A new study is proving that an old stereotype is true - men really do tend to have a better sense of direction than women. According to the research, men actually are better than women when it comes to finding their way, but it’s not because of evolution.
A team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tested the navigational skills of males and females of 21 different species, including frogs, otters, horses and humans. The people were tested using virtual reality or by navigating through a real-life city with just a map or verbal instructions. And they found that among all the species, males were slightly better at navigating than females, but why?
Researchers say it’s probably because of differences in the way they were raised, rather than a biological advantage. If that was the case, study author Justin Rhodes points out, those genes would also be passed on to female offspring, unless they were on the Y chromosome. “A really obvious alternative is culture,” he explains. “It plays a huge role in what men and women experience.”
Source: NY Post