My Sex I.D. (it's not as exciting as it sounds)
So I was surfing Fark.com, which I normally do, and this morning I took this test. It turns out that I'm smack dab in the middle of the tendencies that differentiate "typical" male or "typical" female behaviour. This means that I have a balanced brain. It also means I'm a girlie-man, and a manly-girl.
Here are my results:
Print Page Click on File and select Print. | Go back
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Thescale below is an indication of where you fall in the male-female braincontinuum. The results are based on the angles, spot the difference, 3Dshapes and words tasks.
Bear in mind that your performance may be affected by many factors in addition to gender, like age and intelligence.
Your personal brain score:
Average score for MEN who've taken this survey:
Average score for WOMEN who've taken this survey:
If you are using a public PC we strongly advise you to print out and delete your results if you do not want anyone to see them.
back to top Part 1
Angles
Thistask tested your ability to identify the angle of a line by matching itwith its twin. This is a spatial task, which looks at how you picturespace.
Your score: 14 out of 20
Average score for men: 15.1 out of 20
Average score for women: 13.3 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 12:You have more of a female brain. Scientists believe that people with afemale brain find it more difficult to judge the slope of a linebecause they're not wired for spatial tasks. In past studies, 65 percent of people who scored in this range were women.
If you scored 13 - 17:You found this test neither hard nor easy. This suggests your brain hasmale and female traits when it comes to spatial ability.
If you scored 18 - 20:You have more of a male brain. On average, men outperform women in thistask and those with more mathematical knowledge tend to score quitehigh as well. In past studies, 60 per cent of the people in this rangewere men.
Interestingly, men's testosterone levels fluctuate through theseasons and studies have shown that men's scores are lower in thespring, when their testosterone levels are at their lowest.
Do our cave dwelling ancestors offer us any clues about why men and women score differently on this task? Find out more.
Spot the difference
Thistask tested your ability to identify which objects changed position.You lost points, if you incorrectly identified objects.
Your score: 43%
Average score for men: 39%
Average score for women: 46%
What does your score suggest?
If you scored between 0 - 33%: Youmay have more of a male brain. Scientists say men tend to under performin this task. The corpus callosum, the part of the brain that links theright and left hemispheres, is a fifth larger in women. This meanswomen can process visual and other signals at the same time more easilythan men. There is also a theory that oestrogen levels in women givethem an added advantage in spatial memory.
If you scored between 34 - 66%: You may have a balanced female-male brain.
If you scored between 67 - 100%:Those with a female-type brain generally score in this range. Yourability to remember where objects are may serve as an advantage to youwhen you're trying to find your way around places. You're more capableof recalling landmarks to get from one place to another.
Find out more about our spatial abilities.
back to top Part 2
Hands
You said your left thumb was on top when you clasped your hands together.
Right thumb on top: This suggests the left half ofyour brain is dominant. Many studies have tried to establish whetherthere is a relationship between handedness and brain dominance. Somescientists believe that if you are left brain dominant, you would bemore verbal and analytical.
Left thumb on top: This suggests the right half ofyour brain is dominant. Some studies theorise that as a right braindominant person, you may excel in visual, spatial and intuitiveprocesses.
However, these theories are debatable and leave much to be said about the small percentage of people who are ambidextrous.
Find out why right-brained people may be better fighters and artists.
back to top Part 3
Emotions and Systems
This task looked at whether you prefer to empathise or systemise.
Empathising
Your empathy score is: 10 out of 20
Average score for men: 7.9 out of 20
Average score for women: 10.6 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
Empathisers are better at accurately judging other people's emotionsand responding appropriately. If you scored 15 and above, you are veryempathic and would be an ideal person to comfort people in a time ofcrisis. Women in general are better at empathising.
Systemising
Your systemising score is: 15 out of 20
Average score for men: 12.5 out of 20
Average score for women: 8.0 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
Systemisers prefer to investigate how systems work. A system can be aroad map, flat pack furniture, or a mathematical equation - anythingthat follows a set of rules. A score of 15 and above suggests you'regood at analysing or building systems. Men in general are better atsystemising.
Scientistsare keen to learn more about people who score high or low on bothtests. They want to find out whether or not empathising and systemisingare linked. Is a possible to make yourself more empathic?
Some scientists claim that our empathy and systemising abilities can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times. Find out more.
Eyes
This task tested your ability to judge people's emotions.
Your score: 8 out of 10
Average score for men: 6.6 out of 10
Average score for women: 6.6 out of 10
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 3: Do you think you're good at judging how anotherperson is feeling? Your score suggests this doesn't come to you quiteso naturally.
Ifyou scored 4 - 6: Your result suggests you have a balanced female-malebrain and find it neither easy nor difficult to judge people'semotions.
If you scored 7 - 10: Your result suggestsyou are a good empathiser, sensitive to other people's emotions. Womengenerally fall into this category.
Professor Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge says that people usually perform better than they expect to on this test.
Men often think a person's eyes are sending signals of desire when that's not the case at all. Find out more.
back to top Part 4
Fingers
We asked you to measure your ring and index fingers. Your ratios came to:
Right Hand: 0.87
Left Hand: 0.91
Average ratio for men: 0.982
Average ratio for women: 0.991
It's thought that your ratio is governed by the amount oftestosterone you were exposed to in your mother's womb. The ratio ofthe length of your index finger to the length of your ring finger isset for life by as early as three months after conception. Even duringpuberty, when we experience intensive hormonal changes, the ratio staysthe same.
Men generally have a ring finger that is longer than their indexfinger, which gives them a lower ratio than women, whose ring and indexfingers are usually of equal length.
Studies have found that men and women with lots of brothers generally have more masculine finger ratios. Find out what other things scientists think our ratios may tell us.
back to top Part 5
Faces
Thistask looked at how you rate the attractiveness of a series of faces.The images you looked at were digitally altered to create slightdifferences in masculinity.
Your choices suggest you prefer more feminine faces.
Highly masculinised male faces possess more extreme testosteronemarkers such as a long, broad and lower jaw, as well as more pronouncedbrow ridges and cheekbones.
Interestingly, women's preferences are said to vary across themenstrual phase. A more masculine face is preferred during the 9 daysprior to ovulation, when conception is most likely.
A typical 'attractive' female face possesses features such as ashorter, narrower, lower jaw, fuller lips and larger eyes than anaverage face.
Are you surprised at what researchers think they can learn from your answers? Find out more.
back to top Part 6
3D shapes
This task tested your ability to mentally rotate 3D shapes.
Your score: 9 out of 12
Average score for men: 8.2 out of 12
Average score for women: 7.1 out of 12
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 6:Do you find yourself having to physically rotate a map to point in thedirection in which you're travelling? This might explain why you scoredin the lower range in the 3D shapes test. Twice as many women as menscore in this category. Previous studies suggest that those with afemale-type brain or with an arts background fall into this range.
If you scored 7 - 9: In past studies, 50 per cent of the people who scored in this range were women and 50 per cent were men.
If you scored 10 - 12: Are you an engineer or doyou have a science background? People with these skills tend to scorein this range. Past studies have concluded that people in this rangehave a more male brain.
Nearly a third of men who took this test got full marks, whereas less than 10 per cent of women managed the same. Find out why.
Words
This task looked at your verbal fluency.
Your score: you associated 7 word(s) with grey and you named 5 word(s) that mean happy. We are assuming that all the words you entered are correct.
Average score for men: 11.4 words total
Average score for women: 12.4 words total
What does your result suggest?
If you produced 1 - 5 words: You are more of the strong, silent typewith a male brain. You probably find it easier to express yourself innon-verbal ways, preferring action rather than words.
If you produced 6 - 10 words: Most people in this range have a female-type brain.
Women are said to use both sides of the brain when doing verbaltasks while men mainly use their left side. Studies have shown thatgirls develop vocabulary faster than boys. This difference in brainpower is caused by levels of pre-natal testosterone. Find out more .
Ultimatum
This task asked you how you would divide money.
If you had to split £50 with someone, you said you would demand £25
So far on the Sex ID test, men have demanded 51.6% (£25.80) of the pot and women have demanded 51.0% (£25.50), on average.
What does your response suggest?
Sex differences are small in this task. Demanding less than 60% of thepot (ie £30) is more typically female. Demanding more than 65% of thepot (ie £32.50) is more typically male.
Scientists believe that people with lower testosterone levels tendto take fewer risks so they are probably more willing to keep less forthemselves. Those with higher testosterone levels tend to drive aharder bargain and are less compromising.
Men's testosterone levels fluctuate over the seasons and are attheir lowest levels during the springtime. This is said to influencetheir bargaining power. Find out more about the role of testosterone.
back to top
Return to the Sex ID start page
Human body homepage
Sleep homepage
Sex ID homepage
Sex ID articles
Brain Sex
Empathising and systemising
Facial attractiveness
Handedness
Spatial tests
Testosterone
Facts and features
Fish oils and brainpower
Hot topics - Intelligence
Other psychology tests
Personality type
Memory test
Spot the fake smile
What's your millionaire potential?
Face perception 1
Face perception 2
bbc.co.uk/news - Differences between men and women
Woman's Hour - Male and female behaviour
bbc.co.uk/parenting - Tomboy or sissy?
UCLA - General intelligence equal between sexes
Guardian Online - The truth about science and sex
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites
BBC SCIENCE is provided for general information only, and should not betreated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor,psychiatrist or any other health care professional. The BBC is notresponsible or liable for any diagnosis, decision or self-assessmentmade by a user based on the content of the BBC SCIENCE website. The BBCis not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed,nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned oradvised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're inany way concerned about your health.
Here are my results:
Print Page Click on File and select Print. | Go back
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Thescale below is an indication of where you fall in the male-female braincontinuum. The results are based on the angles, spot the difference, 3Dshapes and words tasks.
Bear in mind that your performance may be affected by many factors in addition to gender, like age and intelligence.
Your personal brain score:
Average score for MEN who've taken this survey:
Average score for WOMEN who've taken this survey:
If you are using a public PC we strongly advise you to print out and delete your results if you do not want anyone to see them.
back to top Part 1
Angles
Thistask tested your ability to identify the angle of a line by matching itwith its twin. This is a spatial task, which looks at how you picturespace.
Your score: 14 out of 20
Average score for men: 15.1 out of 20
Average score for women: 13.3 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 12:You have more of a female brain. Scientists believe that people with afemale brain find it more difficult to judge the slope of a linebecause they're not wired for spatial tasks. In past studies, 65 percent of people who scored in this range were women.
If you scored 13 - 17:You found this test neither hard nor easy. This suggests your brain hasmale and female traits when it comes to spatial ability.
If you scored 18 - 20:You have more of a male brain. On average, men outperform women in thistask and those with more mathematical knowledge tend to score quitehigh as well. In past studies, 60 per cent of the people in this rangewere men.
Interestingly, men's testosterone levels fluctuate through theseasons and studies have shown that men's scores are lower in thespring, when their testosterone levels are at their lowest.
Do our cave dwelling ancestors offer us any clues about why men and women score differently on this task? Find out more.
Spot the difference
Thistask tested your ability to identify which objects changed position.You lost points, if you incorrectly identified objects.
Your score: 43%
Average score for men: 39%
Average score for women: 46%
What does your score suggest?
If you scored between 0 - 33%: Youmay have more of a male brain. Scientists say men tend to under performin this task. The corpus callosum, the part of the brain that links theright and left hemispheres, is a fifth larger in women. This meanswomen can process visual and other signals at the same time more easilythan men. There is also a theory that oestrogen levels in women givethem an added advantage in spatial memory.
If you scored between 34 - 66%: You may have a balanced female-male brain.
If you scored between 67 - 100%:Those with a female-type brain generally score in this range. Yourability to remember where objects are may serve as an advantage to youwhen you're trying to find your way around places. You're more capableof recalling landmarks to get from one place to another.
Find out more about our spatial abilities.
back to top Part 2
Hands
You said your left thumb was on top when you clasped your hands together.
Right thumb on top: This suggests the left half ofyour brain is dominant. Many studies have tried to establish whetherthere is a relationship between handedness and brain dominance. Somescientists believe that if you are left brain dominant, you would bemore verbal and analytical.
Left thumb on top: This suggests the right half ofyour brain is dominant. Some studies theorise that as a right braindominant person, you may excel in visual, spatial and intuitiveprocesses.
However, these theories are debatable and leave much to be said about the small percentage of people who are ambidextrous.
Find out why right-brained people may be better fighters and artists.
back to top Part 3
Emotions and Systems
This task looked at whether you prefer to empathise or systemise.
Empathising
Your empathy score is: 10 out of 20
Average score for men: 7.9 out of 20
Average score for women: 10.6 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
Empathisers are better at accurately judging other people's emotionsand responding appropriately. If you scored 15 and above, you are veryempathic and would be an ideal person to comfort people in a time ofcrisis. Women in general are better at empathising.
Systemising
Your systemising score is: 15 out of 20
Average score for men: 12.5 out of 20
Average score for women: 8.0 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
Systemisers prefer to investigate how systems work. A system can be aroad map, flat pack furniture, or a mathematical equation - anythingthat follows a set of rules. A score of 15 and above suggests you'regood at analysing or building systems. Men in general are better atsystemising.
Scientistsare keen to learn more about people who score high or low on bothtests. They want to find out whether or not empathising and systemisingare linked. Is a possible to make yourself more empathic?
Some scientists claim that our empathy and systemising abilities can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times. Find out more.
Eyes
This task tested your ability to judge people's emotions.
Your score: 8 out of 10
Average score for men: 6.6 out of 10
Average score for women: 6.6 out of 10
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 3: Do you think you're good at judging how anotherperson is feeling? Your score suggests this doesn't come to you quiteso naturally.
Ifyou scored 4 - 6: Your result suggests you have a balanced female-malebrain and find it neither easy nor difficult to judge people'semotions.
If you scored 7 - 10: Your result suggestsyou are a good empathiser, sensitive to other people's emotions. Womengenerally fall into this category.
Professor Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge says that people usually perform better than they expect to on this test.
Men often think a person's eyes are sending signals of desire when that's not the case at all. Find out more.
back to top Part 4
Fingers
We asked you to measure your ring and index fingers. Your ratios came to:
Right Hand: 0.87
Left Hand: 0.91
Average ratio for men: 0.982
Average ratio for women: 0.991
It's thought that your ratio is governed by the amount oftestosterone you were exposed to in your mother's womb. The ratio ofthe length of your index finger to the length of your ring finger isset for life by as early as three months after conception. Even duringpuberty, when we experience intensive hormonal changes, the ratio staysthe same.
Men generally have a ring finger that is longer than their indexfinger, which gives them a lower ratio than women, whose ring and indexfingers are usually of equal length.
Studies have found that men and women with lots of brothers generally have more masculine finger ratios. Find out what other things scientists think our ratios may tell us.
back to top Part 5
Faces
Thistask looked at how you rate the attractiveness of a series of faces.The images you looked at were digitally altered to create slightdifferences in masculinity.
Your choices suggest you prefer more feminine faces.
Highly masculinised male faces possess more extreme testosteronemarkers such as a long, broad and lower jaw, as well as more pronouncedbrow ridges and cheekbones.
Interestingly, women's preferences are said to vary across themenstrual phase. A more masculine face is preferred during the 9 daysprior to ovulation, when conception is most likely.
A typical 'attractive' female face possesses features such as ashorter, narrower, lower jaw, fuller lips and larger eyes than anaverage face.
Are you surprised at what researchers think they can learn from your answers? Find out more.
back to top Part 6
3D shapes
This task tested your ability to mentally rotate 3D shapes.
Your score: 9 out of 12
Average score for men: 8.2 out of 12
Average score for women: 7.1 out of 12
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 0 - 6:Do you find yourself having to physically rotate a map to point in thedirection in which you're travelling? This might explain why you scoredin the lower range in the 3D shapes test. Twice as many women as menscore in this category. Previous studies suggest that those with afemale-type brain or with an arts background fall into this range.
If you scored 7 - 9: In past studies, 50 per cent of the people who scored in this range were women and 50 per cent were men.
If you scored 10 - 12: Are you an engineer or doyou have a science background? People with these skills tend to scorein this range. Past studies have concluded that people in this rangehave a more male brain.
Nearly a third of men who took this test got full marks, whereas less than 10 per cent of women managed the same. Find out why.
Words
This task looked at your verbal fluency.
Your score: you associated 7 word(s) with grey and you named 5 word(s) that mean happy. We are assuming that all the words you entered are correct.
Average score for men: 11.4 words total
Average score for women: 12.4 words total
What does your result suggest?
If you produced 1 - 5 words: You are more of the strong, silent typewith a male brain. You probably find it easier to express yourself innon-verbal ways, preferring action rather than words.
If you produced 6 - 10 words: Most people in this range have a female-type brain.
Women are said to use both sides of the brain when doing verbaltasks while men mainly use their left side. Studies have shown thatgirls develop vocabulary faster than boys. This difference in brainpower is caused by levels of pre-natal testosterone. Find out more .
Ultimatum
This task asked you how you would divide money.
If you had to split £50 with someone, you said you would demand £25
So far on the Sex ID test, men have demanded 51.6% (£25.80) of the pot and women have demanded 51.0% (£25.50), on average.
What does your response suggest?
Sex differences are small in this task. Demanding less than 60% of thepot (ie £30) is more typically female. Demanding more than 65% of thepot (ie £32.50) is more typically male.
Scientists believe that people with lower testosterone levels tendto take fewer risks so they are probably more willing to keep less forthemselves. Those with higher testosterone levels tend to drive aharder bargain and are less compromising.
Men's testosterone levels fluctuate over the seasons and are attheir lowest levels during the springtime. This is said to influencetheir bargaining power. Find out more about the role of testosterone.
back to top
Return to the Sex ID start page
Human body homepage
Sleep homepage
Sex ID homepage
Sex ID articles
Brain Sex
Empathising and systemising
Facial attractiveness
Handedness
Spatial tests
Testosterone
Facts and features
Fish oils and brainpower
Hot topics - Intelligence
Other psychology tests
Personality type
Memory test
Spot the fake smile
What's your millionaire potential?
Face perception 1
Face perception 2
bbc.co.uk/news - Differences between men and women
Woman's Hour - Male and female behaviour
bbc.co.uk/parenting - Tomboy or sissy?
UCLA - General intelligence equal between sexes
Guardian Online - The truth about science and sex
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites
BBC SCIENCE is provided for general information only, and should not betreated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor,psychiatrist or any other health care professional. The BBC is notresponsible or liable for any diagnosis, decision or self-assessmentmade by a user based on the content of the BBC SCIENCE website. The BBCis not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed,nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned oradvised on any of the sites. Always consult your own GP if you're inany way concerned about your health.