Affiliations: Center for Neuropsychological Research, Department of
Neurosciences of the Policlinico Gemelli/Catholic University of Rome, Rome,
Italy | IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Department of Clinical
and Behavioral Neurology, Rome, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Guido Gainotti, Neuropsychology
Center, Policlinico Gemelli, Catholic University of Rome, Largo A. Gemelli, 8,
00168 Roma, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 3550 1945; Fax: +39 06 3550 1909; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: The mechanisms subsuming the brain organization of categories and
the corresponding gender related asymmetries are controversial. Some authors
believe that the brain organization of categories is innate, whereas other
authors maintain that it is shaped by experience. According to these
interpretations, gender-related asymmetries should respectively be inborn or
result from the influence of social roles. In a previous study, assessing the
familiarity of young students with different 'biological' and 'artefact'
categories, we had observed no gender-related difference on any of these
categories. Since these data could be due to the fact that our students
belonged to a generation in which the traditional social roles have almost
completely disappeared, we predicted that gender-related asymmetries should be
found in older men and women. The familiarity of young and elderly men and
women with various semantic categories was, therefore, studied presenting in
the verbal and pictorial modality different kinds of living and artefact
categories. Results confirmed the hypothesis, because elderly women showed a
greater familiarity for flowers and elderly men for animals. These findings are
consistent with the hypothesis assuming that gender-related asymmetries for
different semantic categories is due to the influence of gender-related social
roles.
Keywords: Semantic categories, gender-related asymmetries, living beings, familiarity ratings, social roles
