Contributed by: ElyseRomano on Thursday, December 30 2010 @ 02:14 pm
Last modified on
A little while back, we reviewed LiveScience's countdown of the 10 things every woman should know about a man's brain. Now it's time for the ladies to take the stage.
So what's really going on in the female mind?
Are women really less inclined than men to be aggressive and create conflict? How much of an effect do children and pregnancy actually have on female emotions and behavior? Is a woman's sex drive really that much more complicated than a man's? LiveScience writer Robin Nixon answers these questions and more while exploring the complexities of the female brain.
Let's begin the countdown at number 10:
10. Women show increased interest in taking risks as men show more interest in settling down. As the body moves into a more advanced, mature stage post-menopause, the female brain gets a second wind. Men show greater interest in relationships as they age, while women become increasingly willing to engage in risky behavior that could potentially lead to conflict or other difficulties (particularly if they no longer have children living with them). In addition to this new-found zest for life, many women over 50 also find that they feel a strong desire to dedicate time to helping their local and global communities, or to further their careers and personal development.
9. Women experience adolescence twice. Thought it was difficult to endure once? Imagine having to go through adolescence twice! The physical changes, hormonal instabilities, and constant questioning of one's identity that occur during adolescence rear their ugly heads once again during "perimenopause," a phase that women experience in their 40s. The changes begin around age 43, and last anywhere from 2 to 9 years. Men also experience hormonal changes as they grow older, but they do not occur nearly as abruptly or strongly.
8. "Mommy brain" is a very real phenomenon. "The physical, hormonal, emotional and social changes facing a woman directly after giving birth can be monumental," writes Nixon, and because so much of her life has become unstable, she needs everything else - especially her partner - to be as predictable and steady as possible. In earlier evolutionary stages, support came from kin-folk who helped with childrearing, and it was rare that a woman was a full-time mother. This approach to raising children allowed babies to have constant care, and gave their mothers opportunities to relax during an extremely stressful period.
Fun Fact: One way women can lower their stress levels after giving birth is breastfeeding. Research suggests that nursing may help women cope with stress (although too much stress can disrupt lactation) and "one study even found that breastfeeding might be more rewarding to the female brain than cocaine!"
7. Pregnancy has a big effect on a woman's brain. In the first 8 weeks of a woman's pregnancy, the hormone Progesterone increases 30-fold, making many expectant mothers seem sedated. And believe it or not, a woman's brain actually shrinks during pregnancy. According to a study published in the American Journal of Neuroadiology in 2002, a woman's brain is approximately 4% smaller by the time she delivers, and returns to normal size after delivery over the course of 6 months.
The issue of whether pregnancy causes a woman to think differently is highly controversial. A recent study found a link between memory problems and pregnancy hormones, but other research suggests that the changes that occur are preparing the brain to engage in maternal behavior. The circuits built in the latter theory likely continue to develop after a woman has given birth. Researchers at Tufts University have found that "handling a baby releases maternal hormones, even among females who have never been pregnant."
The final 6 things that every man should know about a woman's brain will be revealed next...stay tuned!