Social sponges: Gendered brain development comes from society, not biology
After debunking many myths around male and female brains, Gina Rippon’s research interests now include gender gaps in science and why they persist, even in allegedly gender-equal societies.


Gina Rippon was a paid-up member of the “male-female brain brigade” earlier in her career as a cognitive neuroscientist, but changed tack, she says, after discovering there was not a lot of sound research behind the well-established belief that male and female brains are biologically different.

In the fourth episode of this 12-part podcast series Tales from the Synapse, Rippon explores the role of social conditioning to explain why boys and girls might respond differently to pink and blue objects, why girls aged nine describe maths “as a boy thing,” and why the same girls shun games that are aimed at children “who work really, really hard.”

Rippon, Professor Emeritus of cognitive neuroimaging at Aston University in Birmingham, UK and author of the 2019 book The Gendered Brain , is also interested in why women continue to be under-represented in science even in countries that purport to be gender-equal.

Her forthcoming second book investigates why girls and women on the autism spectrum have historically been overlooked. Viewing the condition through a gendered lens hampers our understanding of it, she argues.

Tales of the Synapse, a podcast series with a focus on brain science, is produced in partnership with Nature Neuroscience and introduced by Jean Mary Zarate, a senior editor at the journal. The series features brain scientists from all over the world who talk about their career journeys, collaborations and the societal impact of their research.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00738-2

TRANSCRIPT

Why, in nations that purport to be gender-equal, are women still under-represented in science? Cognitive neuroscientist Gina Rippon offers some insights based on her research.
Jean Mary Zarate: 00:04

Hello and welcome to Tales From the Synapse a podcast brought to you by Nature Careers in partnership with Nature Neuroscience. I'm Jean Mary Zarate, a senior editor at the journal Nature Neuroscience. And in this series, we speak to brain scientists from all over the world about their life, their research, their collaborations, and the impact of their work.

In episode four, we delve into gender differences and meet a researcher who spent her career both discovering and debunking theories about the male and female brain.

Gina Rippon: 00:41

My name is Gina Rippon, and I’m Professor Emeritus of cognitive neuroimaging at Aston University in Birmingham, UK. And I’m a cognitive neuroscientist by trade. And I use a lot of brain imaging techniques to try and discover the relationship between the way in which the brain is working and unusual behaviour. So I’m very interested in developmental disorders, such as autism. And I’m also interested in how brains get to be different. So not how all brains are the same, but really, what makes different people behave differently? And as a consequence of that, almost invariably, once you start talking about brain differences, you get drawn into the issue of whether or not there is such a thing as a male brain and a female brain.

Spending some time reviewing the research evidence for the notion that there is such a thing as a female brain, or such thing as a male brain, I discovered that actually, this well-established belief that there are two different kinds of brains doesn't have a lot of sound research behind it. So I got drawn into the whole issue of where differences come from in terms of if we look at gender gaps in the world, for example. And if there’s no evidence that there is such a thing as a male brain or a female brain, where do these differences come from?

And it linked with the work that I’ve been doing, sort of 21st-century approach to the brain, new findings about how the brain works and how the brain interacts with the outside world, and how the outside world has much more of a profound impression on the brain than we ever realized. And I started looking at the influences in the outside world, which might have led to the differences we see in gender gaps, for example, and what people believe, you know, well-established differences between males and females.

So the book got to be called The Gendered Brain, because it was really the idea that if there are gendered influences in the outside world, and I would suggest that there are, then these would have differential effects on developing brains. And it is those gendered influences that I think we should be paying a lot of attention to in trying to understand gender gaps, rather than assuming that these gender gaps have come from some essential (in the biological sense of the word) difference between males and females.

Gina Rippon: 03:21

I’ve always, apparently, been really fascinated by the brain. Even obviously, before I really knew what it was I’d obviously somehow got a hold of the idea of this particular part of the body, which was very important.

And there are stories that I used to trapan my teddy bears’ heads to see if they had brains. As I said, I’m not sure this isn't a family myth.

But somehow I thought the brain is really interesting. And that's what I want to do with my life. I was originally going to do medicine. For various reasons, I kind of got diverted into doing psychology.

But it was the kind of psychology which at that point was the beginnings of neuroscience, when I was interested in any aspect of behaviour which had some kind of biological underpinnings, and what the research was associated with that.

So that’s how I got into neuroscience. And my early interest in male and female brains, I have to confess, is because I was firmly signed up to the idea that there were differences between male and female brains....https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00738-2

Very true. You become a product of your environment..

vastolord4:
Very true. You become a product of your environment..

Indeed! Generations have been rendered useless by the lies we have fed them of how they are inferior to others by reason of having been born a certain gender.

Kobojunkie:
Indeed! Generations have been rendered useless by the lies we have fed them of how they are inferior to others by reason of having been born a certain gender.

Like I literally told my wife that my kids no matter the gender interswitch their duties in the house.. In the world of today, no gender is subdued to a particular job or role eg midwifery, transportation, even robbers have female gangleaders..

vastolord4:
Like I literally told my wife that my kids no matter the gender interswitch their duties in the house.. In the world of today, no gender is subdued to a particular job or role eg midwifery, transportation, even robbers have female gangleaders..

Na the way e suppose be. One pretty much handicaps their kids by raising them according to traditional gender rules.

My counter to that is the idea of the outside-in model and saying just how level is the playing field?

If we know that negative social experiences will change the brains of anybody who encounters those in quite dramatic ways, very often in terms of inhibition.

I'm curious to know what "negative social experiences" she's taking off with regard to Scandinavian countries and how that affects gender-based behavior.

Plus, I was really hoping for a deal-breaker here, but she hasn't really explained the "Scandinavian phenomena." Also, she hasn't really pointed out anything new, except that baby picked up cues earlier than we thought they did. Which, I remember me and my colleague arguing one time about whether babies came with empty brains or not. I was on the "empty brains" side. So I guess, technically, I was right. Touche Saminu!

So I think we’ve got a model here of a better explanation, or certainly an explanation that should be looked at, in terms of cultural expectations. So it's not that there's something about the individual, which is turning them away from science.

The important question is, what caused these cultural expectations in the first place? Are there any records where women and men both contributed the same value to society at the onset of humanity with regard to the development of society? Women were burdened with making babies, probably every year. So, no time and energy for mental development. Men had a head start, since, being the hunters and the warriors, they had to solve lots of problems, hence, the temporary state of having better cognitive capacities. No more wars, and no more every year babies, the playing field is almost leveled.

It’s something about the culture, which is when an individual looks at that culture, will they be getting messages like “Are there people like me in those sciences?” So if you look at role models, for example, and you’re looking at physics, or robotics, or computer science, it’s very unlikely that you will see many people like you

.

But what came first though, and which influenced which. Did biology cause the culture to act in such a way? Well, we can't really say, since, again, women were making the babies. So, biology influenced men who then formed cultures that then influenced women? Did men form all the cultures themselves? Common, she's giving men too much credit.

But, Even within STEM, women still prefer to enroll in biology and chemistry. I don't think it's culture telling women to go for chemistry because chemistry is hard as fvck.. .

Women have better comprehensive skills-they can write better, and read better. Why not milk that advantage dry? Women should really be the ones making the laws. Because it seems men can't still figure out this shit... Why now try to steer women from what they can easily beat men at, to something that men in the long run would have the advantage?

Men sha, fear men. Why aren't they encouraging women to become judges, political representatives, and the likes, na science that the pay self is nothing to write home about.

In fact, now that I think of it, I was lenient with female students during maths class. Not that I thought of them being unable to perform better, I've never really ever thought that men were smarter than women. It's on the internet I found out.. primary school, girls were ahead of me, secondary, same thing, university same thing.. No matter how entertaining i try to make it. Not to say that, there aren't girls topping the class. One could certainly say, they belive they don't need it since they are getting married in some 6 years to come.. I guess scientist may be right to some extent.


So, I often am confused about those who say women are less intelligent. Must be a western thing..In Africa, not that we see women as unintelligent, we just want them to raise the kids, and keep the bed warm. Igbo and Hausa people sha need to do better...

Finally, we have it that the argument that men are logical beings whereas women are emotional has no bearing in nature. As the brains of both men and women are the same, only that environment and societal influences cause them to develop differently.

Kobojunkie:
Finally, we have it that the argument that men are logical beings whereas women are emotional has no bearing in nature. As the brains of both men and women are the same, only that environment and societal influences cause them to develop differently.

The sameness of the male and female brain is very insignificant in the world today, as it has always been. The society has made the gap which no amount of learning can change.

ChukwukaEze:
■The sameness of the male and female brain is very insignificant in the world today, as it has always been. The society has made the gap which no amount of learning can change.

1. What you are advocating is that society makes no attempts at correcting an error it has made to date? Basically, even though the rights of these beings have been impinged upon up to this point by society, you are saying society should continue on the same path?

Kobojunkie:
1. What you are advocating is that society makes no attempts at correcting an error it has made to date? Basically, even though the rights of these beings have been impinged upon up to this point by society, you are saying society should continue on the same path?

When were these beings forced (by the society) to forfeit their rights? You can't answer that. And is the society not made of males and females. If not which society impinged on their rights?

ChukwukaEze:
■When were these beings forced (by the society) to forfeit their rights? You can't answer that.
■ And is the society not made of males and females. If not which society impinged on their rights?

1. The answer is found in your previous comment.

ChukwukaEze:
The sameness of the male and female brain is very insignificant in the world today, as it has always been. The society has made the gap which no amount of learning can change.

when society made the gap.

2. Again, consult your very own previous comment for the answer to this second question.

Kobojunkie:
1. The answer is found in your previous comment. when society made the gap.

2. Again, consult your very own previous comment for the answer to this second question.

What is now, has been. It has never been done differently. Males are males with masculine responsibilities, likewise the females. Any other thing is naught but an unrealistic concept, hence there is no question of correction.

ChukwukaEze:
■ What is now, has been. It has never been done differently. Males are males with masculine responsibilities, likewise the females. Any other thing is naught but an unrealistic concept, hence there is no question of correction.

1. OK, so according to you, society has always been impinging on the rights of the female in its promotion of ideas that suggest male superiority or differentiation. We know now that that is all a myth, and that in fact, these differences have no place in nature. However, you seem to be saying that given what we now know, we should continue instead in ignorance in order to maintain the status quo.

Kobojunkie:
1. OK, so according to you, society has always been impinging on the rights of the female in its promotion of ideas that suggest male superiority or differentiation. We know now that that is all a myth, and that in fact, these differences have no place in nature. However, you seem to be saying that given what we now know, we should continue instead in ignorance in order to maintain the status quo.

what I say is that the question of impinging on rights is an unfounded concept. Like what made you think that there was ever a time when men and women were equal? And I repeat: as it is now, so has it been.

ChukwukaEze:
■ what I say is that the question of impinging on rights is an unfounded concept.
Like what made you think that there was ever a time when men and women were equal? And I repeat: as it is now, so has it been.

1. The laws in Nigeria to this day insist that males and females are unequal. We now know that the claim is not based on nature but on societal delusions.

Kobojunkie:
1. The laws in Nigeria to this day insist that males and females are unequal. We now know that the claim is not based on nature but on societal delusions.

Males and females have distinct responsibilities, and each carries out his in the manner that nature has bestowed on him.

ChukwukaEze:
■ Males and females have distinct responsibilities, and each carries out his in the manner that nature has bestowed on him.

1. Innate responsibilities or those imposed by them by society's adoption of whst we now understand is a flawed narrative?

Kobojunkie:
1. Innate responsibilities or those imposed by them by society's adoption of whst we now understand is a flawed narrative?

The society we know today is the outcome of these responsibilities. Not the other way round, pls.

ChukwukaEze:
■ The society we know today is the outcome of these responsibilities. Not the other way round, pls.

All the more reason why we need to make necessary changes.

Kobojunkie:
All the more reason why we need to make necessary changes.

And that change is to equalize both genders?

ChukwukaEze:
And that change is to equalize both genders?

Society, every society, thrives best when commonsense is allowed to reign, and commonsense is that built on facts, not delusions and myths.

Goodlady here is a good post for lovers like us, come let's geast

Kobojunkie:
1. Innate responsibilities or those imposed by them by society's adoption of whst we now understand is a flawed narrative?

Na still men taught the lioness to hunt and bring the spoil to the lion, while the lion in turn protect the pride and fight against other intruding lions, abi? There is hardly any new born baby who does not have its first developing months and years with the mother. As a growing male child, most of our teachers were females. But na men should be blamed for creating gender roles.
Look, whether these things are innate or learnt, men will not be blackmailed into leaving that traits which have been the bedrock of our survival. We will not become sissies in order to please some other gender. If the females think that they can be men, then fine. They can leave all their feminine traits and just become men. No man cares. Well, you care, so you can switch and do sex change since your manhood dey disgrace you.

2elliot:
■Na still men taught the lioness to hunt and bring the spoil to the lion, while the lion in turn protect the pride and fight against other intruding lions, abi? There is hardly any new born baby who does not have its first developing months and years with the mother. As a growing male child, most of our teachers were females. But na men should be blamed for creating gender roles.
Look, whether these things are innate or learnt, men will not be blackmailed into leaving that traits which have been the bedrock of our survival. We will not become sissies in order to please some other gender. If the females think that they can be men, then fine. They can leave all their feminine traits and just become men. No man cares. Well, you care, so you can switch and do sex change since your manhood dey disgrace you.

Abeg stop rambling!

2elliot:
Na me Bleep up dey comment for nairaland's most popular junkie.

Use your head in these thing, abeg!

Females don't want to be men. They are fine with being females — the standard for females is not men. And no one is asking males to become females. The two species aren't meant to stand as standards for each other from their beginning. What science is telling you is that there is no innate difference between male and female brains. Instead that the differences we perceive are all a result of societal biases and nothing more.

Kobojunkie:
Use your head in these thing, abeg!

Females don't want to be men. They are fine with being females — the standard for females is not men. And no one is asking males to become females. The two species aren't meant to stand as standards for each other from their beginning. What science is telling you is that there is no innate difference between male and female brains. Instead that the differences we perceive are all a result of societal biases and nothing more.

Take your nonsense pseudoscience outta here. Since education became open to everyone, idiots have found their way into the system to propagate rubbish. Every half baked scientist now propagate rubbish theories just to please those who sponsored and gave them grants to push their evil agenda.
How did you learn to separate the functioning of society and its biases from human brains?
This is how some of you created fake gem theories, using big pharma to profit off of the masses with their deliberate poisoning.

2elliot:
■ Take your nonsense pseudoscience outta here. Since education became open to everyone, idiots have found their way into the system to propagate rubbish. Every half baked scientist now propagate rubbish theories just to please those who sponsored and gave them grants to push their evil agenda.
■ How did you learn to separate the functioning of society and its biases from human brains? This is how some of you created fake gem theories, using big pharma to profit off of the masses with their deliberate poisoning.

1. WOW... so scientists are wrong and you are right?

2. Did you bother to read through the article at least cause they try to explain that to you there?

Personally I keep wondering where this gender inquality notion got its root.

ChukwukaEze:
Personally I keep wondering where this gender inquality notion got its root.

I don't follow!

How much does your agent pay per comment?

meobizy:
How much does your agent pay per comment?

You seem unhealthily fascinated by my being, how come? Notice I rarely ever pay you the same level of attention to show you how 1-sided this fascination of yours really is in the end.

Since you are desperate to know of me, I get paid in faith coins which go, at this point, towards paying off my sin debt. I don't necessarily get paid per comment but I get paid when I do that which He commands me to do which you can read up on in scripture, including Isaiah 58 where He calls us to stand up for the downtrodden. After my sin debt has been paid, something I look forward to, by the way, Woohoo!