Summary: Researchers released a new study examining how sex and gender influence cognitive abilities. The study analyzed eight cognitive tasks and found that while spatial cognition correlates more with biological factors such as sex at birth and hormones, verbal cognition is more influenced by sociocultural factors like gender identity.
This research underscores the complexity of cognitive differences and stresses the importance of considering both sex-based and gender-based factors in psychological and neuroscientific research. The team’s approach encourages the inclusion of diverse populations to better understand and accurately depict the nuances of cognitive abilities.
Key Facts:
- Spatial cognition is more closely associated with biological factors like sex and hormones, whereas verbal cognition is influenced by sociocultural factors such as gender identity.
- The study suggests that sex at birth is not always the primary factor in explaining cognitive differences between genders.
- The research advocates for more nuanced methodologies that incorporate both sex and gender measures to capture a comprehensive view of cognitive differences.
Source: University of Montreal
Many studies have found sex differences in cognitive abilities. In general, women outperform men on verbal and fine motor tasks, while men outperform women on spatial orientation and mental rotation tasks.
However, few studies have considered the influence of sociocultural factors such as gender identity, gender expression (stereotypical male and female behaviors) and sexual orientation in explaining these differences.
Now a new study by scientists at Université de Montréal does just that, by examining performance on eight cognitive tasks in relation to both sex-based and gender-based factors.
The ongoing research is being done by Mina Guérin, a Ph.D. student in neuropsychology, and Fanny Saulnier, an MSc student in psychiatric sciences, under the supervision of psychiatry professor Robert-Paul Juster.
Their results were published in January in the journal Biology of Sex Differences.
Gender diversity matters
The findings confirm that sex differences in spatial cognition are indeed better explained by biological factors, i.e., sex assigned at birth and sex hormones. But they also show that sex differences in verbal cognition are better explained by sociocultural factors, i.e., gender identity.
In short, spatial cognition seems more related to sex, while verbal cognition seems more related to gender. Sex assigned at birth is not always the most important variable in explaining sex differences in cognition.
“Our findings highlight the importance of considering gender diversity when seeking to understand sex differences and gender diversity in cognition,” said Juster.
The research team believes their findings will encourage researchers to use more sophisticated methodologies that use both sex and gender measures.
“By including people from diverse backgrounds, we can incorporate more sex- and gender-related variables into the analysis and ultimately get a more accurate picture of cognitive differences,” said Guérin.
About this cognition and neuroscience research news
Author: Béatrice St-Cyr-Leroux
Source: University of Montreal
Contact: Béatrice St-Cyr-Leroux – University of Montreal
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Sex and gender correlates of sexually polymorphic cognition” by Louis Cartier et al. Biology of Sex Differences
Abstract
Sex and gender correlates of sexually polymorphic cognition
Background
Sexually polymorphic cognition (SPC) results from the interaction between biological (birth-assigned sex (BAS), sex hormones) and socio-cultural (gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation) factors. The literature remains quite mixed regarding the magnitude of the effects of these variables. This project used a battery of classic cognitive tests designed to assess the influence of sex hormones on cognitive performance. At the same time, we aimed to assess the inter-related and respective effects that BAS, sex hormones, and gender-related factors have on SPC.
Methods
We recruited 222 adults who completed eight cognitive tasks that assessed a variety of cognitive domains during a 150-min session. Subgroups were separated based on gender identity and sexual orientation and recruited as follows: cisgender heterosexual men (n = 46), cisgender non-heterosexual men (n = 36), cisgender heterosexual women (n = 36), cisgender non-heterosexual women (n = 38), gender diverse (n = 66). Saliva samples were collected before, during, and after the test to assess testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Psychosocial variables were derived from self-report questionnaires.
Results
Cognitive performance reflects sex and gender differences that are partially consistent with the literature. Interestingly, biological factors seem to better explain differences in male-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., spatial), while psychosocial factors seem to better explain differences in female-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., verbal).
Conclusion
Our results establish a better comprehension of SPC over and above the effects of BAS as a binary variable. We highlight the importance of treating sex as a biological factor and gender as a socio-cultural factor together since they collectively influence SPC.
Background
Sexually polymorphic cognition (SPC) results from the interaction between biological (birth-assigned sex (BAS), sex hormones) and socio-cultural (gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation) factors. The literature remains quite mixed regarding the magnitude of the effects of these variables. This project used a battery of classic cognitive tests designed to assess the influence of sex hormones on cognitive performance. At the same time, we aimed to assess the inter-related and respective effects that BAS, sex hormones, and gender-related factors have on SPC.
Methods
We recruited 222 adults who completed eight cognitive tasks that assessed a variety of cognitive domains during a 150-min session. Subgroups were separated based on gender identity and sexual orientation and recruited as follows: cisgender heterosexual men (n = 46), cisgender non-heterosexual men (n = 36), cisgender heterosexual women (n = 36), cisgender non-heterosexual women (n = 38), gender diverse (n = 66). Saliva samples were collected before, during, and after the test to assess testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone. Psychosocial variables were derived from self-report questionnaires.
Results
Cognitive performance reflects sex and gender differences that are partially consistent with the literature. Interestingly, biological factors seem to better explain differences in male-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., spatial), while psychosocial factors seem to better explain differences in female-typed cognitive tasks (i.e., verbal).
Conclusion
Our results establish a better comprehension of SPC over and above the effects of BAS as a binary variable. We highlight the importance of treating sex as a biological factor and gender as a socio-cultural factor together since they collectively influence SPC.
