Gender Differences: Are We Really Hard-Wired Differently?

As part of Unit 9 (Developmental Psychology), we discussed various gender differences. Under the impact of our culture, our gender influences our social development. Although males and females are similar to one another, some characteristics distinguish them. In surveys, men admit to more aggression, physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone than do women, and experiments confirm that men tend to behave more aggressively. However, in dating relationships, violent acts are often mutual. Men also express more support for war.

Around the world, people have perceived men as more dominant, forceful, and independent, and women as more deferential, nurturant, and affiliative. Although leadership tends to go to men, women tend to be more democratic. When people interact, men are more likely to utter opinions, women to voice support. These differences extend into everyday behavior, with men being more likely to act as powerful people do. Gender differences in connectedness surface early in children’s play, and they continue with age. Although males and females do differ in body fat, muscle, height, age of onset of puberty, life expectancy, and vulnerability to certain disorders, we see, hear, learn and remember similarly.

Culture and the immediate situation are also factors in the biopsychosocial approach to gender. Roles, or sets of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave, contribute to gender roles, a set of expected behaviors for males and females. Gender roles can also smooth social relations. However, attitudes about gender roles vary over time and generations. As society assigns us to a gender, the inevitable result is our strong gender identity, the sense of being male or female. To varying extents we also become gender typed, or acquire a traditional masculine or feline role. Social learning theory is the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished. Cognition also matters. Formed schemas include those about gender, which become a lens for which you view your experiences.

I found an article entitled, "Differences in How Men and Women Think Are Hard-Wired," on the Wall Street Journal's website, in which the following was investigated: the idea that men and women exhibit distinctive variations in their neural connections, according to half a dozen recent studies focusing on gender differences in the brain's wiring.

Nobody knows for certain how these specific gender variations in the brain's composition might translate into the thinking processes and how we act, whether they influence the manner in which men and women view reality, process information, make judgements, and behave in a social environment, but they have ignited some heated debate. Combined brain scans of 949 subjects, ages 8 to 22, display how neural connections vary by gender. Male brains have more connections within hemispheres, while female brains have more connections between hemispheres.

Researchers have been exploring the variations to describe the way in which men and women react  to health issues ranging from autism, which is more common among men, and multiple sclerosis, which is more prevalent among women, to strokes, aging and depression. In the most extensive study to date, using the brains of 949 healthy young people (521 females and 428 males) aged 8 to 22, scientists administered by biomedical analyst Ragini Verma at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that the multitude of connections between crucial parts of the brain developed differently in girls and boys as they developed, resulting in varying patterns of brain connections among young women and young men.

This study, among others, may imply women might be perhaps better wired for multitasking and analytical thought, which involves coordination of activity in both hemispheres. Men may be better wired for more-focused tasks that require concentration and attention to one specific object at a time. But the researchers have already stated that "such conclusions are speculative." And there are several factors to be aware of. These gender differences only emerged when combined with hundreds of other brain images, and there are several elements in the aspect of brain structure that can skew results. Also, being left or right-handed can affect brain structure.

What do you think of this article? If males and females are "wired" differently, does it help explain gender differences? Do you think environment plays a larger role, therefore rendering these biological differences less significant? 

For your reading pleasure, the link to the article is below:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304744304579248151866594232


Also, I thought you all might enjoy this video of a young girl questioning gender roles and marketing.