For as long as we have records, culture has tried to resolve a confounding issue: Why do men and women seem so irreconcilably different?
She Blinded Me With Science
“Women need to feel loved and men need to feel needed” and "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus" are phrases we all know. And more than ever, nature versus nurture has become a fascinating question for curious observers of the sexes!
Luckily, modern times have brought us many new tools to analyze old questions. Neurology, biology, psychology — all the disciplines seem to be weighing in these days to answer our most burning curiosities!
We've tracked down some of the most interesting tidbits around to begin today's internet investigation. Social science and hard science alike have a lot to say!
Let's begin, ladies and gentlemen.
Vision Division
Would you believe that men and women actually can't see the same way? No, this is not a matter of differing intellectual perspectives. It's literally an issue of the eye itself!
For starters, the male retina is thicker and has more magnocellular cells. These cells are larger and distributed all over the retina. The female retina, on the other hand, is thinner. It has more parvocellular cells, which are concentrated in the center. What in the world is that all about, you wonder?
Magnocellular cells are key for tracking object movement. Parvocellular cells help to identify objects and analyze aesthetics, like color and texture. Perhaps this little piece of the puzzle is an evolutionary relic of neanderthal times when men went out to stalk delicious animals and women decorated the cave!
Let's find out more, shall we?
People Vs. Things
Scientists have observed behavioral differences very early on in humans. Like, baby-early.
Boys and girls seem to focus on different things at this age when eye movement is recorded. One study tested what infants of both sexes stared at when given a choice between an adult female's face and a crib mobile dangling above them. What did they find?
Apparently, females really liked the faces. Moving objects seemed to be the male choice, at this tender age. Furthers studies on eye contact during infancy have revealed that a baby girl's eye contact and face focus increases by more than 400% in the first few months after birth. But the baby boys? Not so much!
Auditory Oddity
Now what about the ear contest, everyone? Apparently, women have more developed abilities in plain ole' hearing. They have 11% more neurons in this area and can perceive emotional tones in a higher range than men. But why?
Scientists theorize that this sex difference developed so women could effectively care for babies. Sometimes those little coos can be quiet, we suppose!
Blah Blah Blah
Women occasionally feel like men are just not listening to anything they are saying. The battle of the sexes hasn't quite been solved, but is that an exaggeration? Perhaps, but a little scientific data does confirm the suspicion!
Males automatically block out white noise. In a study in the Netherlands, college-aged men and women were exposed to music and background noise at the same time. What happened?
Men actually just focused on music. The white noise was totally ignored like it wasn't even happening! Women had an obvious response to both sets of sounds, suggesting that there does seem to be some neurological difference in basic listening skills. The more you know!
Map Madness
When men and women argue about directions and getting out a damn map, perhaps there really is a difference going on between them on a brain level. Without our smartphones to guide us, scientists have found different strategies at play in our minds!
It turns out that women navigate using familiar landmarks, while men navigate with a mental map using distance and concepts of north, south, east, and west. This reality has been discovered as early as age five, with different locations activated in the brain.
Women use the cerebral cortex, and men rely more on the hippocampus for spatial navigation. Combined, our powers are unbeatable — if we can only stop arguing, that is!
Cheater Meter
Men and women consistently report different psychological realities when it comes to cheating. What bothers each sex more deeply, you ask?
As many of us may have found out the hard way, men have a much worse reaction to sexual cheating, while women experience more devastation when they discover emotional infidelity. Evolutionary scientists theorize that this differential all comes back to the prehistoric when resources were scarce and paternity tests at the pharmacy weren't available.
In this scenario, men are threatened with putting that hard-earned meat they won from a saber-toothed tiger towards genetic offspring that are not theirs at all. And women are threatened with the abandonment of food in the ice age with a baby! No wonder this distress seems hardwired in all of us. Pretty scary stuff!
Express Yourself
Do women really express their emotions better than men? MRI scans have shown us a lot in recent years. For example, negative emotions appeared differently in the brains of girls and boys when a group between the ages of 7 and 17 was studied. How, exactly?
At the younger age, anger and fear were heavily processed in the amygdala for both sexes. This center has a low number of connections to the cerebral cortex, which processes language and reasoning.
But after puberty, only the girls showed a change in this area. Negative emotions were now processed in the cerebral cortex! There's actually a lot going on in our heads, guys and gals.
Angry Amygdala
The fear and anger center is actually larger in males, it turns out. And combined with connectivity differences with other areas of the brain, guys are a lot more likely to get into street fights to solve problems. It's not just testosterone!
Women are more likely to take out their aggression on others with words, due to a more developed prefrontal cortex that inhibits physical responses. Perhaps this discovery gives some scientific basis to the claim that "Boys fight with fists, girls fight with gossip".
We've all heard that one, haven't we?
Lil' Wigglers
So who is winning in the math game at the moment? As it turns out, there is a difference in this area of ability from a young age. And boys have the edge.
Boys and girls in elementary school were observed as they solved conceptual math problems. In the end, the boys were faster than the girls. Researchers noticed that they accomplished this while actually moving in their chairs.
Something about not sitting still seems to have helped them access shared circuitry in the brain differently! When this tip was given to the girls, they improved. Who would've thought it?
Playtime Preferences
Researchers have observed that young boys play in larger groups, focus a lot on the game, and struggle for dominance. Rough and tumble play and threats are common, as well! Girls focus more on relationship building and take turns more often. What is going on here?
In monkeys. the same pattern has been observed. Macaque males are 6 times more likely hangout and do a little rough and tumble play than their ape lovers. The females prefer babysitting the lil' baby monkeys. Is there a connection? Some evolutionary scientists think so!
Tucking In the Truck
Boys and girls have traditionally played with different toys, like dolls and trucks. But maybe it's time for a change?
Researchers found that there was some odd behavior when these toys were switched up in an experiment. What were these children doing with their new toys? Surely they were using them appropriately!
Well, not exactly. The little girls actually played with their trucks like they were dolls! And the boys used the dolls like they were swords. Just a fluke, you ask?
This has actually been replicated in monkeys, of all things. Yes, male monkeys also prefer toy cars. And female monkeys prefer dolls!
Risky Business
Boys are actually more likely to take risks, researchers have found. A study in Missouri asked kids to ride a stationary bike while watching a simulation. When something hazardous crossed their path, the girls stopped sooner. Had this been real life, they would have been much safer!
Interestingly, the boys reported feeling the excitement during these fake collisions. The girls differed, saying they were scared. Perhaps this clue helps us understand why young boys seem to break more bones during childhood!
Killer Confidence
Males are apparently more likely to die in accidents, too. Researchers have found that boys are less likely to listen to warnings, and they often overestimate their abilities. Sounds like the perfect storm for drowning in the pool, doesn't it?
Well, it turns out that almost all drowning victims are actually male! Parents may want to take note that boys seems to be more likely to do dangerous things if other boys are around. Double trouble, indeed!
Brain Drain
Head injuries are no laughing matter, people. Medical science makes advances every day, but these accidents are still devastating to victims. During brain death research, an important difference was discovered between males and females in this emergency scenario.
What was actually going on inside patient heads?
The Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh found that brain cells die faster after injury in males. Glutathione is a chemical that aids brain cells during oxygen deprivation, and this remained constant in injured females. But sadly, it dropped by up to 80% in the males! Yikes, so sad.
Smile Please
Resting bitch face is a condition many of us seem to suffer from. It's chronic, people!
But perhaps men and women really do perceive this differently. Is it even happening? To men, it may be.
Researchers have found that men are more likely to read a neutral face as unfriendly. Yes, neutral! The chemical basis for this perception seems to be vasopressin mixed with testosterone, released during puberty.
Teenage boys seem to find neutral faces as potentially hostile, while girls see them as friendly! Now that's a real gap in reality if there ever was one.
Cheer Up, Charlie
Studies have found that women read subtle emotions more effectively than their male counterparts. When it comes to sadness, they have a real talent for it!
Researchers in one study found that women recognize small indicators of sadness in faces 90% of the time. Are men even close?
No, they clocked in at around 40% during the test. Perhaps an evolutionary need to understand the emotions of nonverbal infants may be at play here. That makes sense, right?
Feeling Those Feels
Men and women are both capable of empathy. We all know that from our own lives! But scientists have found evidence that empathy does not function exactly the same in both sexes. How you may ask?
The mirror neuron system and the temporal-parietal junction system in our brains are responsible for different emotional functions. The first helps with feeling what others feel. The second helps to distance us from the problem, so we can solve it analytically.
While both men and women in the same place with the MNS, men switch to the TPJ faster! We can all think of an argument that happens over this, can't we?
Listening to a problem for the sake of listening versus action-based suggestions seems to be a common point of conflict with couples. Ask any marriage counselor!
Conflict Vs. Cooperation
Studies show that men seem to thrive in conflict, but women avoid it.
Brain chemistry seems to play a role on the chemical level: Men get a boost, and women may experience a stress response. What evolutionary forces are at play here?
Researchers have also found that if a woman believes a close relationship is in danger, she may experience a pretty real episode. Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine change levels to create a negative reaction on the level of a small seizure. No joke!
In the wild, monkey females who have lots of friends tend to see more babies survive in the long term. Could this all be connected, from way back? Male conflict versus female collaboration does seem to be a running theme in these studies!
Sexy Stress
It may sound odd, but its science has shown that males are aroused under stress. Unsurprisingly, females are turned off! Who could have guessed?
Men are more likely to bond with women under stressful conditions, while women are more likely to be uninterested in sex during these times. Neurologically, cortisol blocks oxytocin activity in female brains.
That means that touch is not desired, boys! Perhaps women unconsciously know that an unstable environment is not great for nine months of pregnancy. And perhaps men know that a dangerous environment means they may only have one last chance to fertilize anyone, ever!
Arousal Challenges
Marriage therapists constantly hear stories of mismatched sex drives or terrible timing between couples who do want to do the deed. Sometimes it can be like ships passing in the night!
In general, men are easier to arouse than women. Why might that be? Let's consult science.
The anterior cingulate cortex is our center for sexual performance anxiety. And it turns out that this area of the brain is smaller in men! Additionally, if a woman's amygdala is firing like crazy. she will have trouble with arousal. Men, not so much!
Sex On The Brain
Are men actually more motivated by sex than women are? If you answered yes, you would be correct!
In that big brain of his, it turns out that he has double space and processing devoted to the topic. Downright shocking, we say.
And apparently, this change begins around 8 weeks after conception! When testosterone starts to alter the fetus, the hypothalamus is enlarged in males. That second wave during puberty strengthens the connections for smell and touch. Voila, the male brain awakens!
She's Got The Look
It seems like men and women are really interested in different kinds of erotica. How many millions of copies of Fifty Shades of Grey were sold again, people?
Well, research now confirms that these consumer choices really do meet a pattern! It's all in the visuals, baby. Men's sexual fantasies are nearly all visual!
It would surprise no one to find out that 80% of the internet's porn consumers are male. Female consumption has been on the rise, but a recent survey found that the devil is in the details. What does the shift really look like?
It turns out that women who do view porn are 3-4 times more likely to do it only with a partner. And still, 60% of women in relationships say they never view it at all!
The question is, how many in that self-reported anti-porn group read about Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey? We'd like to see those numbers, please.
The Sound Of Music
Men and women certainly enjoy music equally. There's no question about that! But music actually affects males and females differently as premature infants, scientists have discovered. Fascinating stuff!
In one trial, preemies were given music therapy during their healing and growth process. The females actually had fewer complications, left earlier, and grew faster. But oddly, this had no effect on the males! Pretty interesting, though still mysterious.
After The High
Orgasms affect men and women differently, and scientifically so. We all know that it feels like a release, but what is really being let out in the brain? More than a few people have investigated this in a lab!
In women, oxytocin and dopamine are released. That's why she wants to cuddle and talk! But men? Chemicals are instead released straight into the hypothalamus, triggering droopy eyes and detachment from the world. Sleepy time for me, not for thee!
Tricky Trans-mitters
Transgender surgery and hormone replacement have become a more common occurrence in recent years. Scientists have had the chance to study the brains of these individuals before and after the changes, and some interesting facts have emerged.
In men, the area where the amygdala starts its connection into the hypothalamus contains a neurotransmitter that is two times as big as the version women have. What about men with gender dysphoria, though?
When these cases were studied after death, medical researchers noticed that the size of this area corresponded to the gender the person identified with. And apparently, this was the case with or without hormones! Very interesting stuff, indeed.
It's All About That Bass
No treble, okay? Women seem to demand deep voices. And men want high pitched tones, a mirror opposite. Is this just a Western phenomenon?
Social scientists wandered into the turf of an African tribe called the Hosta, and they found some interesting facts!
The tribesmen told the researchers that they thought the women with deep voices were superior foragers. But when it came to sex? No, way!
The men preferred the high voiced females in the tribe. And conversely, the women felt the deep-voiced options were better hunters and protectors. They were turned off completely by high voices! At this point, it's looking like a worldwide constant.
Truly Madly Deeply
Love makes the world go round, they say. Or is that money? No matter, it can't be denied that love is a powerful force in our lives. And when men and women fall in love, their brains know it!
The chemical process appears to be different, however. When a man falls in love, dopamine combines with vasopressin and testosterone. For women, dopamine is mixed with other brain agents — estrogen and oxytocin, to be exact. Whatever's actually going on in there, it sure feels good!
Virile Voyages
A man's sperm count varies throughout the day and the situation he finds himself in — but what about when he is away from the love of his life? What happens to his mind and body is a bit surprising!
Apparently, a man's count increases when he is away from his partner! A woman, however, will not ovulate more when she is away from her partner and around strapping young fellows. All those eggs are set from the day she is born!
Baby Brain
If men and women had differences before, they are only bigger after the baby arrives! Medicine has established that a total transformation takes place when a woman gives birth, but this started during the pregnancy itself. What was happening all those months, really?
For months, a restructuring takes place as stress circuits are suppressed. The cortex gets bigger, while other parts shrink! No brain cells are actually lost during this process, but the rewire changes how the existing areas function as it goes back to normal size.
They say becoming a mommy changes you, and they weren't joking people!