Quantitative and qualitative sex differences in spatial navigation

  1. MARTIN LÖVDÉN1,2,
  2. AGNETA HERLITZ1,3,
  3. MICHAEL SCHELLENBACH1,4,
  4. BARBARA GROSSMAN-HUTTER4,
  5. ANTONIO KRÜGER4,
  6. ULMAN LINDENBERGER1,2

Article first published online: 15 SEP 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2007.00582.x

Issue

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

Volume 48, Issue 5, pages 353–358, October 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

LÖVDÉN, M., HERLITZ, A., SCHELLENBACH, M., GROSSMAN-HUTTER, B., KRÜGER, A. and LINDENBERGER, U. (2007), Quantitative and qualitative sex differences in spatial navigation. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48: 353–358. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2007.00582.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany

  2. 2

    School of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany

  3. 3

    Aging Research Center, Neurotec, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

  4. 4

    Department of Computer Science, Saarland University, Germany

*Martin Lövdén, Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzealleé 94, D-14195 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: loevden@mpib-berlin.mpg.de

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 15 SEP 2007
  2. Article first published online: 15 SEP 2007
  3. Received 11 October 2006, accepted 20 December 2006

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Keywords:

  • Spatial navigation;
  • sex differences;
  • cognitive strategy;
  • way-finding;
  • spatial memory

We examined sex differences in spatial navigation performance using an ecologically relevant experimental paradigm in which virtual maze-like museums are projected in front of a treadmill. Thirty-two 20–30-year-old adults (16 women/16 men) performed a way-finding task in city-block (straight corridors) or variable (irregular corridors) topographies while walking on the treadmill. Sex differences in spatial navigation performance were reduced in variable topographies, suggesting less reliance on spatial relational learning among women. Also, spatial geometric knowledge of the mazes continued to be higher in men after all participants had attained perfect place-finding performance. Results indicate that sex differences in spatial navigation performance are modulated by interactions between environmental demands and sex differences in spatial processing.

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