Did you ever wish the man in your life would get in touch with his feminine side, or find yourself begging your wife to stay quiet and just watch the football? 

Scientists have known for a long time that there are definite physical differences between the male and female brain. It explains why men traditionally understand the three-dimensional structure of a house by seeing a plan, where women see only a superficial image. Women, on the other hand, are far more capable of multi-tasking and tend to be more advanced in their linguistic abilities (why else are arguments between a husband and a wife always won by the wife).

But what about those driven, tomboy girls who excel at physical activities, or the lads who love a good chat? Newer research suggests there are also neurological discrepancies between the male and female brain – basically, that men and women are wired differently, causing us to think, feel, react and respond in strikingly different ways. But these wires can actually become ‘crossed’, resulting in a blurring of conventional gender-assigned roles and responses and this explains why traditional gender stereotyping doesn’t fit with everyone. If you’ve ever been accused of (or praised for ) thinking like a member of the opposite sex, it could be that your brain sex doesn’t match your body sex! 

Brainsex has been described as the distinctive gender-based circuitry that determines how – and explains why – men and women respond so differently to the same emotional and situational triggers. And knowing your brainsex, experts believe, can help you in the classroom, the boardroom and the bedroom. 

Leading UK neuropsychologist and author of ‘Why Men Don’t Iron’ Dr Anne Moir has come up with a short test to help people determine their brainsex. The questions are based on a very large number of sex differences found in her extensive research. It’ll only take you a couple of minutes but, if you’re anything like me, will give you something to think about for hours. 

Answer yes or no depending on whether you agree or not with the following statements

1 It’s easy for me to sing in tune, singing alone

2 When I was younger, winning was really important to me

3 It’s easy for me to hear what people are saying in a crowded room

4 As a child I enjoyed going as high as possible when climbing trees

5 If someone interrupts what I am doing it’s difficult to go back to it

6 I find it easy to do more than one thing at once

7 I find it easy to know what someone is feeling just by looking at their face

8 I like to collect things and sort them into categories

9 I solve problems more often with intuition than logic

10 As a child, I loved playing games where I pretended to be someone I knew or a character I had created

11 At school it was easy for me to write neatly

12 As a child, I enjoyed taking things apart to see how they work

13 I get bored easily so I need to keep doing new things

14 I don’t like fast speeds, they make me nervous

15 I enjoy reading novels more then non-fiction.

16 I can find my way more easily using a map rather than landmark directions

17 I keep in regular contact with my friends and family

18 As a child, I enjoyed physical sports

19 Imagining things in three dimensions is easy for me. For example: I can see in my mind’s eye just how an architects’ drawings or plans will look once built

20 As a child, I loved doing things like ‘wheelies’ on my bike

Now work out your score and turn over to see how ‘male’ or ‘female’ your brain is:

If you answered ‘Yes’ to questions: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17 score 1 point each.

(‘No’ answers to these questions receive 0 points.)

If you answered ‘No’ to questions: 2, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20 score 1 point each.

(‘Yes’ answers to these questions receive 0 points.)

How to work out how ‘male’ or ‘female’ your brain is

  • The higher your score out of twenty, the more female your brain.
  • Middle scores show a more mixed brain.
  • The lower the score out of twenty, the more male your brain.  

Going on my own results, I’m more ladette than lady – not much of a surprise to me as I’ve never been one for pink, flouncy dresses and the like. Right, I’m off to the boardroom.