IF your husband loves to shop and likes a good gossip, scientists can now explain why.

It seems that nearly one in five men has a 'female' brain, meaning that enjoying a good natter and a love of fashion comes naturally.

The findings may explain why David Beckham loves his designer clothes and expensive jewellery, and why some boys prefer ballet to football, like the fictional Billy Elliott.

Researchers also found that one in seven women has a 'male' brain, which could be crucial to Carol Vorderman's mathematical skills and the rise of women such as Gabby Logan in analytical roles as sports presenters.

Lead researcher Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, of Cambridge University- the cousin of Ali G creator Sacha Baron Cohen said: 'The differences between the brains of men and women are measurable and it is fascinating to see how individuals fit and don't fit into these trends.' He said not all men had the typical ' male brain' which focused on systemising being good at map reading and making lists, for example and not all women had a 'female brain' focused on empathising, giving them a love of chat and an ability to comfort people.

The researchers asked 278 male and female participants to complete questionnaires designed to measure how much they empathise with others and to measure their ability to understand and analyse systems.

They found that women tended to score higher on the empathy test and men on the systems test, in line with what previous studies have shown about male and female brains. But 17 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women scored significantly higher on the test in which the opposite sex usually did better.

And in a third of all participants the researchers saw ' balanced brains', which displayed characteristics of both genders.

Professor Baron- Cohen also found evidence that the 'sex' of the brain had already been determined in babies just one day old.

The professor, who presented his findings at the Cambridge Science Festival last night, added: 'Our discoveries could have a lot of practical uses, for instance in school. We think male and female brains could benefit from different teaching styles.' Here are 40 questions from the survey that will help show you what sort of brain you have . . .

NOW TRY THE TESTS FOR YOURSELF SEE PAPER OR CUTTINGS FOR TEST

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Last updated: 04/08/2004 - 09:32 AM