Sex Differences in Language: Men

Sex Differences in Language: Men vs. Women

I am here to tell you that females are superior to males with regard to linguistic or language ability, both from a biological and a cultural perspective. There have been numerous studies conducted over the years that have suggested that females are more adept than males with regard to their vocal ability.

From a social perspective women are far more often depicted as having better language and communication skills than men. Is this because women are 'hard wired' or naturally programmed to communicate better, or is it because women are simply trained to do so from a social or cultural perspective? I propose that females have better linguistic abilities because they are both biologically more suited to language capability and because society has influenced women in a manner that dictates that they should have more linguistic ability.

There is in fact, a large body of evidence supporting the argument that sex differences occur in the "cognitive" abilities or the mental capacity of people including the language ability between men and women. This is not to say that one sex communicates better than the other, although I have concluded based on the research that women generally are more capable with regard to language abilities. Rather the studies that have been conducted with regard to language ability and capacity imply that men and women simply use language differently to communicate, and understanding these differences is critical to fostering open communication and understanding between the sexes.

Sex differences in language can be downplayed or up-played by stereotypical beliefs that one sex is better than the other with regard to linguistic abilities. For example, traditional women are viewed as more adept at linguistic abilities and language fluency, whereas males are more commonly seen as competent in regards to mathematical or spatial abilities (Halpern, 2000:21). Thus, females might be encouraged to pursue more language oriented career fields because of societal 'norms' which might dictate that women are simply better at some things than others.

This suggests that from a cultural or societal perspective, women are encouraged to be better communicators, and that socially it is accepted as a 'norm' that women have better language abilities than men. This might be attributed to gender 'stereotyping' which often assigns certain traits or abilities to one sex over another based on societal observations, trends and patterns in human behavior.

This does not provide a scientific foundation however for differences that exist between the sexes with regard to language. So, it is important to differentiate whether language ability differences may be associated more with biological factors or psychological ones.

Much of the evidence available that is 'scientifically' based suggests that females are more likely to do better in language skills tests at young ages, particularly between grade 4 to 8, whereas males are more likely to excel with regard to mathematical abilities between grade 8 to 12 (Halpern, 2000). Other studies suggest that performance with regard to mathematical and spatial ability declines after a peak at age 22, whereas linguistic ability and verbal intelligence increases throughout ones adulthood, suggesting that both men and women have ample opportunity to develop strong linguistic abilities throughout their adult life (Kaufman, Kaufman-Packer, McLean & Reynolds, 1991; Halpern, 2000).

For years researchers have sought to explain the sex differences that occur in language and human behavior (Joseph, 2000). Human females time and time again have proven to excel over their male counterparts with regard to language tasks and verbal abilities (Joseph, 2000). Females are generally credited with having more ability to express themselves from a social-emotional perspective and tend to vocalize more often among one another than males in groups or pairs (Joseph, 2000).

These differences have been well established and documented for many years, and are even noticed among primates, where females are more likely to engage in vocalizations in times of danger or excitement (Joseph, 2000).

Does that mean that females are by nature 'hard wired' to have better linguistic abilities than men? Despite the potential for biological differences between the two there is still enough evidence to suggest that environmental and social pressures often result in these behaviors and perceived abilities as much as any neurologically-based differences (Joseph, 2000).

There is also some evidence which suggests that the right hemisphere of the female brain has a greater capacity to express and perceive "emotional" vocalizations or language abilities, and that females are superior with regard to their sensitivity to understand, perceive "and express empathy and social emotional nuances" (Joseph, 2000). Even in childhood women are more likely to express themselves emotionally than males, who traditionally have difficulty expressing themselves except via traditional means such as through anger, joy or "sexual arousal" (Joseph, 2000).

What does all of this mean? It certainly affirms the statement I made initially that females are better communicators than men. The evidence that is available to explain this difference suggests that females generally exhibit more language ability because of biological factors and because of societal pressures which dictate that women are better with regard to communication abilities and verbal abilities, and men are better when it comes to spatial orientation or mathematical abilities.

It is important to not discount but to strongly consider the powerful influence cultural 'norms' or perceived 'norms' may have on ones ability. The research examined suggests that both men and women have the capacity to boost their language ability and verbal communication abilities through their 60s (Joseph, 2000) so it might actually be possible for males to 'catch up' with females with regard to language ability. However despite a biological ability to improve one's language ability, it seems that culturally it is more acceptable for males to remain less communicative and to possess less adept verbal communication skills than females do.

Why is all of this worth examining? The issue of sex differences is a controversial one, and for years researchers, theorists and even every day citizens (like us) have been trying to figure out what makes men and women 'tick' and how better communication can be facilitated between the two genders.

Certainly from a relationship perspective the more adept both men and women are with regard to their verbal and language abilities, the more likely a relationship is to flourish and grow over time, and the more likely a couple is to report that they are happy and satisfied. This is certainly the case whether the relationship might be intimately-based or between friends, family members and peers. Much of the conflict that arises in society seems to stem from an inability of two parties to communicate effectively. Thus any examination of language ability that helps reveal how one communicates, whether a male or female, might help us better understand how to facilitate more clear and concise communication between the sexes.