more masculine. In other words, even within a single person, classifying a brain as “masculine” or “feminine” evokes a binary understanding that does not reflect the actual complexity of gender-associated characteristics, behaviors and categorizations.
A tapestry of components
Ultimately, the study suggested that addiction is best understood as an outcome that is determined by a variety of interacting factors. No single dispositive element can determine whether or not someone will become addicted. Even when a person is categorized as female or male, their susceptibility to addiction must be determined by how this single variable interacts with a variety of other variables, including myriad social, economic and biological factors.
The study also stated that even singular factors, such as sex, must be understood to be more complex than a simple binary. With more research – especially research involving diverse samples of people – a better understanding of the intricate tapestry of variables that determine whether or not an individual will be susceptible to addiction may be achieved.
