What do you think is the biggest difference in the way that men and women think? Can you remember when and how you discovered this difference? Do you think this difference is natural, or caused by social factors?
awkward : embarrassed or nervous • collect : to get and keep things of one type such as stamps or coins as a hobby • conceal : to prevent something from being seen or known about; to hide something • device : an object or machine which has been invented to fulfill a particular purpose • empathy : the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in their situation • fiction : the type of book or story which is written about imaginary characters and events and not based on real people and facts • fix : to repair something • hands-on : Someone who has hands-on experience of something has done or used it rather than just read or learned about it • hard-wired • instructions : advice and information about how to do or use something, often written in a small book or on the side of a container • manual : a book which gives you practical instructions on how to do something or how to use something, such as a machine • meticulous : very careful and with great attention to every detail • organized : arranged according to a particular system • predominantly : mostly or mainly • principle : an idea which influences you greatly when making a decision or considering a matter • recipe : a set of instructions telling you how to prepare and cook food, including a list of what food is needed for this • regret : a feeling of sadness about something sad or wrong or about a mistake that you have made, and a wish that it could have been different and better • self-interest : when you consider the advantage to yourself when making decisions, and act for your own benefit • signal : to show that you intend or are ready to do something • specification : a detailed description of how something should be done, made, etc • spot : to see or notice someone or something, usually because you are looking hard • subtle : not loud, bright, noticeable or obvious in any way • system : a set of connected items or devices which operate together • table : an arrangement of facts and numbers in rows or blocks, especially in printed material • technical : relating to the knowledge, machines or methods used in science and industry • tendency : a likelihood to behave in a particular way or to like a particular thing • theory : a formal statement of the rules on which a subject of study is based or of ideas which are suggested to explain a fact or event or, more generally, an opinion or explanation • trial and error : a way of achieving an aim or solving a problem by trying a number of different methods and learning from the mistakes that you make • typical : showing all the characteristics that you would usually expect from a particular group of things
01 I can easily tell if someone wants to start a conversation with me.
How often do you start up conversations with total strangers? When you do, what usually makes you want to do so? Have you ever made a good friend this way? Would you be more likely to start up a conversation with a stranger who was a Chinese speaker or an English speaker? How about a man or a woman? How often do strangers strike up a conversation with you? Are the people who do so similar in any way?
02 I can easily tell if someone is interested in or bored with what I am saying.
Besides the obvious signs that someone is interested or bored, do you use any other more subtle signals to determine whether someone is interested or bored in what you are saying? Do you know how you signal when you are interested or bored in what someone is saying to you?
03 I can easily work out what another person might want to talk about.
What are some of your favorite conversation topics? Do you have any friends who share your interests? Do you have any friends who do not? If you are interested in a topic, but sense that your conversation partner is not, will you still try to continue with that topic?
04 When I talk to people, I tend to talk more about their experiences rather than my own.
Do you think there is any special reason for your tendency? Do you have any special principles you try to follow when you are having a conversation with someone?
05 I prefer reading non-fiction to reading fiction.
Can you explain your preference? What sort of material do you tend to read most—for example, books, magazines, websites, or something else? Do you do most of your reading for pleasure, for information, or for some other purpose?
06 When I read the newspaper, I am drawn to tables of data, such as sports scores or stock prices.
What part of the newspaper do you read first? Which part is your favorite? Are there any sections in the newspaper that you never read? Which newspaper do you read most often? Why did you choose this newspaper?
07 When I read something, I notice whether it is grammatically correct.
Do you think you notice grammatical errors more often when you are reading Chinese or English? How accurate do you think your grammar is when you write in English? How about when you write in Chinese?
08 I am interested in the grammatical rules of foreign languages.
Do you have any particular impressions or feelings about English grammar? What about Chinese grammar? How much attention to pay to your grammar when you are speaking English? Have you learned any other foreign language besides English, and if so, how was its grammar different from English’s?
09 It doesn’t bother me too much if I am late meeting a friend.
Do you tend to be late more, or less, often than the people you make an appointment to meet? What do you do and how do you feel when you are made to wait for someone who is late for an appointment?
10 I tend to get emotionally involved with a friend’s problems.
Are any of your friends having problems these days that he or she has told to you about? What has your response been? When you yourself are having problems, are you likely to tell anyone? To whom are you most likely to talk about your problems? Why?
11 I can tell if someone is concealing their true emotions.
Do you think it’s usually easier to tell if a man, or a woman, is hiding what they really feel? Who is easier to “read”? Do you tend to conceal your true emotions often? What type of feelings do you most often conceal, and why?
12 If someone asked me if I liked their haircut, I would reply truthfully, even if I didn’t like it.
What do you think of the teacher’s current hairstyle? What would you tell him if he asked you what you thought? Do you have any suggestions on what kind of hairstyle might better suit him? How long have you had your current hairstyle? Where did you get your hair done? Do you have any plans to change your hairstyle in the near future? If so, what kind of hairstyle are you thinking of getting?
13 I am good at fixing things.
What things do you fix on your own? When you have trouble with a computer, do you generally try to fix it yourself? If not, whom do you usually ask for help?
14 I am not very meticulous when I carry out personal projects.
What are some personal projects that you have recently completed? What are some that you are currently working on? Are you more meticulous about tasks that you carry out for yourself, or those you carry out for others?
15 When I collect items related to a personal interest, I keep them highly organized.
What are some of the things that you collect? How do you organize them? What would you say are currently your three biggest interests? How long have you had these interests?
16 If I were to cook a dish that I had eaten before but had never made myself, I would follow the recipe as closely as possible.
How often do you cook? What dishes do you make best? Who is the best cook you know? Why do you think this person is such a good cook?
17 I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable.
When you do spot such a person, what if anything do you do to put them more at ease? Do you feel comfortable in groups of people with whom you are not very familiar?
18 I am good at predicting what someone will do.
Do you know anybody so well that you can predict accurately what he or she will do in any situation? Does anyone understand you this well? How predictable a person are you? Do you think this is a good thing?
19 I find it difficult to explain things to other people if they can’t understand it the first time.
Have you ever had the experience of saying something in English to a foreigner and not being understood? If so, what did you do? How much explaining do you have to do in your job or studies? How good at explaining complicated things do you think you are?
20 I am able to make decisions without being influenced by people’s feelings.
Do you always or almost always put your own self-interest first when making a decision? In general, are you able to make decisions easily? If not, why not? Have you ever made a bad decision that you still regret today? What do you think have probably been the most important good decision that you have made?
21 I find it difficult to learn my way around a new city.
In what cities have you lived? Which would you say is your favorite, and why? Do you think the city where you live now is an easy city to find your way around? Why or why not? What parts of the city are you most familiar with? Which are you least familiar with? When you are trying to find your way around an unfamiliar place, would you rather ask people for directions or use on a map? Why?
22 I find it difficult to understand instruction manuals.
When you need to learn how to operate a device with which you are unfamiliar, do you generally read the instruction manual, or use a hands-on trial-and-error approach? Why?
23 If I were buying a computer, I would want to know its exact technical specifications.
Do you own your own computer? In how much detail do you know its technical specifications? What machine that you own do you consider the most important? Why?
24 I rarely read about new technology.
If not new technology, in what field do you most like to keep up with what’s new? If you are interested in technology, what sort do you find most interesting—for example, computer technology or biotechnology?
The female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy. The male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems.
Do you agree with the psychologist’s theory? Why or why not? Do you think that you have a “typical” brain for someone of your gender, according to the psychologist’s theory?
Empathizing Quotient (gray)
0 to 10 Low. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 5 or 6. You are not very sensitive to the way others feel, and thus probably often hurt or anger even people whom you care deeply about—without realizing that you are doing so.
10 to 16 Average. Most women score about at the high end of this range, while most men score in the low end of this range.
16 to 19 Above average. You are quite sensitive to others’ feelings. If you are a male, you are especially likely to be considered a very kind and considerate person.
19 to 24 Very high. You are extremely sensitive to other people’s feelings, and may even make yourself suffer on account of this tendency.
Systemizing Quotient (white)
0 to 6 Low. You lack a basic interest in systemizing, and are therefore likely to dislike subjects such as mathematics and computers. In daily life, your weakness in systemizing may make you dependent on others in such areas as organizing information or solving complex problems.
6 to 12 Average. Most women score in the lower end of this range, and most men score in the upper end.
12 to 15 Above average. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score in this range. You are likely to both be interested in and skillful at tasks that require a moderate systemizing, such as organizing information and creating structured plans.
15 to 24 Very high. Three times as many people with Asperger Syndrome score in this range, compared with typical men, and almost no women score in this range. You are likely be quite gifted at the tasks described in the results for people scoring between 12 and 15—for example, computer programming.
