There has been a lot of discussion about it over the past fifty years: are women’s brains really different from men’s brains? And if the female brain and the male brain are different, what difference does that really make? An exciting topic. Because of course no one wants to hear: you can’t do that, because you are a woman. But occasionally saying to a man “Do you want to read maps, because women are not very good at that” or “Men just can’t multitask” is also nice, right?
Psychiatrist and brain scientist Iris Sommer can laugh about it, but she is mainly after the truth. Her goal is to use scientific research to see how things really work, regardless of who benefits from what. “It’s clear,” she says, “I’ve read about two thousand scientific studies about the brain and gender differences. We can really say with certainty that men’s and women’s brains are different and work differently. The average male brain is significantly larger than the average female brain. Not because men are on average larger and so are their brains. No, even if you compare men and women who are the same height and size, the brains of those women are on average one hundred grams lighter.”
The woman’s brain
Then of course the question arises: does size matter? In other words: does that difference in size matter? According to Iris Sommer, usually yes, as she writes in her latest book The Women’s Brain. She explains that the size and weight of the brain usually play a major role when it comes to intelligence. You see this, among other things, as you get older. From the age of 25, the size and weight of our brain decrease by an average of two grams per year, which certainly causes a decline in our intellectual abilities. Iris Sommer: “Every gram of brain tissue that we have to miss makes us a little slower in our thinking and actions.” Schizophrenia and depression also cause a small number of brain cells to be lost, which is also accompanied by a decline in thinking skills. So you might think that women are less smart, but that is not the case. “Time and time again, research shows that women are just as intelligent as men. I thought that was such a mystery. I had to solve that!”
Women’s brains work harder
According to Iris Sommer, all these scientific studies show that the female brain may be smaller, but it works just as well as the larger male brain. “Women have fewer brain cells, but it seems that they make more connections per cell with other brain cells. They have a richer network. Moreover, the female brain works harder. The metabolism, the burning of energy, is fifteen percent faster in women’s brains than in men’s. And a faster metabolism in the brain means more brain activity. Because of that richer network and faster metabolism, women’s smaller, lighter brains can achieve comparable performance.” Sommer uses a nice comparison that she borrowed from fellow brain scientist Dick Swaab. “The male brain is comparable to an American car, which is usually larger and bulkier. They drive steadily down the highway at a speed of thirty. The female brain is more like a European car, smaller but with a higher speed. A Volkswagen Golf that you still overtake.” By the way, she does not mean to claim that women’s brains are better than men’s brains, Iris Sommer emphasizes. “Not more efficient either. But in any case it is just as good and I am happy with that.”
Responsiveness
Women are generally just as intelligent as men, but there are certainly differences. On average, men have better spatial imagination. In intelligence tests and, for example, the Cito test, this function is often tested using three-dimensional figures, made up of blocks. You see them from different angles and then have to tell which ones are the same. Girls and women are considerably less able to do this. Men also have a faster reaction time. They benefit from those seventeen percent extra brain cells. Iris Sommer: “When we are in the car and see the brake lights of another car light up in front of us, we press the brakes just a little slower than men.” According to Sommer, this does not mean that women are more likely to cause car accidents, on the contrary: they drive more safely. “In everyday life, these differences disappear or we compensate for them by, for example, keeping more distance and more social driving behavior.”
Moreover, spatial imagination can be trained well, Sommer writes in her book. For example with the help of shooting games. “A Canadian study had twenty women play a shooting game on the computer for ten hours. Before and after, their spatial imagination was compared with that of men. Before the ten hours of training there was the classic difference, but afterward women scored just as well as men.”
Vocabulary
Women’s brains also work better than men’s in a number of areas. It is usually assumed that women are more linguistic than men. And indeed, they usually have a slightly better vocabulary, can write an essay and have a slightly better reading comprehension. But these differences are minimal. “Women gain the greatest advantage in speaking fluently and quickly. The speed at which they find and produce the right words is on average higher than men. So women have a slightly faster conversation. Whether we actually use more words depends greatly on the situation. In many social situations with male and female speakers, women are more likely to keep their mouths shut,” says Iris.
Women have another modest advantage when it comes to recognizing the emotions of others, especially negative ones. Women are better at recognizing horror and fear, but men can recognize joy and happiness a little more easily. Unfortunately, women are more likely to have an anxiety disorder or depression.
Testosterone
What actually causes these differences between men’s and women’s brains? According to Iris Sommer, hormones play the leading role, especially the male sex hormone testosterone. “Look at what happens to boys during puberty and you will have some idea of what testosterone does. Not only do they grow more hair and wider muscles, it also does all kinds of things to their brain. The nerve cells that stimulate the production of dopamine and norepinephrine become more active. These substances make you more impulsive, more self-confident and more likely to take risks. Of course, this does not apply to all boys, but on average this is what testosterone does to you. We also see this in transgender people who receive testosterone to become men. The female sex hormone, estrogen, inhibits the functioning of those same nerve cells. During puberty, girls become more reserved, see more obstacles on the road and have less self-confidence.”
The influence of testosterone is great and it starts in the womb. As soon as the embryo develops testes, they start producing testosterone, two and a half times as much as in girls. Then, under the influence of this hormone, a somewhat larger brain is created. The brain remains smaller in girls. Moreover, their brains mature faster than boys’, thanks to the earlier production of estrogen. From the age of ten, girls are about two years ahead of boys. On average, girls in high school are better organized, have better control of their impulses and can plan better. This is reflected in the school results; girls are more likely to complete their education.
Self confidence
Iris Sommer is sometimes jealous of boys, men. Not because of that bigger brain, but because of the self-confidence and bravado they usually have. Sommer: “I think it would be wonderful to have a kind of natural self-confidence. For example, men on average doubt their intelligence less often than women. In more than thirty studies in different countries, men and women were asked how good they were at arithmetic, language and logical thinking. In all countries, men were more likely to think they were smart than women. This applies to young children as well as adults and the elderly. While that turns out not to be the case. Unbelievable, right?!”
She does not recommend that women take testosterone to become more self-confident. “I know the side effects, you also see them in transgender people. Such as the increase in body hair and getting a shorter fuse.” Sommer sees more benefit in fathers who help their daughters to develop more bravado and self-confidence. “Fathers have this naturally and they can pass it on to their children. Let them regularly say to their daughters: of course you can do that, of course you are smart. Girls also have a certain way of dealing with problems, talking about them, ruminating. Men exercise more often. Encourage your child to tackle stress in this way. It works great and does a lot of good for your brain.”
In any case, Sommer believes that we should take the differences between men’s and women’s brains into account. “Realize that there are gender differences and anticipate them. Also let girls play with Lego, cars and planes. This stimulates their spatial imagination. But we can also help boys, for example by making changes to our education system. On average, a boy’s brain comes into its own later, but in pre-vocational secondary education, for example, they have to take an exam at the age of fourteen. The chance that they will not make it and drop out is therefore greater. Let’s take a good look at this as a society.”
Neurotic
Numerous studies show that women score significantly higher on the personality traits neuroticism and agreeableness. Neuroticism is the tendency to see obstacles in the way. People who score high on this often worry, are worried and tend to emphasize the disadvantages of something more strongly than the advantages. This can manifest itself in avoiding risks.
On average, men are about sixteen percent less neurotic. This difference between men and women only becomes clearly visible from the age of fourteen. In all likelihood there is a connection with hormones. Boys and men, who generally produce more of the sex hormone testosterone than women, are therefore inclined to take risks more often and to show aggression slightly earlier. All this in the service of reproduction.
Source: The women’s brain, Iris Sommer
Why women are more resistant to Covid-19
Our defense system (immune system) also has a component in the brain. The cells of the immune system clear away everything there. Unfortunately, women’s immune systems sometimes act a little too enthusiastically, because they are more active than men’s. Damage can then occur and that plays a role in the development of brain disorders such as MS and Alzheimer’s disease. Women are therefore more likely to develop these conditions than men. The good news: such an active immune system is advantageous in the case of Covid-19. ‘Only’ forty percent of the people who die from this are women. While infections are equally distributed between the sexes.
Text: Catelijne Elzes. Image: Getty Images
20 september 2023
2023-09-19 19:00:13
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