Prenatal Hormonal Contributions to Sex Differences in Human Cognitive and Personality Development

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of behavioral sexual differentiation in humans and presents data from our laboratory and other laboratories that highlight the importance of early (prenatal and/or postnatal) hormonal stimulation by androgenic substances in this process. Data derived from the study of individuals who were exposed to atypical levels of endogenous hormones or to exogenous compounds with an androgenic potential are presented to provide insight into the normal process underlying the emergence of sex differences (see also Reinisch, Ziemba-Davis, & Sanders, 1991).