Survival 2

Overview: Do males and females think differently?
Some interesting differences:
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sex differences in spatial ability
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sex differences in navigation
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sex differences in range size
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Relationships between range size and spatial ability
Explanations
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Evolutionary hypotheses: benefits to males
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Evolutionary hypotheses: costs to females
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Evidence: Voles and People
Some sex differences in cognition and behavior
(from Melissa Hines, 2003)
Caveat: even with a large sex difference. . .
There is a lots of overlap between males and females
Caveat: Nature and nurture interact
Task behavior in children amplifies sex differences
Caveat: Nature and nurture interact
Task behavior in children amplifies sex differences
This talk: Spatial abillity and navigation
Males usually better at geometric spatial tasks
1. Mental
rotation
Males usually better at geometric spatial tasks
1. Mental
rotation
2. Spatial
perception
Males usually better at geometric spatial tasks
1. Mental
rotation
2. Spatial
perception
3.
Targeting
(hitting and intercepting moving objects)
This sex difference in spatial ability
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is found cross-culturally
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is found in some other species
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is related to sex differences in range size and navigation
Women often better at remembering relative position of
objects
Stimulus Figure
Test Figure (some objects
moved)
Twe Study
What is spatial ability good for? Navigating
Men and women navigate differently:
Men attend more to geocentric cues:
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indicate absolute distance and direction
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example: “go north 4 miles”
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enables short-cuts
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probably related to skill at geometric spatial tasks
What is spatial ability good for? Navigating
Men and women navigate differently:
Men attend more to geocentric cues:
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indicate absolute distance and direction
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example: “go north 4 miles”
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enables short-cuts
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probably related to skill at geometric spatial tasks
Women may attend more to egocentric cues:
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note local landmark’s position in reference to self (“ego”)
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example: “turn left at the church”
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can use to retrace route, no shortcuts
Why a sex difference in navigation?
Men more likely to travel to distant places:
Aka foragers
Twe forager-farmers
Men who travel farther have better spatial ability
True for Canadian men also (but not Canadian women)
Overview: Do males and females think differently?
Some interesting differences:
I
sex differences in spatial ability
I
sex differences in navigation
I
sex differences in range size
I
Relationships between range size and spatial ability
Explanations
I
Evolutionary hypotheses: benefits to males
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Evolutionary hypotheses: costs to females
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Evidence: Voles and People
Some evolutionary hypotheses
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benefits to males: hunting?
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foraging ranges of men larger than of women (Hadza)
hunting mobile prey takes you off an established path
Some evolutionary hypotheses
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benefits to males: hunting?
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foraging ranges of men larger than of women (Hadza)
hunting mobile prey takes you off an established path
benefits to males: mating competition?
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same sex difference found in some polygynous rodents
humans?
Some evolutionary hypotheses
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benefits to males: hunting?
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benefits to males: mating competition?
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foraging ranges of men larger than of women (Hadza)
hunting mobile prey takes you off an established path
same sex difference found in some polygynous rodents
humans?
costs and risks to reproductive-aged females: parenting?
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energetic costs of carrying an infant
risk of travel: children suffer more from loss of mother than
father
The mating hypothesis: Voles
Monogamous vole species
Polygynous vole species
The mating hypothesis: Voles
Pine voles are monogamous, Meadow voles are polygynous
Males
Females
Meadow
Voles
Pine
voles
Sex Differences in Range size
Sex differences in Spatial ability
But human mating is different. . . Or is it?
Tsimane range size:
Twe men and mating success: also probably related
The parenting hypothesis
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Females are more “harm avoidant”
Harm avoidant people don’t travel as far
Overview: Do males and females think differently?
Some interesting differences:
I
sex differences in spatial ability
I
sex differences in navigation
I
sex differences in range size
I
Relationships between range size and spatial ability
Explanations
I
Evolutionary hypotheses: benefits to males
I
Evolutionary hypotheses: costs to females
I
Evidence: Voles and People