Posted: September 13th, 2017

Physiological Psychology- Evolution, Genetics & Behavior

Baron-Cohen and his colleagues contend that a higher incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in males than in females can largely be attributable to higher levels of fetal testosterone in males. Do you agree with this hypothesis? Why or why not? Explain the Extreme Male Brain (EMB) hypothesis of autism. What evidence has been found for and/or against the hypothesis? Are there any other psychiatric disorders that are more common in males than in females? Explain the putative evolutionary explanations of the sexual dimorphism in ASD and a few other psychiatric disorders.