Table 3 Thematic rationales given in papers sampled that had studies that included one sex in study design.

From: An analysis of neuroscience and psychiatry papers published from 2009 and 2019 outlines opportunities for increasing discovery of sex differences

Reason

Proportion

To reduce confounds/variability/hormones

50.98% (n = 26)

Behaviour (i.e., aggression/fighting)

15.69 % (n = 8)

To avoid sex differences

11.76% (n = 6)

Disease prevalence

11.76% (n = 6)

Lack of previously observed sex difference

5.88% (n = 3)

Insufficient offspring

3.92% (n = 2)

  1. Half (50.98%) of the sampled papers using studies that used a single sex claimed the reason was to reduce confounds or variability mainly due to fluctuating hormones. n = number of papers.
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