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Gender Differences
July 15, 2010
We can purposely alter our brain structures by the behaviors we choose.
-Eric Jensen, Enriching the Brain
".... There's very little solid evidence of gender-based differences in kids' brains," reports Lise Eliot, author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2009), in Work & Family Life (December 2009).  "To be sure, there are natural differences.  But these become magnified through our parenting, marketing, and especially through children's own culture.  Indeed, infant brains are so malleable that small differences at birth become amplified over time as parents, teachers, and the culture unwittingly encourages gender stereotypes."

Eliot does, in fact, discuss differences that do exist in the earliest years...

"Early in infancy, boys are a bit larger but, surprisingly, are more vulnerable than girls.  They are more likely to be fussier, harder to soothe, and, by three or four months of age, less socially attuned.  Boys' senses of touch, smell, and hearing are likely to be a little less acute than girls' — and their language, memory, and fine motor skills also lag during the first year of life.

"Where boys do tend to excel is in their gross motor development — sitting, standing, and walking at the same ages as girls, despite their slower maturation.  While girls are easier to care for and more socially aware, they typically do not get as much encouragement as boys do for their physical development and emotional independence — two concerns that become pronounced later in childhood but can be addressed in infancy.  The earlier parents are aware of the particular needs of boys and girls, as well as the power of gender stereotyping, the better chance they will have to help kids reach their full potential."




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Comments (3)

Displaying All 3 Comments
molly · July 15, 2010
Acworth, GA, United States


PLEASE! What a convenient bunch of BULL! As a mother, teacher and preschool director alone, I have observed that such is not the case, not to mention many articles and studies to the contrary....someone just wants to futher her own agenda for her own gain......

Elaine B. Krause · July 15, 2010
Dallas, Tx., United States


Dr. Eliot's research is outstanding. Her book on the developing brain has served as a guide for me. I never saw anything to refute what was written in "What's Going On in There" & am happy she continues to write & research about the developing brain. This recent article answers questions raised that bother people & I feel that it is the environment that contributes to "differences between boys & girls behavior" rather than the biology.

Deb · July 15, 2010
United States


All one has to do is google boy brain girl brain and a wealth of information comes up to refute this article. From baby websites to medical organizations. Here is and example from babycenter.com

Is there such a thing as a boy brain and a girl brain?
Yes. We know there are physical differences between a boy's brain and a girl's, both at birth and as children grow. But at least for now, exactly how those differences affect behavior, personality, and so on is a mystery.

For example, scientists say there probably is an area of the brain that propels many boys toward things that move and many girls toward nurturing, but it has yet to be identified.

This Exchange article brings to mind that I need to filter what is published by them.



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