• KMF 1014 INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE SCIENCE

• Assignment 2
• Brain Sex Experiment
• Title: Brain Sex Experiment (Differences in male and female brain)

No. Name of group members Matric number Email

1. Nur Sabrina Afiqah Binti Bakerya 76278 76278@siswa.unimas.my
2. Joqlin Ling Mee Eng 75211 75211@siswa.unimas.my
3. Valerie Minah Anak Harris 77056 77065@siswa.unimas.my
4. Vivien Anak Bennet 77109 77109@siswa.unimas.my
5. Sofea Syazani Athirah Binti Suhaimi 76872 76872@siswa.unimas.my
6. Ashiqujjaman Galib 73268 73268@siswa.unimas.my
Introduction to
Brainsex Matter
• What is the contrast between men's and
women's brains? This address has far-
reaching suggestions for both wellbeing and
malady and has been talked about for
centuries. Luckily, we are presently in a time
of large-scale, high-resolution MRI considers
that make the reply inside reach.
• Previous studies have shown a biological
dissimilarity between males and females
were the persuasive device of person ability
for how he or she think and respond to
others and these contrasts are based on
brain sex instead of organic sex.
• Recent ponders demonstrate that sex may
have a significant impact on human
cognitive capacities, counting feeling,
memory, recognition, etc., (Cahill, 2006).
• Men and ladies show up to have diverse
ways to encode recollections, sense
feelings, recognize faces, fathom certain
issues, and make choices. Since the brain
controls cognition and behaviors, these
gender-related useful contrasts may be
related with the gender-specific structure
of the brain (Cosgrove et al., 2007).
• Subsequently, brain sex of
organic sexual orientation can
be evaluated by gender
questionnaire which seem
assess and assess womanliness
versus manliness separated
from their organic sex
depending on their identity and
intrigued since; brain sex is
connected more with organic
sex than with the brain
anatomical changes.
 SUMMARY: THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE
(THE MALE AND FEMALE BRAIN)
• Nowadays, people appreciate the great scholarly opportunity to examine
the area of gender differences of psychology. The theory of Empathy-systematization, a recent concept indicates
that the male brain is mostly understanding and constructing structures, while the female brain is mostly
sympathy. The empathizer understands what individuals feel and treat individuals with care and consideration.

Type E • more powerful than empathy management, more women have this profile

Type S • illustrates that systemization is stronger than empathy profiles, more men
have this profile

Type B • people are equally healthy in their management and empathy

• Men: Men are found in construction systems that require high standards; It affects the selection of
careers. Men show more direct aggression, a male incoming person probably tries to change it and
hijacks the game trying to get everyone's attention.
• Boys are often overlooked as newcomers, a Cambridge thinker noticed that one year old boys are more
interested in watching car films than in the face of a person. Women are interested in social
composition, generally more sensitive than other, more aware of facial expressions, girls are usually
good hosts, they pay more attention to a newcomer.
• Boys born with synthetic female hormones gradually reduce the
characteristics of girls. Male babies born in small testes usually have
lower testosterone levels. They are worse in terms of local aspects of
management. The E-S hypothesis makes it clear to us why all people are
normal or short-sighted for their sexuality.

• The study was conducted in the Department of Psychology, SGRRIM and

HS, Dehradun, focusing on spatial abilities, scientific abilities and verbal
abilities of the previous observers of mental gender contrasts. 1 17-1 after
obtaining permission from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the
study.

• Two hundred mentally and physically healthy volunteers of both sexes of

the year were taken to the Montreal Cognition Assessment Test (MOCA),
two a 10 minute: 30-point test, to gain cognitive skills in seven
substations. Visuospatial skills, memory, language, attention, abstraction.
• The difference in the overall level of knowledge between the two sexes was
not found in the case of Kimura D, Harlitz A, Halpern DF, K, and Violar EK.
Announcing that most standardized tests were designed to maintain a
strategic distance from sexuality, almost all gender-based thinkers noted the
contrast between the various components of cognitive perception, with
higher scores in 4 substates in the female subject, in the subsection of the
cognitive test. Two equal scores and a higher score in the male subjects thus
clearly have an increase in the overall score in the female subjects.

• Hypothalamus: The brain that controls male and female regenerative

behavior, the somewhat shaped pituitary interface at the base of the brain,
the ice endocrine organ, obviously bigger in male rats than in females size
difference in under hormonal control.

• Agreeing to today’s overview, men is superior at visual aptitudes.

Simultaneously, women is superior at passionate aptitudes, but this cannot
be a precise ponder since testosterone levels will influence the comes about.
 SUMMARY: SEX DIFFERENCE IN THE BRAIN
BY DOREEN KIMURA

❑ Recent study shows that boys and girls' behavior and

brain function act differently since their early age REPRODUCTIVE PHYSICAL
because of the effect from their sex hormones. FUNCTIONS ATTRIBUTES

MEN AND
❑ Based on the observation male their behavior deemed WOMEN
DIFFERENCES
as aggressive and young males are more likely to
engage in rough activities. Meanwhile, young female’s CHARACTERISTIC
PROBLEM-SOLVING
INTELLECT
characteristic are more to nurture.
CHARACTERISTIC
❑ Androgen in charge of formation of male genitalia and male behavior and based on
Robert W. Goy seminal studies, female genitalia and female behavior form from
the absence of Androgen.
❑ When rodent with a functional male genital lack of Androgen it will act more like
female rodent sexual behavior such as lordosis. Meanwhile if female rodents were
given Androgen it will prone to male sexual-behavior such as mounting. This
effects only occur if it occur directly after birth
 HYPOTHALAMUS
❑ Hypothalamus located at the undersurface of brain
and attach to the pituitary gland.

❑ Responsible in regulating male and female behavior

❑ The size of Hypothalamus in male rats are larger

than female rat

❑ Men have larger interstitial nucleus of interior

hypothalamus than women.

❑ Jiang Ning Zhou study shows that the size

hypothalamus of male-to-female transexual are
found to be smaller compared to male control
group
 PROBLEM SOLVING TASK FAVORING
Women are better in perceptual
Men are better at spatial task
speed test which they need to
than women
rapidly identify matching items

Good at test that require them to

PROBLEM- Women tend to remember if
mentally rotate or manipulate item or
an object or series of object
determining location of holes that SOLVING
relocate
was punched in a folded paper TASK
MEN FAVORING WOMEN

Show more accuracy in guiding

Sex differences in function can be Women surpassed men in a
or intercepting projectile which
seen in patterns of ability rather than test that instruct them to
required target-directed motor
skills
IQ. However, Richard Lynn claim that recall words
human males have higher IQ level
than female.
Men also better at matching women do a good job on a precision
lines with identical slopes manual task which involve fine-motor
coordination

Men perform better in Women do better on mathematical

mathematical reasoning test calculation task than men
 RELATION BETWEEN HORMONES
AND BEHAVIOUR

❑ William discover that if newborn males' sex hormone level deplete they will
behave like female and if newborn female administer sex hormone, they will
behave like male
❑ Barenbaum A. S. and Hines M. have conducted a study on girls that have a
condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) by observing and
comparing CAH girl's behavior with both of their male and female siblings.

Likes to play with masculine toys

Different pattern of choice compared to girl without CAH

CAH Girls Preferred careers & activities that usually associate with
male
Spatial abilities
heighten
 The Magic of Sparking Creativity

❑ When Estrogen Hormone level heighten, women speech ability and

manual skill task will increase. However, men spatial ability increase
when their Testosterone Hormone Level lower. This shows that
hormonal fluctuation effect cognitive ability of adult.

❑ The right and left hemisphere of the brain in men is more

asymmetrically structured than in women for speech and spatial
functions.

❑ Women have better transmission between left and right hemisphere

as they have larger Corpus Callosum and Anterior Commissure which
are connector of both hemisphere.

❑ Since women brain are less asymmetrical than men, women are not
as affected if one the brain hemisphere are damage compared to men.
Although, the effect on women are not as bad as men spatial ability
for men are still higher than women.
 SPEECH & MANUAL
FUNCTION

Aphasia- Inability To
Perform & Comprehend Apraxia- Difficulty In
Summarization
Speech Controlling Hand Movement

Women tend Men Occur after Women

to suffer however posterior hardly suffer Posterior design of
aphasia after suffer damage for from Apraxia left Hemisphere of
posterior aphasia from men, after brains is the one Women use both right &
damage left although it posterior that usually left hemisphere which is
rather than hemisphere will affect damage affected from why the score from
after anterior damage more on compared to stroke based on the vocabulary test & verbal
damage speech men men speech after fluency test are slightly
the restricted affected if one of the
damage hemisphere have injury
whereas men score only
affected by left
hemisphere damage
 SUMMARY:
“GENDER BASED VARIATION IN COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN
ADOLESCENT SUBJECTS”

There is a lack of cognitive function-related data within healthy

teenage groups. This makes it difficult for us to distinguish and
understand the cognitive changes in the lifespan changes of adult
female and male subjects.
Cognition requires:
Attention
Attention Memory
Memory Executive function

Visuospatial function Learning Verbal ability or language

This research was conducted at the Department of Physiology,

SGRRIM&HS, Dehradun. There were two hundred physical and
mental health participants between 17-19 years old who
participated in this study after obtaining approval from the
institutional ethics committee.
In the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MOCA), The cognitive abilities among
7 survey items are assessed.

Abstraction Language Memory Attention

Mathematical ability Orientation Visuo-spatial Skills

• The findings of this analysis indicate statistically slightly higher average

cognitive scores of young adult females relative to young adult males.
• In earlier similar studies, in the Kimura D, Herlitz A, Halpern DF,
Downing K, and Voyer E studies, the difference in the average cognitive
level between men and women never found results. (They claim that
most routine assessments have been formulated to avoid gender bias)
• In the 7 subsets of the cognitive test, female subjects scored higher on 4
subtests. Male subjects had a higher score and 2 equal scores in both,
while female subjects had a higher overall score.
• The results of the study found that women's visuospatial skills,
language, memory, and attention cognitive subtests performed
well, especially visuospatial skills and memory are of great
significance.
• Previous studies have shown that men are much higher than
women in most visuospatial work due to the effect of the level of
sex hormone (testosterone).

Men with higher levels of sex hormone (testosterone) would do better.

But some investigators have noted a non-significant relationship with

androgens.

• On the other hand, estrogen is thought to inhibit visuospatial

ability.
• Besides, an important discovery in Kimura D, estrogen is believed
to facilitate verbal memory activity.
• Females perform these tasks at a higher level while the amounts
of estrogen are high.

Through cases of Turner syndrome (XO), the uterus will

degenerate prematurely.

The use of estrogen can easily improve these patients in

activities that indicate attention and memory.
 In neuropsychological Receiving estrogen therapy found
research in the temporal that certain regions of the brain
and parietal cortex areas related to memory and other
in youthful and cognitive functions have a higher
postmenopausal females: degree of activation, blood
perfusion, and glucose metabolism.

The results cannot yet be considered to be definitive due to the limited

number of experiments and variations in the methodology used.
 Conclusion

This research gives initial data showing that men's

visuospatial skills are not intellectually superior to women,
so more research and work needs to be conducted in this
direction.

Participating in outdoor activities and education from early

childhood can effectively improve girls' job opportunities
and have made considerable progress in skills.

Because of the educational status of the subjects in this study

representing lifestyle changes, these results can be further
highlighted.
 The Common Points from All Three
Articles
• These three articles all mentioned the role of sex
hormones in their research.

• In these articles, they all stated the role of sex

hormones will influence to the human behavior and
cognition function. For example, it has mostly been
mentioned that men with higher levels of sex
hormone (testosterone) are equipped to achieve
better.

• Higher testosterone levels may be used to be

conclusive in affecting the capacity of space (spatial
ability).
 The Common Points from All Three
Articles

• It also mentioned that the sex hormone (estrogen)

is thought to inhibit visuospatial ability.

• The estrogen is able to improve women in

activities that indicate attention and memory.

• In conclusion, sex hormones might have a

significant effect on human thought, actions and
on the body.
 The Common Points from All Three
Articles
• Other common point is the results from males does not
always apply to female and vice versa the female results does
not always apply to male.
• These article support that our behaviour is influenced by
many pathways internal & external influences.
• All of these variables will affect the development of our
mental and our body today which implies the environment
and the behaviour take off marks on the brain and not
exclusively formed by biological sex.
 SECRETS OF THE SEXES
What is this video about? What does it say about male and females? What is
the main difference between the female and the male brain? Why?
To investigate the secret of the sexes they invited 5 women and 5 men
to take role in series of distinctive special test which represent as broad
range of people such as housewife, engineer, baker and investment
banker.

To start, they had to complete the BBC’s online sex survey which they
will be examined on everything like language & others. The test
assesses an entire range of traits and abilities and the result will show
how dissimilar the brain of male & female. In the video, they had tested
the volunteers in a variety way.
1st experiment: “The Cab: Memory Experiment”
1. One of it was where the volunteers went into the cab with
rigged hidden camera with an actor. The actor makes sure that
all the passengers hear the same conversation.
2. This is to see either the men or women remember different bits
of what they’ve heard. Psychiatrist Dr. Sandra Scott springs a
surprise interrogation by asking questions related to the cab.
3. The results show that the women are much better memory for
the emotional facts which means men were more to thing
oriented and women were more people oriented.

2nd experiment: TV Observation and brain reaction

1. Another experiment was by observing what they had watch in
TV. The men somewhat remember what the male newsreader
had said but when they listen to the female colleague, they
appeared to have gone deaf.
2. Men are indeed interested in facts, but they were more
interested in sex which stands to reason men are much more
promiscuous than women.
3rd experiment: Lie detector test
1. This experiment they had asked a bunch of people to find
out how much more promiscuous men really are. The
street survey found that on average men reported 13
sexual partners while women only managed 7. But they
result was not accurate because its either men are
exaggerating, or women are being economical with the
truth.
2. To know the truth, they had asked the volunteers to take
a lie detector test. The women lied in the test because
they want to take care their own reputation. The truth
was both men and women admit having the same
numbers of sexual partners. What more nearly a quarter
of both sexes admitted to having been unfaithful to a
long-term partner. Men predicted more than twice as
many sexual partners in the future than women did. Even
tough men are distracted by the idea of sex, they are not
promiscuous than women.
3. In the video, the women claimed that they were more
sensitive, friendly, caring and emotional.
4th experiment: Empathy Test
1. Next experiment shows they hired 8 years old actress
fitted her with a secret camera & abandon her in the
London street to test measure of empathy which
ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoe & act
appropriately.
2. 41 women stopped to help but only 2 men stop. 22%
of women offered help as opposed and just 1% of
men. This prove that women are more emotional,
sensitive, caring and friendly.

5th experiment: Listening Test

1. Both volunteer were given headset and asked to listen
to the audio recording of some makeup words.

2. Women can listen to both words at the same time,

but men can only listen to right side audio but not
both. This also mean that women use both sides of
the brain to process speech, while men only use right
side of their brain.
 6th experiment: Drive test
1. For this test, volunteers were asked to participate in a Go-Kart racing
competition to test their testosterone changed throughout the race.
Testosterone the so-called male hormone is produced by both men
and women. Men’s biological response to a competition is very
different than women and the has large fluctuations which is
consistent with what one expects in response to competition, but
we see virtually zero procreation in women.
2. Men are more likely as a result of this increase in testosterone to
take risks and risks made in an encounter and competitive and kind
of maybe beneficial than women.

7th experiment: Children behavior test

1. For the first few weeks of development its impossible to tell if the tiny
embryo floating in its amniotic fluid is a male or female because they
all appear to be female. In week 8, the male start to produce
testosterone in huge quantities. At just few hours old girls prefer to
look at human face while boys will look at well anything. Barely born
and yet girls like people but boys like things.
2. The differences in behavior were down to testosterone. The kids
have high testosterone are more likely to behave in a masculine way
then other.
7th Experiment: Run Test
• Our fingers have information about how much testosterone
how much estrogen we’ve been exposed to in the womb so the
longer one's ring-finger relative to one’s index finger the more
testosterone you’ve had, and that testosterone has effect on
the brain and body. The longer one’s ring-finger relative to
one’s index finger the faster one can run. If finger can used to
determine our brain sex how male or female their brains are.
Half a million people the biggest difference between men and
women was in visual spatial tasks. Men score 40% higher than
women.
8th experiment: Changing baby diapers test
• Lastly, volunteers been asked to change the diaper of a baby to
observe their child care skills. The women were doing well as
expected while men were struggling. At the end, all women
pick up the baby after changing the diaper while men just
simply step away except for one man which was Craig.
• According to study, male is better in visual skills while female is
better in emotional skills but its not an accurate study because
level of testosterone will effects the outcomes.
OVERALL, testosterone shapes our bodies and affects our
mind. Women are better at language and emotional skills
while men are better at visual spatial skills but its not simple.
Average conceal individual differences. Many men find
making emotional connections difficult. The sex of our brain
is not as clear-cut as the sex of our body. We individuals are
a mosaic a unique mixture of birth. Knowing about our brain
sex and where our strength and weaknesses lie has to mean
a better understanding of ourselves and each other.
Brainsexmatter Questionnare
Continue…
 Questionnare: Short Commentary
From the result we have obtained :
1. “Male” Brain :
❖The result of one of our female members which is Joqlin Ling Mee Eng is very impressive to us. She almost
have a “male” brain instead of having a “female” brain.
❖She scored the mark of 9 in the brain test and it was mean to have a “male” brain.

2. “Mixed” Brain :
❖Two of our female members found out that they have “mixed” brain.
❖Both Nur Sabrina Afiqah Binti Bakerya and Sofea Syazani Athirah Binti Suhaimi scored 10 in the brain test.
❖The result of our male member also very impressive to us. Ashiqujjaman Galib also scored 10 and he found to
have “mixed” brain instead of having a “male” brain.

3. “Female” Brain :
❖The other 2 female members found to have “female”which based on the brain sex test.
❖Valerie Minah anak Harris scored 14 meanwhile Vivien Anak Bennet scored 13 out of 20.
In conclusion, we can conclude that gender does not describe how the brain function. Even though you are
female, you might have a “male” brain and boy attitudes.
 References
• Baron-Cohen, S. (2003) The essential difference: Men, women and the
extreme male brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

• Kimura, D. (2002). Sex differences in the brain. Retrieved from

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-differences-in-the-
brain-2002-04

• Mittal, S., Verma, P., Jain, N., Khatter, S., & Juyal, A. (2012). Gender based
variation in cognitive functions in adolescent subjects. Annals of
neuroscience, 19(4), 165-168.
Appendix