Gender differences of operator activity regulation and its neurophysiological support

The article considers the questions of activity regulation in individuals of different sexes. The aim is to study gender differences in psychophysiological regulation of activity under a variety of feedbacks and reveal their correlation with brain activity indices. Methods: Using the methods of apperception studying and tone value measuring 169 females and 60 males (229 individuals) volunteers aged 18-26 years were examined. EEG was registered in 125 women and 42 men (167 individuals). Results. Following the internal experience no gender differences were found in the activity efficiency, but men were more flexible, their regulation is only interrelated with intra-hemispheric links reduction, while that of women - with the reduction of both inter- and intra-hemispheric links. In using the external feedback men are more accurate, stable, well-minded, they, to a less degree, overestimate or underestimate the standard, they are more educable, more sensitive to feedback and more flexible in work. Their regulation is accompanied by reduced general representation of ß1- and δ-rhythms, multi-directional dependencies of ß2- and θ-activeness with reduction of information exchange between the hemispheres. Females are characterized by activation increase, strengthening of intra- and interhemispherical links with α-rhythms prevalence. It is important that in case of false feedback these regulations are preserved and differences in educability are neutralized. Conclusions: men better use feedback information, apply different strategies in achieving the result and rely on other regulation properties in various kinds of feedback; they are more successive in coping with cognitive conflict. Gender differences in activity regulation are interrelated with neurophysiological peculiarities.

gender differences, psychophysiological regulation, activity, comprehension, electroencephalogram, interhemispherical links