The Neuropsychological Basis of Emotion and Social Cognition in Men

Abstract

Men differ from women not only in the ways in which they express their emotions, but also in the ways in which they perceive the emotions of themselves and others (Buck, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 35:225–236, 1977). Men’s view of themselves in relation to the overall social environment, and their role in this social environment, also sets them apart from women. A wealth of behavioral and physiological data has accumulated over the past two decades establishing a uniquely masculine way of emotional and social functioning (Bradley et al., Emotion 1: 300–319, 2001; Lee et al., Molecular Psychiatry 10: 450–455, 2005; Li et al., NeuroImage 40: 1921–1929, 2008; Schulte-Ruther et al., NeuroImage 42: 393–403, 2008). These masculine patterns of behavior and brain functioning have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of men in psychotherapy, implications that apply to men with diagnosed or diagnosable forms of psychopathology. These findings also extend to men with maladaptive patterns of coping and behavior who may not necessarily qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis. As a result, approaches to assessment and treatment that are appropriate and successful in women may not achieve similar results in men (Addis & Mahalik, American Psychologist 58:5–14, 2003; Heifner, Care 33: 10–18, 1997). What follows is a critical review of how emotional and social cognition differ across genders in ways that could influence the psychological treatment process.