If we look at the purely physical, in general we can say that there are some obvious differences between men and women.
Size, muscle strength, gravity and tone of voice, hair, the disposition of body fat, hormonal cycles… in all these aspects we can find differences typical of sexual dimorphism. In fact, even at the brain level we can find some differential aspects.
But… what happens when we talk about factors such as intelligence? Are there differences in intelligence between men and women? Are people born with one sex more mentally capable than those of the other? This is a topic that has generated much controversy for decades but has also served to initiate very interesting avenues of research.
To be able to see whether the intelligence of men and women differs or not, it is first necessary to remember what exactly we are talking about when we use the word “intelligence”.
Although there are various positions on the matter, in general intelligence is understood as that capacity or set of capacities which allow efficient and functional adaptation to the environment in real time correctly using the available resources and developing different strategies depending on the challenge or problem that the environment presents us with.
Thus, intelligence allows us to understand both ourselves and the different types of stimuli that surround us, organize our thinking, process information, reason, plan, inhibit or develop behaviors and action procedures, among other things. It is a vital element for the survival and functionality of human beings in nature and in society.
Once intelligence is generically defined, let’s return to the topic that gives the title to this article: are there significant differences in this capacity between men and women?
Men and women: different or equally intelligent?
Throughout history this capacity or set of capacities has been measured through various evaluation methods and mechanisms. One of the most used is the use of psychometric tests, which can measure both general intelligence and subcomponents of this or more specific abilities.
In the studies carried out regarding the differences between sexes with regard to intellectual capacity, it has been found that at a general level there are no significant differences, being women and men equally intelligent or, rather, the level of intelligence does not depend on the biological sex with which we were born.
Furthermore, although it has been seen that Men’s brains are proportionally larger than women’s brains it has been proven that the difference in sizes does not have to imply a difference in intelligence levels unless it is very pronounced.
Thus, both men and women are equally capable of adapting to the environment and establishing action plans, among many other options. However, when the different abilities or subcomponents that are part of what we call intelligence are observed, it can be seen that there are some differences in specific aspects.
Differential aspects
Although in general we can say that men and women, as groups, have similar levels of intelligence so that none of them is superior to the other in the global calculation, the performance of different tests, tests and tasks reflect that there are some points or elements in which one sex is slightly superior.
It also highlights the existence of differences in how intelligence is distributed, being more variable in one case than in the other.
In them: slight superiority in mathematical and visuospatial abilities
Logical-mathematical skills and especially visuospatial manipulation skills are elements in which men have generally had higher scores compared to them. So In tests of logic, calculation or manipulation of space, men tend to be better
Graphic and visual material is usually better processed by men, and they also tend to be slightly better at orienting themselves in space.
In them: slight superiority in verbal and language skills
Women have demonstrated in the various tests carried out that, as a general rule, they have a greater command of the verbal sphere and language than their male counterparts. They tend to be better in tasks that require the ability to associate, understand, and express They also usually take a little less time to encode the information received through language.
Linked to this fact we can observe that the female sex tends to have a higher level of emotionality than the male sex. As a general rule, women tend to express themselves more and be more aware and expansive with their emotions, reflecting to a greater extent what, how and why they feel the way they do.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind that gender roles also interfere with this phenomenon, which among other things sanction men who show their emotions a lot.
IQ dispersion or homogeneity
It has been observed at a statistical level that although men and women have the same level of intelligence, understanding this as general mental capacity measurable through IQ, there are differences in how it is distributed among the population.
The data show that, as a general rule, The female sex presents less dispersion in terms of IQ level while the masculine tends to be much more dispersed.
This means that although there are cases of intellectual disability and giftedness in women, as a general rule, their intelligence values tend to be closely grouped around the average, with considerable homogeneity at the population level.
As for men, the majority also have a level close to the average, but there are many more cases with extreme values both above and below said average than in women. In other words, there is much more intellectual disability and giftedness in males than in females.
Differences in the brain
At the neuroanatomical level, a series of small differences in intelligence by sex have been located that could help explain the divergences found at the experimental level. There are several parts of the brain that statistically they are larger or smaller in one of the two sexes
For example, the female sex generally has a greater proportion of white matter and a larger corpus callosum, which is linked to faster transmission of information between the different hemispheres and structures. Additionally, the limbic system, the part of the brain that generates emotions, tends to be somewhat larger.
Regarding the male sex, their brain has a greater proportion of gray matter, responsible for processing information once it has been sent from another part of the nervous system. In men there is also usually a larger hypothalamus.
However, we must keep in mind that what we experience and the way we act is not a unidirectional product of what we have in the brain, but rather it is will be affected and will develop being influenced by environmental stimulation
Thus, if, for example, a person who dedicates himself to music for years will end up developing and strengthening certain brain locations due to training. With this I intend to say that, apart from anatomical differences that are mainly due to genetically inherited sexual dimorphism, some of the differences found are mediated by education, cultural and social expectations, our roles and our experiences.
Although the differences found have often been linked to the sex of the people studied, the truth is that socio-cultural factors have a great impact on their explanation.
Thus, the differences found cannot be solely attributable to the fact of being a man or a woman, but also We must consider the effects caused by the different gender roles each sex has been given That is why research that cross-references information related to the difference between men and women and that which has to do with different cultures is very relevant, because it allows us to better separate genetics and gender roles.
Traditionally, the role of the man has been that of protector, that hard-working and relentless being who must provide sustenance for the home. Therefore, he must be strong and capable of facing the multiple problems that the environment poses to him by manipulating the physical environment. In the case of women, her traditional role has been that of a giver of life, a loving housewife who cares for her children and is dedicated to offering well-being at home and/or outside of it. These labels make us see that The traditional role of men has been more instrumental and that of women has been more emotional-relational
Thus, throughout a large part of history, each sex has been educated in pursuit of values and customs that perpetuate these roles to a greater or lesser extent. Since childhood, different capacities have been demanded from each other, which over time causes differences to be established in the way of organizing and seeing the world.
The fact that a large part of the differences are due to educational factors is easily visible if we take into account the current situation: with the progressive increase in equality in education and the flexibility and relaxation of gender roles, we increasingly see more women dedicated to more technical issues and more and more men with a high level of expressiveness and emotionality. With the passage of time, it has been observed that the differences are gradually decreasing
