The psychological differences between males and females is not that significant for most except at the extremes.

Most differences noted through numerous studies are based on the mean average. Plucking any random person from the planet and having them take a personal test (based on traits) would not really help you determine their sex.

If however we were to take large cross sections of any given society and averaged out the responses given for males and females, and then tried to figure out which group was male and which female, it would revel a marked difference (the bigger the sample).

From individual to individual there is next to no discernible difference, although there may be some telltale signs due to cultural attitudes or phase of life (I can imagine parenthood and relationship status could reveal something?).

Yeah, I did mention that existing gender roles, carried over from history, implies there'll be differences between male and female experiences; this will likely seep into forum discussions as different approaches, attitudes, and so on.

Could logic have a feminine incarnation? The Greeks thought that rationality was masculine and the passions as girly.

Could logic have a feminine incarnation? The Greeks thought that rationality was masculine and the passions as girly. — Agent Smith

Athena was decidedly ‘feminine’ though :)

It is an interesting question whether the mind has a sex and it is a variation on the mind and body problem. That is because it depends to some extent on to what extent the brain of males and females are different as well as biochemical aspects or even chromosomes.

On the level of 'mind' that depends on mental states associated with gender identity. The research on this is unclear, especially as there is no clear evidence on the role of hormones in the brain before birth in determining gender identity and sexual preference, which are of course separate from one another. Also, there is the issue of whether social factors are important in determining gender identity and even the wiring of behaviours which may be seen as being associated with male or female psychology and 'mind sex'.

Lol I just guess the sex based on the name.

Athena was decidedly ‘feminine’ though :) — I like sushi

Noted! :up: Sophia! If you notice, fools/imbeciles depicted in art and literature are usually men! :grin: Perhaps the takeaway is the best are men and so also the worst.

Yep, it's interesting alright. Assuming the logic we use is masculine (Aristotle, Chrysippus, Leibniz, Frege, all men), do you think there's a feminine logic? Banno once started a thread on logical nihilism, the speaker/lecturer was a woman, a Ms. Gillian Russell. Wikipedia has a list of logicians, the field seems dominated by men and most importantly no breakthroughs are attributed to the fairer sex. What about Agatha Christie and her creation, Hercule Poirot, the diminutive detective with a knack for solving mysteries using his "little grey cells"?

In the arts, however, women are giving men a run for their money. They stand toe-to-toe with the best of men writers/poets/painters, sometimes outshining them in these domains.

Lol I just guess the sex based on the name. — SatmBopd

That may not always work because some names are unisex.

With regard to the lack of logicians who are female that maybe due to issues of exclusion rather than their specific mind or mental abilities. I had a female lecturer who had a PhD in Philosophy, and I think that she went much further. She was extremely knowledgeable and a brilliant tutor. However, part of her success may have been due to how she was youngish with blonde hair, slim, dressed like a model and many signed up for her classes because they were so attracted to her. I wonder whether she would have succeeded so well if she had been been fat, middle aged and dowdy.

I hope that she is not a member of the forum because even though I have not mentioned her by name she might realise who I am talking about but hopefully she would forgive me for what I am saying or even say her point of view on the matter.I doubt whether she is a member though and we would be extremely privileged to have her input on many topics.

In the arts, however, women are giving men a run for their money. They stand toe-to-toe with the best of men writers/poets/painters, sometimes outshining them in these domains. — Agent Smith

Without trying to check with an internet search, I doubt that is true in terms of recognition.

Observations: I haven't been able to determine the sex of individuals on this forum based on their intellectual activities. Suggestive words, phrases, accounts of experiences, admissions as to being a man/woman, outbursts of any kind and the like don't count as they're obvious indicators of one's sex.

Conclusion: The mind has no sex. It's neuter/asexual. — Agent Smith

It would be an interesting question whether there is an accurate AI algorithm that could distinguish men from women with a high degree of statistical probability. I found this one, but I doubt it's very reliable: http://www.hackerfactor.com/GenderGuesser.php#Analyze

I typed posts from this board of those I knew to be male and those I knew to be female, and it wasn't terribly accurate.

I cut and pasted my short story entry and it came back:

Genre: Informal
Female = 3709
Male = 4288
Difference = 579; 53.62%
Verdict: Weak MALE

Weak emphasis could indicate European.

Genre: Formal
Female = 2637
Male = 2104
Difference = -533; 44.37%
Verdict: Weak FEMALE

Weak emphasis could indicate European.

I'm a strong American male, so they need to rework some things, but the idea is interesting.

If the mind is the brain, then perhaps.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210325115316.htm#:~:text=Women's%20brains%20are%20about%2011,%2C%20versus%20within%2C%20cerebral%20hemispheres.

Women's brains are about 11% smaller than men's, in proportion to their body size. Smaller brains allow certain features, such as a slightly higher ratio of gray matter to white matter, and a higher ratio of connections between, versus within, cerebral hemispheres.

Thus it wouldn't be a sure fire distinction, but if you took a sample of 1,000 brains across the average population and evaluated them using this metric, you could probably guess which brain was correct for most of the cases.

As we continue to drill down and learn how the brain functions, we could also probably find different areas of the brain that light up due to physical sex differences.

Yeah, women use their sex appeal to gain an (unfair) advantage over their competitors (men and other women). I'm quite puzzled actually that academia pre-1900s was so anti-woman. Are intellectuals immune to a lady's charms? Just imagine an all-male university board interviewing a female applicant who's good-looking. Couldn't she have then won them over simply by openly flaunting her beauty as happens in this day and age? Something doesn't add up, oui?

Without trying to check with an internet search, I doubt that is true in terms of recognition. — praxis

It was only a guesstimate, it's not a 100% true perhaps, but it does contain the proverbial grain of truth.

:up: So AI can't differentiate men from women. Intriguing to say the least. I wonder what are the textual sex indicators/determinants the AI assesses. It needs to be kept in mind that the AI is human-programmed; ergo, the AI's failure to identify the sex of an individual from only text means even humans (the coders and by extension the general population) have no clear-cut criterion to pin down the sex of minds.

Ok but if we go by brain size, how can neuroscientist distinguish the brain of an adult female from that of a teenaged boy (their brain sizes should be about the same)?

Too, I'm more interested in the functional aspects of the brain rather than its anatomy. If I were to read, for example, an essay, can I use it to deduce the sex of a person?

I haven't been able to determine the sex of individuals on this forum based on their intellectual activities. — Agent Smith

I have a way of knowing it -- but I won't say it here because then forum members would know not to do it anymore. And no, it has nothing to do with intellectual activities.

Do you want to
I have a way of knowing it -- but I won't say it here because then forum members would know not to do it anymore. And no, it has nothing to do with intellectual activities. — L'éléphant

I would like to know, yes, if there is a mind sex determination method based solely on one's intellectual output.

In medicine sex determination of fetuses is a criminal offense in some countries (e.g. India) because of female infanticide. Ultrasonography has been the bane of girls in countries/regions that prefer males over females. Who would've thought bats could have such a devastating effect on the fairer sex.

To All

What about so-called internet scams where men pose as girls and lure other men into traps using child pornography among other things.