Some Japanese data also indicate that there is no gender difference in dissociative tendencies among non-clinical population. Masuda et al (2005) examined this issue using several scales such as Normal Dissociation Scale, Normal Splitting-projection Scale, Normal depersonalization/derealisation Scale, and Dissociative Experiences Scale which consisted of Normal Dissociative Index (NDl) and DES-T. Reportedly none of them indicated any significant gender difference.
Despite these data, pathological manifestations of dissociation, typically in the form of DID are seen predominantly among female population. It is my speculation that in male patients, mechanism other than dissociation might come into play, which cancels out some of the dissociative influence and gives a balance to the mind. That is the tendency of externalization. Men are more inclined than women to express their thoughts and feelings to others. Compared to men, women tend to inhibit their self-expression and their dissociative pathology gets enhanced.
Could dissociative pathology be the sign of “extreme femaleness = interpersonal sensitiveness?
I would like to propose a hypothesis, that is that the interpersonal sensitiveness and ability to grasp other people’s mind, considered to be typical of female mind, might explain this exaggerated distribution of DID among female population. There are two theories supporting my view. One is that of Norman Geschwind (1985).
Geschwind was studying the laterality of cerebral hemisphere and proposed a theory which connects male sex hormone and autism (“The fetal testosterone theory”). According to him, when a fetus is exposed to male sex hormone in the perinatal period, man’s brain gains some laterality. It might sometime get manifested in an exaggerated way with delayed verbal functioning and other autistic features. This theory gives some basis for the phenomenon that autism is predominantly seen among male.
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