Gender On Memory

There are four main differences between the genders: physical, cognitive, personality, and behaviors. Physical differences are the most obvious differences between genders. Those differences come from the primary and secondary sex characteristics. The primary sex characteristics of females are their ovaries and males have testes. As far as secondary sex characteristics, females tend to have wider hips and smaller bodies and males tend to have more facial hair and deeper voices. Some cognitive differences between males and females are that males are often more superior in visual-spatial abilities used in math, science, and map reading, and females are often more superior at writing, reading, and foreign

Gender differences have been recorded by researches from single neurons in the cell to system level processes (Cahill 2006), and certain scientists proposed that sex hormones influence the development of prefrontal cortex, and this is supposed to be the cause of the differences in working memory performance (Duff & Hampson, 2001). This study further investigated the existence and nature of this gender difference. A sample of 497 Monash University psychology undergraduates (385 females and 112 males; ages 18 – 64) were recruited for this study. Working memory performance was tested with online 'spatial working memory ' test, and 2D:4D finger length ratio was used as an indirect measure of sex hormone levels. The results revealed no sex differences in the working memory performance, but variance in 2D:4D ratio – females had a larger ratio than males. Memory reaction time was negatively correlated with 2D:4D ratio, thus, females had a quicker reaction time.

The hormonal differences in males and females include levels of oxytocin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and vasopressin. Oxytocin is more functionally present in females, which assists them with bonding and maintaining relationships. The level of female hormones, estrogen and

Differences in brain structure between males and females result in important differences in perceptions, emotional expressions, priorities and behaviors. (*) Relationship traits, problem solving approaches, mathematical abilities, reactions to stress, language, emotions, brain size, pain perception, spatial ability and susceptibility to disorders are just some areas in which men and women react differently because of their differences in brain structure. (*) To some scientists and theorists these many influential biological differences between men and women make gender roles inevitable. (*)

Think a little harder into how male and females differ; there are the obvious examples, starting

Thus, concluding that the explanation of biological, psychodynamic and learning approaches does influence on gender development. Each of these approaches explains how gender is developed in their own way. From the biological approach, we found out that gender differences are seen as resulting from sex differences. In other words, women and men act, think and feel differently because of differences in how their brains work. These brain differences may result from chromosomal differences and may also be the result of hormonal differences.

“Men and women have different levels of certain hormones; for example, men have a higher concentration of androgens such as testosterone, while women have a higher concentration of estrogens.” (Steadyhealth website, 2015, Difference between male and female structures (Mental and Physical))

Bloise, S.M. Johnson, M.K. (2007). Memory for emotional and neutral information: Gender and individual differences in emotional sensitivity. Memory. 15 (2), pp.192-204.

For the purpose of this paper, I will only focus on three hypotheses and three specific elements of the research. First, given that boys are more likely to play video games more often and engage in more psychical activity they should be more adapt to remembering pictures presented dynamically then statically; opposed to girls who were expected to remember pictures that were presented statically. Next, congruent with the gender schema theory, the researcher hypothesized that both males and females are more likely to remember and be able to recall stimuli that is related to one’s sex and have a hard time processing and recalling stimuli counter stereotypical to one’s sex. Lastly, gender-stereotypical stimuli are predicted to be recalled better under intentional conditions rather than incidental. For this research, nearly 160 children and adolescents were presented with 36 gender stereotypical toy photographs that is, they were highly classified as being masculine, feminine, or neutral. In addition, each was categorized based on its function. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups; the incidental memory condition and the intentional memory condition. Half of the participants were first presented with 36 static pictures (SOM) and the other half presented with 36 dynamic pictures (DOM). The participants in the SOM were presented with photographs appearing in the center of the screen for nearly 5 seconds and were

Other explanations for the variations include a large amount of estrogen hormones in females, which is the primary reason for the differences in the parts of a woman’s brain. According to Bruce Goldman, a science writer for the Stanford Medical School’s Office of Communication and Public Affairs, a woman’s hippocampus, a region of the brain that processes most learning and memorization, is generally bigger than a man’s and functions in a distinctive way. Better learning and memorization skills are especially important when it comes to schooling, which explains why every two men who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2010 were matched by three women achieving the same (Rosin 306). This is not the only variations between the brains of each gender; the corpus callosum, the white matter in the center of the brain that helps the left and right lobe “talk” to each other, is larger in females, thus the reason that womens’ brains unfailingly show stronger communication between hemispheres (Goldman). Activity between these halves are important for speech as well as comprehension. Different sizes of different parts of the brain are part of the reason why women are biologically more capable in certain fields of work than men.

The remaining 68% are ranked in terms of an average typical aging participant. The most important finding suggests that the more educated and physically active you are, and if you carry the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene, the more likely you are to retain information from your everyday experiences (Josefsson et al., 2012). Yet those whose episodic memory declines with age may be a result of no physical activity, are overall less educated and carry the allele apolipoprotein E ɛ4. Furthermore, it is important to note that women are the dominant gender in episodic memory stability (Josefsson et al., 2012). Based on my interpretation, it is essential to conduct further research to note whether genetics overweighs our level of education and to what extent genetics plays a role in episodic memory stability and or decline. Also, the data provided a rather broad conclusion but the evidence is sufficient to state an overall answer to the research

The authors discuss how “girls and boys tend to have different cognitive strengths and weaknesses.” Specifically, girls excel at tasks relying on verbal and

Looking at male and females we can see the noticeable physical differences between the two sex, but besides exterior differences, there are subtle but significant differences within the brain. Spasificly INAH3 which is called “third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus” which is typically about two to three times larger

Biologically, there are some differences between males and females. Boys do tend to be a bit more aggressive, while girls are usually more verbal. Males also have better spatial skills, which research seems to contribute to their higher testosterone levels, as women with higher testosterone also seem to have greater spatial reasoning skills. (Kimura 50).

Knowing the differences in the brain begins to give some understanding on how and why females and males learn differently. There are many basic differences in learning. Like stated previously females are better at verbal skills which makes them better at reading and writing and causes them to use words as they learn, and males are better