The maker Neuroscientist

The Gendered Brain Gina Rippon Vintage Publishing € 20,99

the maker Gina Rippon

In The Gendered Brain, neuroscientist Gina Rippon dispels the myth that there are fundamental differences between male and female brains. On the contrary, the brain is a reflection of the life that its owner is leading, and thereby also of the world full of stereotypes that we are exposed to.

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Are there no biological differences at all between the brains of men and women?

‘So far, nobody has found a structure at the macro level that can distinguish a human female brain from a male brain. Earlier claims of differences in size or volume of these structures did not hold up. Thus, a difference has never been demonstrated in a reliable way using standard brain imaging techniques. There are some differences at the cellular level though, for example in the density of hormone receptors.’

Why did earlier research lead to the conclusion that there were major differences?

‘Previously, researchers often made the mistake of comparing male and female brains without correcting for differences in size, for example. On average, men have larger brains, because men are on average larger. As soon as scientists started to correct for size, the alleged gender differences quickly disappeared.’

How do new brain imaging techniques affect research into gender differences in the brain?

‘People are social creatures with staggering cognitive skills. The new techniques provide us with better insights into our brains’ role in this. These techniques have also enabled us to uncover our brains’ extreme flexibility and plasticity, which are present over the course of our entire lives. That is why our experiences in life are so important.’

Is current research on the right track?

‘Much current research is still based on the quest to find gender differences in the brain. Researchers often discount environmental factors that affect the brain. As long as this remains the case, the results will be misleading and unrepresentative.’

These environmental differences include stereotypes about the differences between men and women. Why are those stereotypes so important?

‘Stereotypes can affect how information is coded in the brain. A well-known effect is the conviction that if you are a member of a certain group with a reputation of underperforming on a specific task, you will underperform. For example, you think that you will be bad at parallel parking because you are a woman, and women are known not to excel in this task. Whether the stereotype is correct or not, researchers have shown that confrontation with the stereotype affects how the brain processes information.’

Do you think that we will ever live in a world in which gender does not affect people’s decisions?

‘Perhaps, if we can develop a world in which gender is irrelevant and in which we respect individuals for who they are and for the skills that they have. Then, we will be able to distance ourselves from the potentially toxic influences of gender stereotypes. But we still have a long way to go.’ –FvdG