The Science of Learning, Part 5: Do Girls’ Brains Differ from Boys’ Brains?
In our continuing series on the Science of Learning, we’ve looked at how the brain learns, grows and changes through life. Today we investigate the question plaguing man – and woman – throughout the centuries: What is going on inside the brain of the opposite sex? Are female and male brains wired differently?
The answer, most definitely, is yes. Psychology Today tells us that scientists have discovered approximately 100 gender differences in the brain, and these differences are important to recognize as we educate and support our youth.
According to WebMD, the divergence starts early in life. A recent study by Israeli researchers found distinct differences in the brains of male and female fetuses at 26 weeks of pregnancy. Many of these unique brain characteristics remain throughout life.
Emotions – The central nervous system has two kinds of tissue – gray matter and white matter – and this matter seems to be at the heart of many gender differences. Male brains contain about 6.5 times more gray matter and female brains have approximately 9.5 times more white matter.
Gray matter contains the dendrites and synapses we discussed in Part 2 of this series. Thus, gray matter – and boy’s brains – are primarily associated with processing and cognition. White matter is made of axons, which act as a relay, coordinating communication between different brain regions. Thus, girls are often better at connecting feelings with thoughts and words. With a higher density of neural connections into the hippocampus, girls can absorb more sensorial and emotive information than boys can. In other words, girls tend to sense more of what is going on around them, and are faster and more accurate at identifying emotions. Boys can have trouble picking up on emotional cues unless they’re clearly verbalized.
The hippocampus, our human memory center, is often larger in females, and they also have more natural blood flow in the part of the brain that holds emotional memories. Therefore, girls tend to ruminate on and revisit emotional situations more than boys do. Males will generally reflect briefly on an emotional memory, then move onto the next activity. In spite of accusations to the contrary, boys are not avoiding feelings, but their brain has a natural tendency to move on, from feeling and reflection, to problem-solving.
Numerical function – Girls aren’t the only ones with “big brains”! Boys generally have a larger inferior-parietal lobule, which controls numerical brain function. According to a recent study, this area of the brain matures about four years earlier in boys than in girls, leading to superiority in math and geometry, at least temporarily.
Spatial abilities – The parietal region is also thicker in the female brain, making it harder for girls to mentally rotate objects or envision a setting in 3D. Girls’ challenges with these important spatial skills play into their physiological disadvantage in geometry, as well as their ability to perform activities like navigating. Boys use mainly the left hippocampus for navigation, which automatically codes where they are in space.
For a fun test of the theory on boys’ and girls’ spatial abilities, play HAPPYneuron’s visual-spatial game.
Language – The gender disparity in verbal and communication skills stems from the structural differences in boys’ and girls’ brains. Girls commonly have verbal centers in both left and right hemispheres of the brain, while males have verbal centers in only the left. Boys also have less connectivity between their verbalization centers and their memories or feelings. Thus, girls tend to use more words, have more interest in discussing feelings and emotions, and often verbalize more effectively than boys.
Relationships and bonding – Because females use their communication skills well in social situations, discussing feelings, and seeking solutions by talking through issues, they tend to be better than boys at forming social bonds.
In addition to these key differences, many others exist, including the ways in which male and female brains handle multi-tasking, focus, stress release and aggression. These additional differences relate to brain chemistry, white and gray matter, and left and right-brain processing, which we’ll discuss in more detail in Part 6 of this series – our final installment – coming next week. We’ll be running a promotion, so don’t miss it!
In closing, we must point out that while physiological and chemical differences in girls’ and boys’ brains have been proven, there are also many similarities, as well as many exceptions to the “rule.” Where differences do exist, neither male nor female is superior. In fact, most of our gender differences are complementary, and beneficial to the species as a whole.
Have you noted these “brain differences” at work in your classroom? Please comment or provide alternative points of view below.
To see earlier segments of this series:
Part 1: The role of neuroscience in education
Part 2: How the brain learns
Part 3: The role of emotion and mindset in learning
Part 4: Brain plasticity at different ages
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