Sex and Cognition by Doreen Kimura

Abstract

MIT Press, 1999. $30.00 (x + 217 pages)ISBN 0 262 11236 1Differences in cognitive abilities between the sexes have been a topic of popular as well as scientific interest for many years. Ask any individual with no formal background in science or psychology whether men and women differ in their ability to perform specific tasks. The most-common response is, ‘men are superior at spatial abilities and women are superior at verbal abilities’. Despite what appears to be common knowledge among the masses, very few scholarly books have been devoted to the subject. Now we have Sex and Cognition, an excellent overview of how men and women differ in their cognitive abilities, aptitude measures and body asymmetry, together with the neural and hormonal basis for these differences. The book is written for ‘educated non-specialists’: a goal that is well achieved. Although it does not cover other behaviors, the narrow focus is necessary given the amount of information it offers.The first few chapters and an appendix both introduce and sensitize the non-specialist reader to important scientific considerations of nature versus nurture, methods of scientific inquiry, statistical considerations, basic physiology and developmental information. Owing to the potential for information in subsequent chapters to be taken out of context, these introductory chapters should not be overlooked. One certainly emerges with the impression that the author has been previously confronted by enthusiastic critics who believe that there are simply no differences in cognitive abilities between men and women.The majority of the book is logically organized according to cognitive domains, and reviews in detail numerous studies over the years that support the hypothesis that cognitive differences between men and women do exist. In fact, Kimura is one of the leading contributors in this area of research and, as such, she is well qualified to comment on recent progress. Studies included cover several decades of research and more-recent work from her own laboratory. The chapters are written in a conversational style and yet the author explores potential reasons underlying the existence of these cognitive differences, for example task demands, developmental considerations and experimental design. However, despite this very thorough review, more-knowledgeable or scientific readers will be disappointed by the lack of critical analysis and the author’s failure to include studies that are not supportive of cognitive differences between the sexes1xAndrogens and spatial ability: failure to find a relationship between testosterone and ability measures. McKeever, W.F. et al. Bull. Psychonomic Soc. 1987; 25: 438–440Crossref | Scopus (47)See all References, 2xAnalysis of gender effects upon verbal and visual memory performance in adults. Trahan, D.E. and Quintana, J.W. Arch. Clin. Neuropsychol. 1990; 5: 325–334Crossref | PubMedSee all References, 3xEveryday memory performance across the life span: effects of age and noncognitive individual differences. West, R.L. et al. Psychol. Aging. 1992; 7: 72–82Crossref | PubMedSee all References. Furthermore, there is a general lack of information about the relative magnitude of such differences.Hormonal mechanisms that might account for sex differences are discussed, and both organizational (that is, structural changes in the organism) and activational (for example, dynamic hormone influences throughout life) effects are included. Both human and animal literature are discussed, as well as studies of brain-damaged humans. This information is well presented and an essential aid to the full understanding of how hormones probably influence sex differences in cognition. There is also a chapter on body asymmetry that might appeal to some readers, but is not necessary for a good understanding of cognitive differences.Differences in cognitive abilities between the sexes naturally begs the question of what purpose they might serve, and a chapter discussing evolutionary explanations is therefore included. However, placing this chapter near the end of the book might have been more helpful, where a broader appreciation and potential functional utility issues can be contemplated after reviewing the heart of the material.Although a previous text by Halpern4xSex Differences in Cognitive Abilities. Halpern, D. See all References covers similar material, Kimura’s book is more comprehensive and covers the more recent advances in the fields of cognition and neurosciences. Overall, Sex and Cognition provides the reader with an easily understood and thorough review of the literature that covers differences in cognitive ability between the sexes, together with details of neural and hormonal contributions to these differences. Interested readers will find this book both enjoyable and easy to comprehend.