Abstract
The chapter starts with how ideology enters into studies of sex differences. Next, Stuart Richie claims that he has completed the largest study of sex differences to date. His findings come next. The fact that male brains are larger and how this is irrelevant follows with a statement of what brain parts are important in sex-differences studies. Hard-wired differences in brain parts come next as well as socialization differences. A summary statement of this by Goldman is presented. Sex differences in toys chosen by boys and girls between 9 and 7 months old follows. Other differences between males and females are presented. Sex differences in mental health come next. The fact that certain brain parts differ in males and females and their behavioral consequences follows. Consequences of differences in the amygdalae are detailed. A large study by Roberta Jenkins on the sex-related asymmetry of important brain structures follows. Genetic differences in the male and female brains are then presented. Asymmetry of subcortical brain structures that are most likely to influence cognition follows. Next, a vulnerability to brain disorders due to genetic variation is presented. Sex-based differences related to mating, aggression, and parenting are detailed. Nirao Shah refers to a new “sea change” from the belief that sex differences are due to culture to brain-differences. This is followed by an overview by Richie. A summarizing conclusion ends the chapter.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Cahill, L. (2016). An issue whose time has come: Sex/gender influence on nervous system functioning. The Journal of Neuroscience Research, 95, 1–2.
Cahill, L., et al. (2000, October 1). Event related activation in the human amygdala. Journal of Neuroscience, 20, RC99.
Goldman, B. (2017). Two minds in the cognitive differences between men and women. https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2017spring/how-mens-and-womens-brains-are-different.html
Gerlach, C. (2017, November 2). What we (don’t) know about gender differences the brain. Science Nordic. http://sciencenordic.com/what-we-don%E2%80%99t-know-about-gender-differences-brain
Halpern, D. (2000). Sex differences in cognitive abilities (3rd ed.). London: Psychology Press.
Jenkins, R. (2017). “Cognition” research concerning sex differences in the human brain is unfortunately characterized by ideological interpretations.docx. Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, August 10.
McCarthy, M. (2016). Multifaceted origins of sex differences in the brain. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 371, 20150106.
Ritchie, S., et al. (2017). Sex differences in the adult brain and evidence from 5,216 UK biobank participants. The BioRxlv.
Ruigrok, A., et al. (2014). PsyPost, Feb.11.
Sjoberg and Cole (2018) Sex differences on the go/no-go test of inhibition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28608292
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Franks, D.D. (2019). Sex Differences in the Human Brain. In: Neurosociology: Fundamentals and Current Findings. SpringerBriefs in Sociology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1600-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1600-8_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1598-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1600-8
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)