19). The hippocampus is responsible "for memory storage and for spatial mapping of the physical environment" (Cahill, 2005, para. 18). Thus, women navigate using landmarks, whereas males use space and orientation to estimate distance.
Studying the physical aspects of the brain in males and females highlights emotional and cognitive differences between the two sexes. In the female brain, the two hemispheres appear to be more interconnected, suggesting a greater ability to multitask. The female brain has a more active frontal cortex than that of males and the female brain better copes with boredom. As for the cortex, males and females seem to use it for different means. In the male brain, a greater area is used for spatial-mechanic functions, whereas in females, a greater area is used for emotions and verbal responses (Williams, 2008, p. 20).
Even the physical development of the brain of each sex takes place at different rates. In women, "the frontal lobes develop earlier than they do in males" (Williams, 2008, p. 20) and as a result, they "may possess less impulsivity" (Williams, 2008, p. 21). In young boys, there is more "impulsivity, single-task focus, kinesthetic...
The male brain may have a better propensity for impulsivity, but it also allows for a greater attention to detail. The male brain has "about 4 billion more neuron's in the cortex than women's" (Cohen, 2003, p. 112), which is linked to better systemizing. As a result of having more cells, the male brain is heavier (Cohen, 2003, p. 112). These physical differences can be linked to evolutionary and biological factors, but the role of experience and nurture continues to be researched (Cohen, 2003, p. 1).
Baron-Cohen, S. (2003). The essential difference: Male and female brains and the truth about autism. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Cahill, L. (2005). His brain, her brain. Scientific American. Retrieved from http://jerrymondo.tripod.com/medicalscience/id8.html.
Sabbatini, R.M.E. (1997). Are there differences between the brains of males and females? Mind
and Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n11/mente/eisntein/cerebro-homens.html.
Williams, R.B., & Dunn, S.E. (2008). Brain-compatible learning for the block…
