June 11, 2007
Okay, it's been scientifically confirmed ... I'm a man.
- Alive Not Dead archive
Okay… Off of Jess’s suggestion, here are my explicit results on the survey.
Some comments…
- Okay, I agree that I’m a bit extreme when it comes to spatial relationships (map directions) and visual references – err, if you forget about me getting lost around Aberdeen St and Gough this weekend. It’s from playing so many computer adventure games when I was a kid.
- My empathy score is 2 out of 20 which makes me out to be an emotionless, uncaring zombie… But then my ability to read emotions on people’s faces scores a similarly abnormally high 10 out of 12. So maybe I KNOW how people feel, but I just don’t care…
Am I really that evil? Actually, I want to know if the “empathy” test has been normalized to account for “truthfulness” versus “self-deception”. For instance, I typically characterize myself as more of a focused, less emotive engineer-type but that might just be what I perceive myself to be rather than actual reality. - So my personal brain score is 25% – a bit more balanced than the average male… Not quite as balanced as the possibly asexual Jess (just kidding).
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The
scale below is an indication of where you fall in the male-female brain
continuum. The results are based on the angles, spot the difference, 3D
shapes and words tasks. Bear in mind that your performance may be affected by many factors in addition to gender, like age and intelligence.
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<font><strong>Your personal brain score: </strong></font>
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<font><strong>Average score for MEN who've taken this survey: </strong></font>
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Average score for WOMEN who’ve taken this survey:
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| Part 1 |
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Angles |
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This task tested your ability to identify the angle of a line by matching it with its twin. This is a spatial task, which looks at how you picture space.
What does your result suggest? If you scored 13 - 17: You found this test neither hard nor easy. This suggests your brain has male and female traits when it comes to spatial ability. If you scored 18 - 20: You have more of a male brain. On average, men outperform women in this task and those with more mathematical knowledge tend to score quite high as well. In past studies, 60 per cent of the people in this range were men. Interestingly, men's testosterone levels fluctuate through the seasons and studies have shown that men's scores are lower in the spring, when their testosterone levels are at their lowest. Do our cave dwelling ancestors offer us any clues about why men and women score differently on this task? Find out more.
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Spot the difference |
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This task tested your ability to identify which objects changed position. You lost points, if you incorrectly identified objects.
What does your score suggest? If you scored between 34 - 66%: You may have a balanced female-male brain. If you scored between 67 - 100%: Those with a female-type brain generally score in this range. Your ability to remember where objects are may serve as an advantage to you when you're trying to find your way around places. You're more capable of recalling landmarks to get from one place to another. Find out more about our spatial abilities. |
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| Part 2 |
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Hands |
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You said your left thumb was on top when you clasped your hands together. Right thumb on top: This suggests the left half of your brain is dominant. Many studies have tried to establish whether there is a relationship between handedness and brain dominance. Some scientists believe that if you are left brain dominant, you would be more verbal and analytical. Left thumb on top: This suggests the right half of your brain is dominant. Some studies theorise that as a right brain dominant person, you may excel in visual, spatial and intuitive processes. However, these theories are debatable and leave much to be said about the small percentage of people who are ambidextrous. Find out why right-brained people may be better fighters and artists. |
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| Part 3 |
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Emotions and Systems |
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This task looked at whether you prefer to empathise or systemise.
What does your result suggest?
What does your result suggest? Scientists are keen to learn more about people who score high or low on both tests. They want to find out whether or not empathising and systemising are linked. Is a possible to make yourself more empathic? Some scientists claim that our empathy and systemising abilities can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times. Find out more. |
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Eyes |
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This task tested your ability to judge people's emotions.
What does your result suggest? If you scored 4 - 6: Your result suggests you have a balanced female-male brain and find it neither easy nor difficult to judge people's emotions. If you scored 7 - 10: Your result suggests you are a good empathiser, sensitive to other people's emotions. Women generally fall into this category. Professor Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge says that people usually perform better than they expect to on this test. Men often think a person's eyes are sending signals of desire when that's not the case at all. Find out more. |
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| Part 4 |
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Fingers |
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We asked you to measure your ring and index fingers. Your ratios came to:
It's thought that your ratio is governed by the amount of testosterone you were exposed to in your mother's womb. The ratio of the length of your index finger to the length of your ring finger is set for life by as early as three months after conception. Even during puberty, when we experience intensive hormonal changes, the ratio stays the same. Men generally have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger, which gives them a lower ratio than women, whose ring and index fingers are usually of equal length. Studies have found that men and women with lots of brothers generally have more masculine finger ratios. Find out what other things scientists think our ratios may tell us. |
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| Part 5 |
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Faces |
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This task looked at how you rate the attractiveness of a series of faces. The images you looked at were digitally altered to create slight differences in masculinity. Your choices suggest you prefer more feminine faces. Highly masculinised male faces possess more extreme testosterone markers such as a long, broad and lower jaw, as well as more pronounced brow ridges and cheekbones. Interestingly, women's preferences are said to vary across the menstrual phase. A more masculine face is preferred during the 9 days prior to ovulation, when conception is most likely. A typical 'attractive' female face possesses features such as a shorter, narrower, lower jaw, fuller lips and larger eyes than an average face. Are you surprised at what researchers think they can learn from your answers? Find out more. |
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| Part 6 |
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3D shapes |
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This task tested your ability to mentally rotate 3D shapes.
Your score: 11 out of 12
What does your result suggest? If you scored 0 - 6:
Do you find yourself having to physically rotate a map to point in the
direction in which you’re travelling? This might explain why you scored
in the lower range in the 3D shapes test. Twice as many women as men
score in this category. Previous studies suggest that those with a
female-type brain or with an arts background fall into this range. If you scored 7 - 9: In past studies, 50 per cent of the people who scored in this range were women and 50 per cent were men. If you scored 10 - 12: Are you an engineer or do you have a science background? People with these skills tend to score in this range. Past studies have concluded that people in this range have a more male brain. Nearly a third of men who took this test got full marks, whereas less than 10 per cent of women managed the same. Find out why. |
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Words |
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This task looked at your verbal fluency. Your score: you associated
10 word(s) with grey and you named 7 word(s) that mean happy. We are assuming that all the words you entered are correct.
What does your result suggest? If you produced 6 - 10 words: Most people in this range have a female-type brain. Women are said to use both sides of the brain when doing verbal tasks while men mainly use their left side. Studies have shown that girls develop vocabulary faster than boys. This difference in brain power is caused by levels of pre-natal testosterone. Find out more . |
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Ultimatum |
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This task asked you how you would divide money. If you had to split £50 with someone, you said you would demand £25 So far on the Sex ID test, men have demanded 51.6% (£25.80) of the pot and women have demanded 51.0% (£25.50), on average.
What does your response suggest? Scientists believe that people with lower testosterone levels tend to take fewer risks so they are probably more willing to keep less for themselves. Those with higher testosterone levels tend to drive a harder bargain and are less compromising. Men's testosterone levels fluctuate over the seasons and are at their lowest levels during the springtime. This is said to influence their bargaining power. Find out more about the role of testosterone. |










