
brain responsible for language were found to be larger in women than in men. This
indicates one reason that women typically excel in language-based subjects and
thinking. Men process language in their dominant hemisphere. Women process
language in both hemispheres.
d. Emotions - Women typically have a larger deep limbic system than men. This
allows them to be more in touch with their feelings, and better able to express
them. The down side to this larger deep limbic system is that it also opens
women up to depression, especially during times of hormonal shifts such as
after childbirth (or during a woman’s menstrual cycle).
e. Brain size - Typically, men’s brains are
11-12% bigger than women’s brains. This size difference has absolutely nothing
to do with intelligence. Men need more neurons to control their greater muscle
mass and larger body and brain size.
f.
Pain - Men and women perceive pain differently. Women are also more
likely to vocalize their pain, and to seek treatment for their pain (than are
men).
The area of the brain that is activated during pain is
the amygdala. Researchers have discovered that in men, the right amygdala is
activated, and in women the left amygdala is activated.
The right amygdala has more connections with areas of the
brain that control external functions while the right amygdala has more
connections with internal functions.
g. Spatial ability - Men typically have
stronger spatial abilities to mentally represent a shape (and its dynamics). Medical experts have discovered that
women have a thicker parietal region of the brain, which hinders the ability to
mentally rotate objects (an aspect of spatial ability).
h. Susceptibility to disorders - Because of the way
men and women use the two hemispheres of the brain differently, there are some disorders that men
and women are susceptible to in different ways.
Men are more inclined to have dyslexia, autism, Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Tourette’s syndrome. Women are more
susceptible to mood disorders (such as depression and anxiety)[ii]
Quotes
for your brain:
§ “A man should not be ashamed of having a strong and
independent woman in his life. It doesn’t make him look any less of a man to
have a woman who doesn’t listen to his every whim. Instead, it makes him look
stronger and mightier, having a woman who can think for herself in his life.”[iii]
§ “Any fool knows men and women think differently at
times, but the biggest difference is this. Men forget, but never forgive. Women
forgive, but never forget.”[iv]
§ “Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose
their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad.”[v]
§ “Men most often know what they want, yet they are
not always sure how they feel. Women most often know how they feel, yet they
may not always know what they want.”[vi]
§ “Men’s brains may be bigger, but women’s contain
more brain cells. Also, male and female brains work differently. When men and
women perform identical tasks, different areas of their brains light up in
response. In addition, females use both hemispheres, while male brain activity
is restricted to one side.”[vii]
§ “Women tend to communicate early, and often about a problem. Men are
more likely to view communication as a tool…When they see it as the wrong tool
for the job; they believe it should be stored neatly in the toolbox.”[viii]
No comments:
Post a Comment