News Psychology

Men’s spatial superiority takes cultural cues

Disputed study puts social forces at root of sex disparity

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Culture may hold a spatial place in thought. Social forces profoundly influence people’s ability to think about three-dimensional objects, a new study suggests.

CULTURAL EQUALITY In a new study, Khasi villagers in Northeast India displayed no sex differences in spatial ability. Researchers suspect that Khasi culture, which is organized around females, largely erased men’s spatial superiority observed in many other societies.