Sex/gender-related cognitive biases as an expression of the central nervous system prefrontal lobes processing systems

Cognitive and social psychology established an extensive record of sex/gender-based differences in cognitive behaviors. Much of this empirical research is based on the identification of a “correct” response. Inasmuch as the accuracy of these responses is intrinsic to the external situation and independent of the individual, such responses are verifiable by independent evidence and are referred to as veridical decisions. Their processing is largely dependent on the posterior cortical cortices. It has been in the last decade only that another type of cognition has been empirically studied, namely, decisions which are actor-centered, guided by an individual's preferences, and instrumental in furthering an individual's goals. These decisions are inherently adaptive, dependent on the prefrontal cortices for processing, and are the sine qua non in connecting the internal and external environments of the individual.; Adaptive decision making is ubiquitous in everyday life. Yet few empirical studies have been conducted, possibly because few assessment tools are sufficiently stringent in measuring the prefrontal processes generic to this type of cognition. An assessment prototype, the Cognitive Bias Task (CBT), has been developed that enables the empirical investigation of adaptive, actor-centered decisions. A prior study utilizing the CBT (Goldberg, Podell, Harner, Lovell, & Riggio, 1994) suggests hemispherically differentiated processing systems in the prefrontal cortices that function synergistically in a dynamic balance. The evidence from this earlier study indicates that the left hemisphere is particularly capable of processing routinized information utilizing pre-existing codes as internal cognitive contexts to guide behavior: Such behaviors are context-dependent (CD). The strength of the right hemisphere is in processing novel information for which no coding exists or is readily available. Behaviors that do not use preexisting cognitive contexts are regarded as being context independent (CI). In addition, this earlier study reported a sex/gender preferential bias: Females tended toward a CI bias in processing information in ambiguous, preferential choice situations, while males tended toward a CD bias.; In this study, 30 males and 30 females, all healthy, non-brain injured, right-handed, between 18–59 years of age, were administered the CBT. Subsequently, participants completed a narrative interview and questionnaires to assess the role of language in preferential selection. Finally, the relationship between cognitive processing biases and other prefrontal lobe functions was assessed. Results from this study support Goldberg's theory of lateralized pre-frontal processing systems and suggest a sex-gender differentiation: Males tend to use a CD bias (left hemisphere), and females tend toward a CI bias (right hemisphere) in processing information in ambiguous choice situations. Responses from the narrative interview indicate a relationship between an individual's verbal conceptualization of a task and subsequent performance. No significant relationship between processing biases and performance on measures of other prefrontal functions was found, although a trend in the predicted direction between a CI bias and the right frontal lob was found.