Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!uw-beaver!milton!hlab From: erich@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Erich Stefan Boleyn) Subject: Re: Where are the Women? Message-ID: <1991Mar30.024708.29522@milton.u.washington.edu> Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu (Human Int. Technology Lab) Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab, Univ. of Wash., Seattle. References: <18995@milton.u.washington.edu> Date: 27 Mar 91 18:59:43 GMT Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu wiley!jay@uunet.UU.NET (Jay Nelson) writes: >In article willdye@typhoon.unl.edu writes: > ...It's not enough to just cleanse >the publications so they don't look like they were written by a >particular group, the evaluation of effectiveness needs to include >users from the expected population. I've heard that women have their >right brain and left brain connections wired differently then men. It ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >is quite possible that some of the direct sensory input devices will >have a different effect on women. Whoa! As a student of Neuroscience, I think that I should set the record straight as to what the current state of knowledge is about this. Yes, there is an observable difference in brain configuration, the frontal lobes of male mammalian brains are slightly enlarged, and the right side (?) of the female mammalian brains are slightly enlarged (I'm not sure which side, but I do know that it is the one traditionally associated with language). The cause of this is not known, but considering what current studies show of the adaptability of mammalian neural tissue (and consequently brain structure), the cause is likely both genetic and environmental. Some studies do seem to show a component of genetic basis for differences in tendencies in men and women, but also show that there is a tremendous social bias. Upon careful thought, it seems unlikely that the differences in perception are noticable. However, considering social bias, there may well be a bigger difference in the importance and interest attached to it, but we know that already, don't we? ;-) Erich "I haven't lost my mind; I know exactly where it is." / -- Erich Stefan Boleyn -- \ --=> *Mad Genius wanna-be* <=-- { Honorary Grad. Student (Math) }--> Internet E-mail: \ Portland State University / Phone #: (503) 246-6120