I’m off on a road trip with my husband. We’re driving to the mountains in British Columbia. If there was ever a case which demonstrates the differences between men and women, it's reading a map. I’m sure it’s why GPS systems are so popular - they are saving so many marriages!
Much as we hate to admit it, studies do show that men are better at reading maps. It’s a spatial concept and men’s brains are designed to be better at spatial concepts. Women are better at integrating all the information. We sight landmarks and bring all the information together to be sure we are pointed in the right direction.
Women fought long and hard for equality and we really don't like to think there is any difference between men and women, particularly when it comes to intellectual differences. In the 90's --- Mattel made a talking teen Barbie doll that, among other phrases, said - “Math class is tough.” Whoa Nelly!!!! McClung! Not to mention Roberta Bondar or Marie Currie. Mattel quickly said it had made an error – and Teen Barbie doesn’t say that anymore.
But research says there are some differences between male and female brains. Scientists have been trying every known possible way they know of to see what's going on up there in men and women. They’ve PET scanned male and female brains, used MRIs, done psychological testing, sliced their brains up in post-mortems, and put them under microscopes.
So here’s what they’ve concluded: Human females tend to be higher than males in empathy, verbal skills, social skills, and security-seeking, among other things. Meanwhile, men tend to be higher in independence, dominance, mathematical skills, rank-related aggression, and other characteristics. It is generally accepted when you compare large groups of men with large groups of women you find on average - differences that confirm these ideas.
Men have bigger brains - about 10 percent larger than women - which is no surprise as men tend to be physically bigger. We also know that women have larger corpus callosums - that bit that connects one side of the brain to the other - and that leads to some efficiencies for women that allows them to use both sides of the brain more effectively.
We also believe that men are great compartmentalizers. They can keep issues separate in their heads. Bill Clinton, for example, is known for being a great compartmentalizer. The economy goes in this section, Hilary goes in this section, Mona Lewinsky goes in... well, we aren’t sure where.
Women fought long and hard for equality and we really don't like to think there is any difference between men and women, particularly when it comes to intellectual differences. In the 90's --- Mattel made a talking teen Barbie doll that, among other phrases, said - “Math class is tough.” Whoa Nelly!!!! McClung! Not to mention Roberta Bondar or Marie Currie. Mattel quickly said it had made an error – and Teen Barbie doesn’t say that anymore.
But research says there are some differences between male and female brains. Scientists have been trying every known possible way they know of to see what's going on up there in men and women. They’ve PET scanned male and female brains, used MRIs, done psychological testing, sliced their brains up in post-mortems, and put them under microscopes.
So here’s what they’ve concluded: Human females tend to be higher than males in empathy, verbal skills, social skills, and security-seeking, among other things. Meanwhile, men tend to be higher in independence, dominance, mathematical skills, rank-related aggression, and other characteristics. It is generally accepted when you compare large groups of men with large groups of women you find on average - differences that confirm these ideas.
Men have bigger brains - about 10 percent larger than women - which is no surprise as men tend to be physically bigger. We also know that women have larger corpus callosums - that bit that connects one side of the brain to the other - and that leads to some efficiencies for women that allows them to use both sides of the brain more effectively.
We also believe that men are great compartmentalizers. They can keep issues separate in their heads. Bill Clinton, for example, is known for being a great compartmentalizer. The economy goes in this section, Hilary goes in this section, Mona Lewinsky goes in... well, we aren’t sure where.
But our brains are a complex subject. It’s easy to find men with extraordinary language skills and women who are good at math. Just like I’m better at reading maps than my husband - don’t tell him that I said so...I want to come home from this road trip with my marriage intact!
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