Also known as the empathising-systemising theory, this refers to a theory of autism which states that the condition may be the result of overexposure of foetuses to testosterone from their mothers. Such overexposure to testosterone may cause the brains of people with autism to specifically adapt to analyse and construct systems while severely lacking in the ability to empathise with fellow human beings. The extreme male brain theory was proposed by British clinical psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen. It derives its name from the fact that the male brain is typically suited for systemising purposes while the female brain is built for empathising.
