Men and Women Exhibit a Differential Bias for Processing Movement versus Objects

Abstract

Sex differences in many spatial and verbal tasks appear to reflect an inherent low-level processing bias for movement in males and objects in females. We explored this potential movement/object bias in men and women using a computer task that measured targeting performance and/or color recognition. The targeting task showed a ball moving vertically towards a horizontal line. Before reaching the line, the ball disappeared behind a masking screen, requiring the participant to imagine the movement vector and identify the intersection point. For the color recognition task, the ball briefly changed color before disappearing beneath the mask and participants were required only to identify the color shade. Results showed that targeting accuracy for slow and fast moving balls was significantly better in males compared to females. No sex difference was observed for color shade recognition. We also studied a third, dual attention task comprised of the first two, where the moving ball briefly changed color randomly just before passing beneath the masking screen. When the ball changed color, participants were required only to identify the color shade. If the ball didn't change color, participants estimated the intersection point. Participants in this dual attention condition were first tested with the targeting and color tasks alone and showed results that were similar to the previous groups tested on a single task. However, under the dual attention condition, male accuracy in targeting, as well as color shade recognition, declined significantly compared to their performance when the tasks were tested alone. No significant changes were found in female performance. Finally, reaction times for targeting and color choices in both sexes correlated highly with ball speed, but not accuracy. Overall, these results provide evidence of a sex-related bias in processing objects versus movement, which may reflect sex differences in bottom up versus top-down analytical strategies.

The independence of deficits in position sense and visually guided reaching following stroke

“…Subjects with stroke were flagged for impairments on robotic parameters when their performance fell outside a parameter’s normative reference range, defined as the 95% confidence boundaries of control performance taking age [50-53], sex [54-56], and test-arm (dominant/non-dominant) [57-62] into consideration. Our primary analysis was concerned with the performance of the most affected arm in subjects with stroke.…”

Gender differences of basketball players aged 12-13 years according to the response to a moving object

“…Gender differences of female basketball players aged 12-13 years consists in the wider field of vision [36]. Our study shows, that male basketball players advantages of female basketball players are stipulated by their extensive basketball playing experience (4-5 years vs 1,5-2 years), which greatly affects the field of vision [39].…”

“…Studies concerning the adults showed higher rates of male process information ability to visual stimuli [8]. But during the objects recognition under the condition of barrier perception the response accuracy demonstrated by females was higher [39]. The visual input laterality, as a separate component of the psychological organization of a person [34], determines the peculiarities of the bioelectric activity transformation of the cerebral cortex under the influence of the sport activity [31].…”

“…Our studies showed the male response accuracy prevalence over female in terms of deviation from the mark during monocular perception: perception of objects moving from the left zone with the left eye and perception of objects moving from the right zone with the right. We believe that this phenomenon can be explained by the cognitive differences in the analysis of the perception of females and males [39]. Solving complex spatial problems, males receive data through the sensor input.…”

“…Solving complex spatial problems, males receive data through the sensor input. Female perception depends on the previous knowledge used to interpret the data [39], so they show their cognitive function better [8]. However, the time characteristics of sensomotor response accuracy of males are higher [8].…”