Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
08:31
Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
Published on: July 31, 2016
More than maths and mindreading: sex differences in empathizing/systemizing covariance
Jeffrey M Valla1, Barbara L Ganzel, Keith J Yoder
1Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-4401, USA. jmv34@cornell.edu
Summary
Empathizing and systemizing cognitive traits are independent in women but linked in men. In men, systemizing skills correlated with social and mindreading deficits, unlike in women.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) theory describes cognitive traits on a continuum from typical variation to autism.
- Previous research on E-S trait covariance has yielded conflicting results regarding their structural relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sex-dependent structure of empathizing and systemizing traits in a neurotypical population.
- To explore the relationship between these traits, academic specialization, and specific cognitive and social-communicative abilities.
Main Methods:
- 144 neurotypical undergraduates (65 males, 79 females) completed various cognitive and psychometric tests.
- Tests included measures of empathizing (Reading the Mind in the Eyes), systemizing (Embedded Figures, Autism Spectrum Quotient), and other cognitive functions.
- Data on digit length ratio and field of study were collected; some participants completed additional tests for motion coherence and motor inhibition.
Main Results:
- Empathizing and systemizing traits were independent in women but significantly dependent in men.
- In men, systemizing demands of their field of study correlated with social-communicative and mindreading deficits.
- Men showed a tendency to use systemizing strategies for empathizing tasks, with rapid perceptual disembedding linked to heightened facial emotion sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- The structural relationship between empathizing and systemizing traits is sex-dependent.
- In men, higher systemizing engagement may be associated with social-communicative challenges, potentially mediated by cognitive strategy use.
- In women, systemizing was linked to specific biological markers and detail-oriented cognition but not autistic social impairments.
Related Concept Videos
02:34Empathy
Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
01:37Reason and Intuition
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:20Cognitive Theories: Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion
Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer proposed the two-factor theory of emotion, which emphasizes the interplay between physiological arousal and cognitive labeling in forming emotional experiences. This theory suggests that emotions are not simply a result of physiological responses but rather a combination of these responses and the individual's cognitive interpretation of them.
Physiological Arousal and Cognitive Labeling
According to this theory, when an individual experiences physiological...
Physiological Arousal and Cognitive Labeling
According to this theory, when an individual experiences physiological...