9318643 GOLLEDGE It is well known that there are significant differences in performance levels for spatial tasks between men and women. Many scientists have argued that this difference in performance is an important factor deterring women from participating more fully in many of the sciences and engineering. However, it is unclear whether this difference in performance is the result of innate sex-related differences in spatial "competence" (i.e. physiological differences) or in gender-related influences, such as experience, training, attitude, and culture. The goal of this project is to seek a better understanding of the relative importance of gender-related and sex-related differences in spatial competence. This project is being undertaken by an interdisciplinary team that provides the breadth necessary to undertake this ambitious research. A carefully chosen sample of 80 persons will be thoroughly studied using a complementary variety of approaches including personal histories, attitude surveys, behavior surveys, psychological tests, and laboratory and field tests of spatial competence and behavior. This combination of research on social/anthropological and human geographic factors, along with standard psychometric test measurements and performance measures on specific tasks, will provide an indication of the roles that socially rooted values, expectations, and pressures play in determining the existence (or lack) of sex-related explanations of variations in spatial abilities and performance. Results of the analysis will contribute significantly to better understanding the factors behind sex and gender differences in spatial ability and to enhancement of theories related to spatial knowledge in general. As such, the findings will have major implications for a broad range of theoretical and practical issues related to gender and sex differences in spatial performance.
