Men and women 'respond differently to dange
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Men and women may respond differently to danger, a brain scan study suggests.
A team from Krakow, in Poland, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity when 40 volunteers were shown various images.
Men showed activity in areas which dealt with what action they should take to avoid or confront danger.
But the study, presented to the Radiological Society of North America, found more activity in the emotional centres of women's brains.
The researchers, from Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow, carried out scans on 21 men and 19 women.
Brain activity was monitored while the volunteers were shown images of objects and images from ordinary life designed to evoke different emotional states.
Fight or flight response
The images were displayed in two runs. For the first run, only negative pictures were shown. For the second run, only positive pictures were shown.
While viewing the negative images, women showed stronger and more extensive activity in the left thalamus.
This is an area which relays sensory information to the pain and pleasure centres of the brain.
Men showed more activity in an area of the brain called the left insula, which plays a key role in controlling involuntary functions, including respiration, heart rate and digestion.
In essence, activity in this area primes the body to either run from danger, or confront it head on - the so-called "fight or flight response".
Researcher Dr Andrzej Urbanik said "This might signal that when confronted with dangerous situations, men are more likely than women to take action."
Positive images
While viewing positive images, women showed stronger activity in an area of the brain associated with memory.
With men, the stronger activity was recorded in an area associated with visual processing.
Dr Urbanik believes these differences suggest women may analyse positive stimuli in a broader social context and associate positive images with a particular memory.
For instance, viewing a picture of a smiling toddler might evoke memories of a woman's own child at this age.
Conversely, male responses tend to be less emotional.
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Men and women may respond differently to danger, a brain scan study suggests.
A team from Krakow, in Poland, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity when 40 volunteers were shown various images.
Men showed activity in areas which dealt with what action they should take to avoid or confront danger.
But the study, presented to the Radiological Society of North America, found more activity in the emotional centres of women's brains.
The researchers, from Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow, carried out scans on 21 men and 19 women.
Brain activity was monitored while the volunteers were shown images of objects and images from ordinary life designed to evoke different emotional states.
Fight or flight response
The images were displayed in two runs. For the first run, only negative pictures were shown. For the second run, only positive pictures were shown.
While viewing the negative images, women showed stronger and more extensive activity in the left thalamus.
This is an area which relays sensory information to the pain and pleasure centres of the brain.
Men showed more activity in an area of the brain called the left insula, which plays a key role in controlling involuntary functions, including respiration, heart rate and digestion.
In essence, activity in this area primes the body to either run from danger, or confront it head on - the so-called "fight or flight response".
Researcher Dr Andrzej Urbanik said "This might signal that when confronted with dangerous situations, men are more likely than women to take action."
Positive images
While viewing positive images, women showed stronger activity in an area of the brain associated with memory.
With men, the stronger activity was recorded in an area associated with visual processing.
Dr Urbanik believes these differences suggest women may analyse positive stimuli in a broader social context and associate positive images with a particular memory.
For instance, viewing a picture of a smiling toddler might evoke memories of a woman's own child at this age.
Conversely, male responses tend to be less emotional.
yay I am less emotional.
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D
Now that is so gay
Definitions of gay on the Web
- cheery bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer; "a cheery hello"; "a gay sunny room"; "a sunny smile"
- full of or showing high-spirited merriment; "when hearts were young and gay"; "a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company"- Wordsworth; "the jolly crowd at the reunion"; "jolly old Saint Nick"; "a jovial old gentleman"; "have a merry Christmas"; "peals of merry laughter"; "a mirthful ...
- given to social pleasures often including dissipation; "led a gay Bohemian life"; "a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies"
- brave brightly colored and showy; "girls decked out in brave new dresses"; "brave banners flying"; "`braw' is a Scottish word"; "a dress a bit too gay for her years"; "birds with gay plumage"
- offering fun and gaiety; "a festive (or festal) occasion"; "gay and exciting night life"; "a merry evening"
...
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Now that is so gay
Definitions of gay on the Web
- cheery bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer; "a cheery hello"; "a gay sunny room"; "a sunny smile"
- full of or showing high-spirited merriment; "when hearts were young and gay"; "a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company"- Wordsworth; "the jolly crowd at the reunion"; "jolly old Saint Nick"; "a jovial old gentleman"; "have a merry Christmas"; "peals of merry laughter"; "a mirthful ...
- given to social pleasures often including dissipation; "led a gay Bohemian life"; "a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies"
- brave brightly colored and showy; "girls decked out in brave new dresses"; "brave banners flying"; "`braw' is a Scottish word"; "a dress a bit too gay for her years"; "birds with gay plumage"
- offering fun and gaiety; "a festive (or festal) occasion"; "gay and exciting night life"; "a merry evening"
...
and exactly how old are the dictionaries you are using?
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Men and women may respond differently to danger, a brain scan study suggests.
A team from Krakow, in Poland, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity when 40 volunteers were shown various images.
Men showed activity in areas which dealt with what action they should take to avoid or confront danger.
But the study, presented to the Radiological Society of North America, found more activity in the emotional centres of women's brains.
The researchers, from Jagiellonian University Hospital in Krakow, carried out scans on 21 men and 19 women.
Brain activity was monitored while the volunteers were shown images of objects and images from ordinary life designed to evoke different emotional states.
Fight or flight response
The images were displayed in two runs. For the first run, only negative pictures were shown. For the second run, only positive pictures were shown.
While viewing the negative images, women showed stronger and more extensive activity in the left thalamus.
This is an area which relays sensory information to the pain and pleasure centres of the brain.
Men showed more activity in an area of the brain called the left insula, which plays a key role in controlling involuntary functions, including respiration, heart rate and digestion.
In essence, activity in this area primes the body to either run from danger, or confront it head on - the so-called "fight or flight response".
Researcher Dr Andrzej Urbanik said "This might signal that when confronted with dangerous situations, men are more likely than women to take action."
Positive images
While viewing positive images, women showed stronger activity in an area of the brain associated with memory.
With men, the stronger activity was recorded in an area associated with visual processing.
Dr Urbanik believes these differences suggest women may analyse positive stimuli in a broader social context and associate positive images with a particular memory.
For instance, viewing a picture of a smiling toddler might evoke memories of a woman's own child at this age.
Conversely, male responses tend to be less emotional.
bravo
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The implication here is that there is a natural difference in the brains of men compared to women. However where is the evidence for this? Taking the example given, how do we know that the reaction to a picture of a smiling toddler is not merely due to women generally being given a greater role in childcare than men are? How do we know it isn't about what is expected of us rather than what we can deliver? Would it make any difference if the smiling toddler was standing between goalposts with a football at his feet? Or how about if the smiling toddler was climbing at the top of a tall tree? I suggest that might give the very reverse result! The pictures would have to be very carefully selected and smiling toddlers are not neutral. In any case it was a very small sample of people.
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The implication here is that there is a natural difference in the brains of men compared to women. However where is the evidence for this? Taking the example given, how do we know that the reaction to a picture of a smiling toddler is not merely due to women generally being given a greater role in childcare than men are? How do we know it isn't about what is expected of us rather than what we can deliver? Would it make any difference if the smiling toddler was standing between goalposts with a football at his feet? Or how about if the smiling toddler was climbing at the top of a tall tree? I suggest that might give the very reverse result! The pictures would have to be very carefully selected and smiling toddlers are not neutral. In any case it was a very small sample of people.
Good point