Some things I have noted over the years, some funny but still relevant. Here are a few to get it started.

When a man is contemplating marriage he tends to wonder how much fun he and his intended will have in the coming years. The woman is wondering what she can make out of him in the coming years.
Little girls are attracted to babies while little boys tend to ignore them.
Women give directions based on landmarks, men tend to use more technical methods, unless the landmark is a bar, fast food place, or a landmark that is relevant to men.

Granted that the differences will not pertain to all men or women, but that the tendency is there.

What can you add to this list?

Excuse me if I fail to add to this list. In my personal opinion, far too much attention has been paid to the supposed vast inherent differences between female and male psychology. I am willing to admit that there may be some small inherent differences in brain function (the example you give of differences in perception of direction seems to be backed up by scientific data, although it also seems to be fairly trivial) but that these tiny differences are vastly overshadowed by individual differences.

In particular, I question your first example. It seems rather insulting to both men and women. Is this is result of a study?

Not meaning to imply that there are vast differences, or be insulting whle doing it, just trying to better understand the ones that do exist.
And it doesn't make sense to be insulted when that is not the intent.
Does everything have to be a study? Can't there just be observations that may help us make sense of ourselves?

I appreciate your point, and I do not intend to imply that you meant anything insulting.

In your experience, have you observed men who marry for fun, and women who marry in order to change men? I have not observed this, unless you use the word "fun" in the broadest possible sense (i.e. an attempt to increase one's happiness.) I have never observed anyone who married for a reason other than to increase happiness.

What are your observations about young children and babies, exactly? Do girls pay attention to babies because of a "natural" tendency, or because this is encouraged? This is a very open question, because the way in which girls and boys are treated by their parents and others varies from the day of birth. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to determine what is "natural." (My personal observation is that very young girls and very young boys are strange, noisy little creatures to whom I cannot relate very well; I do not observe a noticable difference in behavior. Nearly all of them shriek and run around in exactly the same way.)

Certainly we men like to have fun, which is part of happiness. And surely most of us men are works in progress, such that what our mothers don't perfect in us is left to the wife. Lucky for us men, the wives are usually willing to accept the challenge.
I have noticed over a long period of time that when we go to a public place with our children, and now grandchildren, that it is nearly always the case that little girls notice and are attentive to the babies, while little boys seldom do. Whether it is natural or learned, it is still a noticeable difference. I vote for natural in this instance.
As to the running around and shrieking of little ones, you don't relate to them, you just enjoy them. Of course, now that I am going deaf, it is a little easier to enjoy.

There is a definite difference between genders. I have to vacuum my house three times a day for my two boys. I do not encourage destructive behavior and fighting, but they take to it naturally.

In a household of daughters, it is usually difficult to tell that there are children living in the house. A friend of mine had 3 girls. She could talk on the phone while they played tea party. I had another friend with three boys. She aged 12 years in appearance after the third. Her house is no longer a domicile, but a zoo.

Observe children playing in a ball pit area. The girls (almost always) talk and stack balls nicely. The boys dive under the balls and throw them at each other violently to simulate war games.

There are some differences genetically, but I'm pretty sure that society makes most of them up. I mean, my daughter, while being both older and more female than my son, is almost always more poorly behaved. She may not play with GI Joes, and my son may not have Barbies, but there's definitly a difference from the "traditional" behavior models for children of their age. My daughter is loud, easier to anger than my son and loves to play softball or baseball. My son is quiter (though certainly not quiet,) is more likely to cry than get angry, and generally doesn't play much sports (though that may change as he gets older.)

There are differences, but I don't think that they're really based on everything, nor are they constant.


And MMP, why would you vacuum three times a day for them? Why not make them do it?

Maybe in a couple of years! They're only one and four right now.

I am in agreement with Victoria Silverwolf (except for the strange, noisy creatures bit ). Blanket statements about males and females belittles the more important differences that exist between individuals regardless of their sex.

It is fun to think about people's simple differences and ways of looking at life. I worry that blanket generalizations will contribute to a divide which should not be widened or give credence to the notion there are "sex roles".

http://kairosnews.org/node/view/2451

This is a very short link that observes gender differences in writing. See if it coincides with your own experiences.

There are DEFINITELY gender differences in how we deal with things. But as far as girls behaving more quietly than boys--I'm not so sure. Our 9-year-old can be just as boisterous (boysterous?) as any boy her age. Maybe we haven't conditioned her enough to be a quiet female. But that's okay--maybe she'll be heard!

Um... what? I have two daughters and they're much sloppier than I ever was when I was their age. You can't generalize like that.

What about the supposed "chick flick" thing? Touchy feely movies as opposed to a war movie? There are exceptions of course, but you have to admit that it is overwhelmingly gender-based.

Since the title was 'real or perceived' gender differences, I assumed anecdotal evidence applied.

This is interesting. According to allyoucanread.com, the top 7 men's magazines are (in order) Maxim, Razor, Perfect, FHM, Hustler, Penthouse, and Playboy.
The top 7 women's magazines are Cosmo, Seventeen, Shape, instyle, Controversy, Tearsheet, and People.

All of the men's magazines are almost entirely about sex (though the first 4 are comparatively subtle), most of the women's magazines pertained to fashion and gossip (although cosmo has a lot of sexual overtone). For the women, naked male magazines don't even make the top 20 list.

I don't know about this. I like films with suspense and excitement, as well as films that explore human relationships. Don't most filmgoers? Does anybody really prefer mindless "action" or mindless "romance"?

I can actually agree that men in general, including me, have no intrest in most "romantic comedies." Then again, my girlfriend isn't a fan either, and neither of us are fond of movies that are just about blowing stuff up.

I don't know about that, my wife absolutely *HATES* 'chick-flicks'. She wouldn't be caught dead reading a Harlequin Romance or Cosmo or any of that either.

It isn't a gender thing, it's how you were raised, I'd say.

Well, by putting the word mindless in there, it makes it a rhetorical question does it not? Who would admit to being mindless? If you take that word out, I would prefer action over romance any day. I don't find romance movies entertaining in the slightest bit and I honestly have never met any guy that has. A romance "comedy" is a little different, comedy is comedy, but a straight out romance movie, nope, I'd rather stare at the wall for 2 hours. Maybe I could count the number of divets in the ceiling or something, that would be more entertaining.

There are of course exceptions, but when you go home, ask your husband, ask your neighbor, ask your mailman this, "would you rather watch "Bridges of Madison County" or an action movie? NOT, do you like "Bridges of Madison County", but given a choice, which would you rather watch?

You're absolutely right...IF parents raise their girls to read Harlequin Romances, Cosmo, or watch 'chick flicks'.