Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Extreme Male Brain

86 replies

StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 14:52

Can anyone help me put an end to my DH's indoctrination on this matter?

ApParently it makes perfect sense but it sounds about as sensible as when the US started publishing 'evidence' that black people were intellectually inferior.

Many Tia!

OP posts:
Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 17:07

I'm very hairy garlic, but if I could suggest a 'cause' of one of the autisms, or at least a trigger for predetermination genes, I would suggest the interference of birth hormones and reduction of the natural levels of oxytocin at that time.

OP posts:
garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 17:06

Wow, really??? I've always wanted an oxytocin sniffer! Where do you get it??

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 17:05

I have read about the oxytocin thing.

garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 17:03

YY, they haven't done enough work on female aspies or gender-ish factors like hormonal profiles. This is never going to be a true science, not in my lifetime anyway, because it's impossible to apply the same kind of testing to babies. Even if babies could do the tests (!) their brains are way different from adults'.

My endocrinologist was very interested in all this stuff, hence my getting tested. That was 20 years ago and it's all moved along since then, but some recent tests still showed the slightly elevated testosterone ... I must admit I'm more bothered about my excess chin hairs than my slightly impaired facial recognition abilities, but then I'm shallow.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 17:03

S and E type brains.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 17:02

DH is a strong systematiser, but not a rubbish empathiser, so not extreme male brained. Apparently. He says this makes him stand out in engineering circles...

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 17:01

SBC has this Oxytocin thing going on which is what I have read about more.

He says that autism symptoms reduce after sniffing oxytocin.

OP posts:
Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 17:00

What? Men and women?

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 16:58

Is there evidence that they are not genetically/hormonally influenced? Assume that's the determinism issue.

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:58

Lol, he's been put up for promotion but it seems to take YEARS to get through the red tape etc.

OP posts:
garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 16:56

Tsk, I should have guessed!

Bluestocking · 15/04/2012 16:56

Only Dr? He needs to crank his Extremely Male Brain into high gear and get to Prof Starshit, pronto.

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:53

And it's Dr Starshit Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:52

They're deterministic in the belief that people are born with a brain one way or the other. The actual observational data in adulthood doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the natural make up of the brain.

OP posts:
garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 16:49

Sounds like Mr Starshit is not only deluded, but wrong!

If he's a bit weak on systematising, that would explain why he misunderstood the theory Wink

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 16:48

In fact, IIRC, one of the pieces of evidence he uses is based on performance in an engineering aptitude test. And one for Physics.

garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 16:47

They're not deterministic assumptions. They're observational.

When I worked in advertising, I made heavy use of a social profiling tool based on postcode. If I needed to advertise red pesto, for example, I'd find that Islington had a higher proportion of people who are likely to use pesto than, say, Merton. This doesn't indicate in any way that making pasta dishes at home makes you live in Islington, nor that living in Merton puts you off pesto. It simply says that a Islington residents are more likely to use pesto.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/04/2012 16:47

But he doesn't have an extreme type S brain...

But I bet it did ring true to him. DH is an engineer, and it spoke to him! Engineering is a perfect match for the description of systematising.

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:43

But DH is great at understanding others, albeit lazy at times in acting upon it!

OP posts:
garlicnutter · 15/04/2012 16:41

OP: The end of the second paragraph in my quote gives you an aswer, I hope!

What this theory actually means is that "Extreme Male Brain" - that is, a brain with autistic characteristics - is average or above for systemising and below average for cognitive empathy. In claiming this label for himself, your husband says he is disabled when it comes to understanding other human beings. No more.

HTH Grin

CardgamesFTW · 15/04/2012 16:41

"Male brain" huh- Does that mean that us female aspies are actually transgender? All this time, and I didn't notice I was a man on the inside! Hmm

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:40

Onehand, I find it akin to suggesting that working class people are not as bright as middle class people and possibly using career choice as the 'evidence'.

OP posts:
AliceHurled · 15/04/2012 16:39

I'd point him to Cordelia Fine's book.

Original poster
StarshitTerrorise · 15/04/2012 16:38

DH is an academic. Engineering.

He just read the book, which tbh I haven't.

I think I was hoping that there was a better book out there I could point him to if this subject is of interest to him.

Me, I studied psychology at under and post graduate level as well as education methodology and child development. I do not like the deterministic assumptions nor the implied acceptance of these supposed traits, even if found in adulthood being the 'natural' order.

OP posts:
ElephantsAndMiasmas · 15/04/2012 16:33

I agree with you, Sharshit. It's like observing social trends and labelling going to university and becoming professionally qualified "white-type life" and expecting people not to be offended.

Swipe left for the next trending thread