RE: The 70-year Cognitive Puzzle That Still Divides The Sexes
I agree, some important qualities cannot be measured as easily as spatial visualization. Resilience, for example, is a trait women overall tend to have in greater abundance (or so the studies seem to show) than men. While this has been considered with reference to longevity, it is a quality that affects adaptation in all environments. That's just one example of something unquantifiable that can affect performance in everyday life. I think the brain is a new frontier...we're just on the threshold of understanding its complexity. I look to the work of pioneer neuroscientists such as Thomas Insel to lead the way toward understanding the relationship between the brain and behavior. Fascinating subject. That's why I keep reading and commenting :)
Don't know if this relates to resilience per se, but men do commit suicide 4-5 times more than women. I think they might just generally take things to heart more easily/deeply (unlike the stereotype would have it), and have extreme reactions, e.g. violence, be it against others or against oneself.
Never thought of it that way... certainly could be a reflection of resilience. Men also don't handle loss as well as women--death of a long-time partner and break-up of long-term relationships. May be another reflection of resilience (statistically).
Yup, I know that first-hand!