Adult sex differences on a decision-making task previously shown to dependon the orbital prefrontal cortex

Monkeys and children show sex differences on tasks that depend on the orbit al prefrontal cortex. To determine whether similar sex differences exist ac ross the life span, adults were tested on an orbital-dependent decision-mak ing task, the Iowa Card Task, as well as on a control task, the California Weather Task. In addition, estradiol, progesterone. and testosterone were a ssayed. The 6 groups of participants were college-age men, older men. young low-hormone (menstruating) women, young high-hormone (midluteal) women. ol der postmenopausal women on estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), and older p ostmenopausal women not on ERT. Results showed a male superiority on the Io wa Card Task. Among college-age men there was a negative correlation betwee n performance and testosterone levels. There were no significant difference s among groups of women on the card task. There were no significant sex dif ferences or hormone correlations on the California Weather Task.