First Strong Scientific Evidence Of Emotional Differences Between Men And Women

[MrsSpringsteen]

So does that mean biology is destiny or is it just an excuse for mens' behavior? I'm only kidding, sort of..

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060419_brain_wiring.html

"Men and women are actually from the same planet, but scientists now have the first strong evidence that the emotional wiring of the sexes is fundamentally different.

An almond-shaped cluster of neurons that processes experiences such as fear and aggression hooks up to contrasting brain functions in men and women at rest, the new research shows.

For men, the cluster "talks with" brain regions that help them respond to sensors for what's going on outside the body, such as the visual cortex and an area that coordinates motor actions.

For women, the cluster communicates with brain regions that help them respond to sensors inside the body, such as the insular cortex and hypothalamus. These areas tune in to and regulate women's hormones, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and respiration.

"Throughout evolution, women have had to deal with a number of internal stressors, such as childbirth, that men haven't had to experience," said study co-author Larry Cahill of the University of California Irvine. "What is fascinating about this is the brain seems to have evolved to be in tune with those different stressors."

 

[randhail]

I bet no one saw this coming

 

[nbcrusader]

The two cent summation is: men are visual, women are relaters. My wife could have told them that years ago.

The difference should be a point of strength in relationships, but it takes some work.

 

[VintagePunk]

Interesting, thanks for posting! The amygdala has long been recognized as the emotional center of the brain, but it's cool that with modern imaging techniques, tendencies and gender differences can be spotted.

Another interesting issue is brain plasticity, the matter of whether or not brains become wired the way they are due to the kinds of information and environmental experiences we process individually. Something like this can become a chicken/egg question - do men and women process differently because that's what we're genetically destined to do, or is it because our external experiences as men and women wire our brains in a certain way?

Fascinating.