Girls vs Boys
Difference between girls and boys is a must know fact if you are part of this world. Boys and Girls; are they different or is it a myth? This question is frequently raised by educationist, psychologist and many others. Some argue that the only difference between boys and girls is biological. Even among others who believe that there are differences between boys and girls, one party say the difference is associated with brain development, while others believe it is more social, because parents and society treat kids differently.
Some interesting facts about Boys and Girls
Patricia B. Campbell, Ph.D. and Jennifer N. Storo at U.S. Department of Education argues that people tend to assume that females and males are different is a myth.
“We see someone’s sex as an important predictor of their abilities and interests and assume that if we know someone is a girl or a boy, we know a lot about them. That assumption is wrong! Knowing someone’s sex may tell us a lot about them biologically but it tells us very little about them in other ways” they say.
Through research they show that sex is not a good predictor of academic skills, interests or even emotional characteristics.
They conclude that differences between individual girls or between individual boys are much greater than those between the “average” girl and the “average” boy. Overall, sex differences tend to be smaller than most other demographic differences.
Michael Gurian, Jossey-Bass, 2001, in his book ‘Boys and Girls learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers and Parents,’ says that according to brain-based research girls are more able to engage in multi-task behaviour, use both sides of the brain when processing information, hear better and are more physically active. Boys may take more time in processing emotive information, thus making it more difficult for boys to quickly adjust after engaging in stressful or emotionally charged situations.
According to Gurian, boys are more likely to exhibit more learning disabilities, behaviour problems, and poorer academic performance; whereas girls are more likely to receive less attention from teachers, participate less in athletics, and experience gender bias in the classroom.
When it comes to interpersonal relations, Susan Witt, who teaches childhood development at the University of Akron, says boys and girls respond differently in situations because we parent them differently.
However, some argue that the differences we see are evident from birth, they fix some behaviours as unique for boys, such as ‘boys like motion,’ they are more aggressive’ and girls as soft and good with their hands.
Are there actually significant differences between a girl’s brain and a boy’s brain?
A 2007 neuroscience research in brain development says like this: “The most profound difference between girls and boys is not in any brain structure per se, but rather in the sequence of development of the various brain regions. The different regions of the brain develop in a different sequence in girls compared with boys.”
Another study by Harriet Hanlon and her associates at Virginia Tech shows that there are striking and consistent sex differences in the speed with which the brain matures. It also shows that boys’s brains develop differently than girls brains do.
These researchers found that while the areas of the brain involved in language and fine motor skills mature about six years earlier in girls than in boys, the areas of the brain involved in targeting and spatial memory mature about four years earlier in boys than in girls.
What is the difference between Girls and Boys?
• Biologically boys and girls are different.
• Girls are better in processing emotive information, but boys take more time in processing emotive information.
• Boys are more likely to exhibit more learning disabilities, behaviour problems, and poorer academic performance.
• Girls are more likely to receive less attention from teachers, participate less in athletics, and experience gender bias in the classroom.
• Boys and girls respond differently in situations, because we parent them differently.
• Brain development of boys and girls is different.
Further Reading:
- Difference Between Guys and Girls
- Difference Between Lady and Girl
- Difference Between Girl and Woman