This might not come as a surprise for most of us men but now we even have science backing us! A recent research study conducted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology claimed that hormonal differences between the two sexes altered the manner in which different parts of the brain are used to perform certain navigation tasks.
On an average, men completed 50% more tasks as compared to women.
18 men and 18 women were given 30 seconds for each of the 45 tasks that included orienting themselves to a given target in a virtual maze. And on an average, men had a higher rate of success in terms of efficiency of navigating through the maze.
Men follow cardinal directions, while women tend to orient themselves based on route.
One of the reasons why men fared better at the tasks was because they follow the general direction – north, south, east or west – of the given destination. Women on the other hand decide the path they would like to take, checking out other stuff along the way.
Not just humans, the same applies for animals too.
The research between the sexes was extended toward the animal kingdom as well. But it appears that evolution and adaptation are not the primary reason for this difference.
The reason: testosterone.
A second experiment with 42 women was conducted where half of them were administered a doze of testosterone and the other half with a drop of placebo. Although this didn’t increase the rate of success as the researchers hoped, it did indicate an improved sense of the layout of the maze according to the subjects.
Testosterone stimulated the hippocampus in the brain, the part that helps us use cardinal directions better.
The study was initially conducted to improve the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease’s development.
As losing a sense of direction is considered to be one of the initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s, researchers hope to have better understanding of how the disease progresses in an effort to formulate better coping strategies for those already affected. Read the complete research report here .