Sex Differences in Cognitive Function
By Stephanie Blay Muah, University of Lethbridge, BSc
The variations in cognitive skills and brain functioning between males and females are referred to as sex differences in cognitive function. There are some differences in cognitive performance between boys and girls, according to studies, but it is crucial to remember that most of these differences are minor and that there is a considerable overlap between the sexes.
Boys and girls differ in several ways, one of which is their capacity for spatial ability or intelligence. Spatial intelligence, or visuo-spatial ability, has been defined “the ability to generate, retain, retrieve, and transform well-structured visual images” (Lohman 1996). Research has consistently shown that boys tend to perform better on tasks that measure spatial abilities, such as mental rotation and spatial visualization. Males outperform females in spatial, working memory and mathematical abilities (Upadhayay et al., 2014). This difference in spatial abilities has been found to have a connection to higher levels of testosterone in boys during prenatal development which may influence the development of certain brain regions involved in spatial processing. But whether or not the sex difference in mental rotation is influenced by hormones, there is compelling evidence showing that people can enhance their spatial abilities with practice (Dewar, 2022).
Another area where there are sex differences in cognitive function is in verbal abilities. Verbal ability is the cognitive ability to understand and use language. According to research, girls typically perform better on tasks that test verbal skills like, verbal fluency and vocabulary. Generally, females show advantages in verbal fluency, perceptual speed, accuracy, and fine motor skills (Upadhayay et al., 2014). Just like boys, verbal fluency in girls has been found to have a connection with greater levels of estrogen during fetal development which may have an influence on the growth of certain brain regions associated in language comprehension.
It is crucial to remember that boys and girls share a lot of the same cognitive skills, and that sex differences are flexible and can alter based on an individual's life experiences, society, and environment. Additionally, it is also important to keep in mind that these cognitive differences do not necessarily suggest any inherent or innate superiority of one sex over the other.
There is also some evidence to suggest that there may be sex differences in memory function. Research shows that men tend to have better working memory, which is the ability to hold and manipulate information in their mind over a short period of time, while women tend to have better verbal episodic memory, which is the ability to remember verbal information such as words and stories. However, it's important to note that these differences are not always consistent and further research is needed to understand the underlining mechanisms.
In addition to these cognitive differences there are also some structural differences in the brain between males and females. On average, men tend to have a larger overall brain size and a larger hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory, while women have a larger corpus callosum, a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. These structural differences do not necessarily translate into differences in cognitive abilities.
Finally, cognitive abilities are influenced by a variety of factors including genetics life experiences culture and environment and should not be used to make generalizations about individuals.
REFERNCES
Upadhayay, N., & Guragain, S. (2014). Comparison of cognitive functions between male and female medical students: a pilot study. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/7490.4449
Lohman DF. 1996. Spatial ability and g. In: Dennis I, Tapsfield P, editors. Human abilities: Their nature and measurement. Erlbaum; Hillsdale, NJ. pp. 97–116.
Dewar, G. (2022, March 13). Spatial intelligence: What is it, and how can we enhance it? PARENTING SCIENCE. https://parentingscience.com/spatial-intelligence/
What is Verbal Ability? (n.d.). https://das.org.sg/news-events/blogs/36-dyslexia-and-other-splds/912-what-is-verbal-ability.html
Photo: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/sex-differences-brain-anatomy