The Brain: Differences in Women and Men and the Effects on Communication

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The thesis is about the brain differences in women and men and the effects on communication. However, after a simple overview of the brains anatomy and functions the article goes more into general differences between men and women. The paper then goes into the multitude of problems relationships may have and basically says the blame is impossible to lay on the brain differences of men and women.

The Brain: Differences in Women and Men and the Effects on Communication

Before I even finish my sentence, he is speaking back to me. This is so frustrating because he cannot know what I was saying. I had not even finished saying it and as usual a fix it solution spills from his lips. Just once it would be nice to complete my sentence and be heard when speaking. Not knowing how to communicate, we mostly sit in silence to avoid any misunderstandings that lead to arguments. The nonexistent communication has led to serious problems in the relationship and leads to searching for answers. Could it be the way we think or is it what we say and how can the issues be fixed, or can they be? Communication is important in relationships and can be difficult for women and men due to the differences in their brains.

Ok, so there are no significant differences when you look at the brain of a women or man. All human brains look the same and have the same parts. “The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, accounting for 85 percent of the organs weight (Zuckerman).” The brain weighs around three pounds and controls everything we do, the way we talk, walk, think, behave, the way we perceive and process information. The cerebrum in divided in hemispheres, these are the halve sometimes referred to as the right brain and left brain. The corpus callosum is the bridge connecting the halves and within these halves are sections called lobes and they are the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe. The temporal lobe is located on the bottom section of the brain. This lobe is also the location of the primary auditory cortex, which is important for interpreting sounds and the language we hear. The cerebellum is the next largest part and is responsible for motor control and could also involve some cognitive, language and emotional control such as regulating fear and pleasure responses. Then you have the diencephalon which consist of the thalamus and hypothalamus (Zuckerman). Deep inside the brain is a pair of almond shaped parts called the amygdalae. Finally, the brain stem which consist of the pons, midbrain, and medulla oblongata. The pons plays a role in our unconscious functions like breathing and digestion and is known to connect the thinking brain to the midbrain responsible for movement.

The various parts are responsible for distinct functions. “The back of the brain manages perception, and the front of the brain handles action (Lewis).” The brain stem is responsible for things that are happening automatically like heartbeat, breathing, hunger and sleep. Dr. David W. Wright, MD with the Shepard Center breaks the brain parts down in easy-to-understand terms. Wright explains,” the left hemisphere is reasoning skills, speaking, writing, numbers, science, and controls the right side of the body.” The right hemisphere he goes on,” is for more complex stuff like insight, imagination, music, art, 3-dimension awareness and of course controls the left side of your body.” He further tells us, “The frontal lobe is responsible for memory, judgement, behavior, and some of the body’s movements”. Right behind the frontal lobe is the parietal lobe which Wright says,” is where sensation, movement, and sense of space comes from, and short- right35242500term memory and emotion then come from the temporal lobe.” Figure 1 Brain surface anatomy and functions will show where the parts are and reference their functions.62865036831

So, people have the same parts when it comes to the brain. What could the differences be? The difference is in the way we use the brain parts. The two hemispheres of a wo