Cordelia Fine on the Fiction of Difference between Male and Female Brains

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In 2017, Cordelia Fine won the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize. Journalists argued that her book, Testosterone Rex: Unmasking the Myths of our Gendered Mind, was a rumble that should ignite a roar. It is witty and could redefine gender-based neuroscience. Today, there are two classical perspectives on male and female brains: 

• Equal does not mean the same. This perspective is anchored on the belief that men and women, though both humans, have developed different anatomic properties.
• Hormonal-based differentiation approach. This perspective holds that testosterone is the core of masculinity and that biological sex is the primary force in human development.

In this post, we will summarize two thoughts raised by Fine in her book, Testosterone Rex. First, we iterate her explanation for prejudice that science has shown for gender-based differentiation. Two, we voice her concerns on the methods used in supporting this bias.

Why do Scientists Look for the Distinction?

Scientists have been looking for gendered construction that seeks to affirm facts of a sexed brain on different levels. They are interested in sex differences that concern the hypothalamus- the part of the brain that regulates sex hormones.  It is possible that scientists are misaligning their hypothesis about gender differences in the brain. This is a result of a systematic bias prevalent within the neuroscientific community. Although such biases are a common evil for a group of professionals from EssayPro who are available to rid essays from this flawed reasoning.

In her book, Testosterone Rex: Unmasking the Myths of our Gendered Mind, Fine deconstructs the neuro-epistemology that biological sex is the primary force for human development. She uses the following two arguments:

1. Scientists often accommodate behaviour differences between women and men with brain structural differences

Fine explains that most scientists are wrong to explain the behaviour of men and women based on brain structure. She points out that some women have indeed demonstrated more strength than men. Good examples are the women athletes who are stronger than men. She goes ahead to demonstrate that this is not enough to clear sex difference.

Fine points out that strength can indeed be measured and a value assigned to every individual, whether men or women. But, behaviour cannot. Sex difference in the mind as brought out by scientists such as Michael Baum point at the variation in the size of various parts. Fine notes that it is unclear whether the size is actually relevant to behaviour.

         2.  Scientists hold pre-defined notions of what woman’s and man’s brain ought to be

Today, it is possible to tell how a human brain works using advanced imaging technology. But, neuroscientists take the behaviour and actions to be predictable in men and women. This has led to the designing of biased models. Fine faults them for considering men and women to be separate and homogenous groups. For example, scientist Joe Hobert argues that testosterone underlies the activation of masculinity. He further posits that it changes the body and brain to make a male.

Fine deconstructs scientists’ conclusions by demonstrating that masculinity is actually a package of behaviour devised by testosterone. But the content of this package varies depending on individuals. It is a matter of biology. She goes ahead to point out that social and environmental events also help to change a person’s masculine profile.

How are False Facts Supported?

The assumption regarding the sexes supported by scientists in their studies is premised starting from the design of research models. Fine posits that these biases can be noted when scientists are picking their subjects. In the study done by Baron-Cohen, the evidence came from girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. But, the subjects manifested less female-typical toy preferences. They were also impervious to gender modelling.

In some studies, purely physical data gets misclassified as crucial neuro-structural data. For example, findings from the study ‘A’ and ‘B’ are often statistically censored to conform to researchers’ expectations on brain differentiation.

Conclusion

Fine’s work in feminist science studies is not aimed at proving that there are no differences between male and female brains. Instead, she seeks to show how key flaws in scientific practices end up misleading people about the differences in male and human brains.

Her work is a pointer that the findings of most brain studies on gender are biased. Thus, there is a need for more subject-centred brain modelling that is devoid of flaws and bias at all levels.

Authors Biography:

Mary Hampton is a prolific writer with career experience in enterprise psychology and HR analytics. Her writing interests spend educational posts on online marketing and organizational optimization and scientific inquiries. She began her writing endeavours in college and has made a career based on her various interests. she finds the essay form to be most invigorating and efficient. To follow her career check her twitter account out.

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This is a guest post