Men, on average, have a larger volume and higher tissue density in the amygdala of the left hemisphere, hippocampus, cortex, and putamen. Certain areas of the brain are superior to similar areas in women only in volume or density.
The average woman, in turn, can boast of a higher density of the frontal pole of the left hemisphere and a predominant volume of the frontal pole of the right hemisphere, the inferior and middle frontal gyrus, the triangular part of the frontal lobe, and more.
It would seem that such differences should lead to revolutionary conclusions, but everything remains at the level of unconfirmed assumptions.
For example, it is believed that a woman is able to do a hundred things at once, while a man can focus on only one task at a time. The theory was based on the assumption that women have better communication between the hemispheres of the brain, while men's neurons are more active in transmitting information within one hemisphere. But research has not confirmed this. In an experiment involving 240 people, men even performed slightly better in multitasking tests than women.
Of course, we can say that men, on average, show better results in spatial orientation, performing tasks on figures of revolution, while women outperform them in memorizing objects and their localization. In addition, men are more aggressive and more prone to antisocial behavior.
White and gray matter
There is also a difference in the distribution of white and gray matter. Gray matter represents the centers of information processing, and white matter represents the connection between these centers. Men have about 6.5 times more gray matter, and women have almost 10 times more white matter. Researchers suggest that this may be what determines men's success in solving math problems and women's verbal abilities.
Despite the differences, women's and men's brains have the same overall performance on a wide range of cognitive abilities.
By the way, the situation is not so simple with math skills. On average, boys are better at math than girls. But in countries that strive for equality, girls' average mathematical abilities are at least the same. Therefore, the peculiarities of gender socialization in this matter may be more important than the structure of the brain.
Researchers have found that the activity of men's and women's brains differs when solving similar tasks or reacting to the same stimuli.
In one of the experiments, the subjects had to find a way out of a virtual maze. The MRI data showed that men activated the hippocampus on the left, which is associated with context-dependent memory, while solving the problem. In women, the posterior parietal cortex, which is responsible for spatial perception and attention, and the prefrontal cortex of the right hemisphere, which is associated with episodic memory, are involved.
There is a difference in brain activity and in the resting state. The brains of men and women organize their activities differently, and this, according to some researchers, explains the difference in their behavior.
Synchronization of nervous activity
Scientists have studied the patterns of cooperation in men and women. Pairs consisting of a man and a man, a woman and a woman, and a man and a woman performed the same simple task. The synchronization of neural activity was higher in same-sex pairs, but was observed in different areas in men and women.
The nucleus accumbens of sexual dimorphism
This area is located in the hypothalamus and is responsible for sex drive. In men, the nucleus accumbens is 2.5 times larger than in women. Moreover, the gender difference in this matter is outlined only by the age of four and becomes apparent by the age of 6-10.