This could mean that women are better than males in avoiding the worst-case scenario in spatial orientation, as women act more cautiously due to the way they interpret the sensory input, while men tend to take risks. An example, says Tremblay, is piloting a plane in a situation where visual cues have been lost. "Because women tend to judge their horizontal a few degrees below what it actually is, they tend to pull up to compensate, thus directing the plane away from the ground."

Tremblay says his finding has good potential for practical applications such as designing gender-specific training for extreme situations such as piloting and space flight. "It's important to identify how men and women differ with respect to complex perceptual-motor behaviour in order to design recreational, rehabilitation and work environments that ensure safety and top performance."

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Contact: Luc Tremblay
luc.tremblay@utoronto.ca
416-946-0200
University of Toronto
4-Aug-2004