It is a common misconception that men and women are naturally different and that they should be treated differently. Over the years, there has been a debate going on within the human population about whether there are psychological differences between men and women and whether or not they matter. In most societies, men are often given better treatment, such as better jobs and higher pay. Research shows several differences of varying degrees between men and women, from physical differences such as brain size to psychological differences such as personality and behavior. Psychological differences in men and women create greater diversity in thought and personality.

First, there are a few physical differences between male and female brains. According to theconversation.com, male brains are approximately 11 percent larger than female brains. According to Science Daily, this size difference causes certain features, such as a higher gray matter to white matter ratio and a higher ratio of connections between, rather than within, cerebral hemispheres. This further explains why men perform tasks one at a time, while women are better at multitasking. Nevertheless, contrary to popular belief, these differences are not very well replicated between people of different cultures, so there is no distinct line that separates men and women across the entire human species. 

Secondary to the differences in overall brain size, men have greater volume in some parts of the cortex, which is a part of the brain that controls thinking and voluntary movements. In comparison, women have greater importance in other parts. For example, females have greater volume in the prefrontal, orbitofrontal, superior temporal, lateral parietal, and insula cortex. On the other hand, males have greater volume in the ventral temporal and occipital cortex. Each of these regions is responsible for processing different information, so if someone has a greater volume in one area, they will have more information in that particular area, which may cause them to think slightly differently compared to someone else. 

The two frontal lobes, prefrontal and orbitofrontal, which are larger in women, are responsible for thinking, planning, memory, and judgment. The parietal lobe is responsible for bodily sensations and touch. Unlike the frontal and parietal lobes, which are larger in women, the temporal and occipital lobes are larger in men. The temporal lobe is responsible for hearing and language, while the occipital lobe is responsible for vision. 

In addition to physical differences, male and female brains are also different psychologically and behaviorally. Men tend to base their decisions around logic and reasoning, while women tend to base them more on their emotions and instincts. A factor that influences these differences in thinking patterns between men and women is traditional and historical gender roles in societies around the world. According to www.nature.com, women are not less intelligent than men, just different in a way that correlates with this common belief about how society should function. Throughout human history, there has been a stereotypical thought process that men are supposed to go out into the world, work in the formal economy, and make money for the family, while women are expected to stay home and act as housekeepers and caregivers for children. According to psychologist and professor at James Madison University Gregg Henriques, “gender stereotypes stem from people’s direct and indirect observations of men and women in their social roles.” Because men are more likely than women to be in an environment where each and every one of their decisions is consequential, they will develop more logic and reason-based decisions. On the other hand, since women are around children so much, they tend to lean toward more emotional and intuition-based decisions. 

Psychological differences in males and females influence their likelihood of developing certain diseases. According to www.nm.org and www.psychologytoday.com, men, who are generally seen as logical thinkers, are more likely to develop alcohol dependence, three times more likely to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, four times more likely to develop autism, and twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Conversely, women who are principally seen as more emotional thinkers are twice as likely to develop depression, twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, four times more likely to develop multiple sclerosis, and more likely to have a stroke. They tend to have deeper emotions and thoughts about 

It matters that male and female brains are so different because it means that multiple people are looking at the same subject from different angles, which creates different perspectives of the same thing.