Gender Differencesm in the Eeg During Cognitive Activity

Abstract

EEG activity of 16 adult volunteers. 8 male and 8 females was monopolarly recorded at P3 and P4 at rest and during solution of three series of tasks: one analytic, one spatial and one mixed demanding both kinds of processing. The following main effects were observed: Men showed significantly higher beta relative power than women, while women showed significantly higher alpha relative power than men during all conditions. Alpha relative power decreased, while theta relative power increased during tasks solution in both sexes. Beta relative power was significantly higher at the left parietal only in men. Interparietal correlation was significantly higher in women than in men during all conditions and bands. For the theta band it increased from baseline values during tasks solution in men, while in women it decreased during the analytic task.

The effects of age and sex on mental rotation performance, verbal performance, and brain electrical activity

“…Next, women tend to exhibit greater overall EEG alpha power than men both during baseline measures and during performance of different types of tasks (Benninger et al, 1984;Gasser et al, 1988;Matsuura et al, 1985). Such findings have been replicated in studies dealing with mental rotation task, where patterns of greater EEG alpha power among women have been reported both during a baseline condition and while performing mental rotation tasks (Arce, Ramos, Guevara, & Corsi-Cabrera, 1995;Corsi-Cabrera et al, 1993;Roberts & Bell, 2000b). Finally, there is no indication of a sex difference in the alpha band in children between 6 years of age and 11-12 years of age (Benninger et al, 1984;Matsuura et al, 1985;Roberts & Bell, 200b).…”

“…Results of greater right parietal alpha suppression by high ability males during spatial tasks were replicated by Berfield, Ray, and Newcombe (1986), who likewise found no consistent relations among either high or low ability females and right or left alpha suppression during the spatial tasks. In another study, Corsi-Cabrera, Ramos, Guevara, Arce, & Gutierrez, (1993) found alpha suppression for males, but not for females, during a spatial task. These EEG data suggest that males and females have electrophysiological differences in their processing of spatial material.…”

Gender Differences in Electroencephalographic Activity in Response to the Earthy Odorants Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol

“…Those studies found that women and men showed different EEG activity under various conditions [32][33][34]. Radulescu and Mujica-Parodi [35] stated that women have a better olfactory sensation than men in many species and differences in their sensitivity may be based on biological meanings.…”

Summer Research Program - 1998 Graduate Student Research Program Volume 7 Armstrong Laboratory

“…However, these effects were found only for male participants. Females showed no effect of observation, model skill level, or training schedule on the acquisition of Space There is a large body of literature that addresses gender differences on such factors as cognitive abilities (Cochran & Wheatley, 1989;Gordon & Kravetz, 1991), spatial abilities (Law, Pellegrino, & Hunt, 1993;Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974), learning styles (Philbin, Meier, Huffman, & Boverie, 1995), and brain activity (Corsi-Cabrera, Ramos, Guevara, Arce, & Gutierrez, 1993), to name only a few. Whether gender differences are due to biology or socialization processes has not yet been established, since these are not easily manipulated (Jacklin,198 9).…”