Do Men and Women Have Different Brains?

What does bran science say, and does it matter?

We probably all believe, to some degree, that men’s and women’s brains differ. But the research is contradictory, and a major review last year found no significant differences – going against most people’s gut feeling and general observations. But some more recent research points to what the differences might actually be.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he idea that men’s and women’s brains differ is probably as old as neuroscience itself, but it is a sensitive topic for it can raise and justify all sorts of gender roles and biases – making things “biological”. Many of us will probably feel that there will be obvious differences and indeed research over the years has given us a number of structures in the brain that appear to be different. Some of these claims have become painfully persistent and popular. I say painfully because when we scrutinise the science, then many of these differences disappear.

The science here can also appear to be contradictory. We hear of reports and studies showcasing how men and women differ but then we are also told that there are no fundamental differences particularly when it comes to brains. So, what is it? Are men different to women and is this reflected in brain wiring and structures?

The answer in short is, without question, and with absolute certainty, we have different brains. Of course we do. The real question is how big this difference is and what this means? And that is the actual problem. I will attempt to disentangle the concept of male and female brains in this brief review of the topic.

But let’s start off with the recent bold claim – backed by a deep review of the science - that men’s and women’s brain are not different in any meaningful way.