IBSS: Age Changes and Gender Differences in Spatial Abilities: Testing the Role of Mobility in Three Non-Industrial Societies and in the U.S.

IBSS：空间能力的年龄变化和性别差异：测试流动性在三个非工业社会和美国的作用

• 批准号: 1329091
• 负责人: Elizabeth Cashdan
• 金额: $ 99.99万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2019-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1329091&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IBSS; Age; Changes; Gender; Differences

This interdisciplinary research project will focus on determining how spatial ability is affected by navigational experience and how spatial abilities differ by gender and change with age. Previous research has observed that males generally have larger geographic ranges than females across a wide range of cultures, and males generally have done significantly better at some spatial tests. Because large ranges pose navigational and spatial challenges, many theorists have speculated that gender-related differences in mobility may underlie gender-related differences in spatial performance. This project will test three hypotheses that may explain the root causes of gender-related differences in mobility patterns and evaluate how natural mobility, navigational style, and spatial ability are related. Because there are large cultural differences in age and gender-related patterns of mobility, this project will include participants in communities in Tanzania, Namibia, and Ecuador that subsist on foraging and small-scale farming, and it also will include participants in the United States, where lifestyles are considerably different. The researchers will assess mobility through the use of interviews and by tracking subjects using GPS devices. They will assess navigational and spatial ability through the use of cognitive tests adapted to make them broadly applicable across cultures. The navigational data will based on both real-world and virtual world tasks and will include both field and laboratory-based components.This project will enhance basic understanding of the factors that shape spatial performance as well as how it differs by gender and across cultures. The project will test a number of hypotheses that have been posited in hopes of relating spatial ability to different kinds of experience. Because spatial skills are related to higher levels of performance in mathematics and science, and women and minorities are underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology-related fields, greater knowledge about the factors that enhance spatial thinking has the potential to make scientific and technical education and related employment opportunities more broadly accessible. The project will develop and disseminate assessment tools that can be used with people of all ages and different cultures, including non-literate populations, which should help improve spatial capabilities for people in many different environments. This project is supported through the NSF Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (IBSS) competition.

这个跨学科的研究项目将侧重于确定空间能力如何受到导航经验的影响，以及空间能力如何因性别而异，并随年龄而变化。 先前的研究已经观察到，在各种文化中，男性的地理范围通常比女性更大，并且男性通常在一些空间测试中表现得更好。 由于大范围的导航和空间的挑战，许多理论家推测，与性别有关的差异，在流动性可能是基础与性别有关的差异，在空间性能。 该项目将测试三个假设，这些假设可以解释与性别有关的流动模式差异的根本原因，并评估自然流动性，导航风格和空间能力之间的关系。 由于在年龄和性别相关的流动模式方面存在很大的文化差异，该项目将包括坦桑尼亚、纳米比亚和厄瓜多尔以觅食和小规模农业为生的社区的参与者，也将包括生活方式大不相同的美国的参与者。 研究人员将通过访谈和使用GPS设备跟踪受试者来评估流动性。 他们将通过使用认知测试来评估导航和空间能力，这些测试适用于各种文化。 导航数据将基于现实世界和虚拟世界的任务，并将包括现场和实验室为基础的组件。该项目将加强对塑造空间性能的因素以及它如何因性别和文化而异的基本理解。 该项目将测试一些假设，这些假设是为了将空间能力与不同类型的经验联系起来。 由于空间技能与更高水平的数学和科学成绩有关，而妇女和少数民族在科学、数学、工程和技术相关领域的代表性不足，因此，更多地了解增强空间思维的因素有可能使科学和技术教育以及相关的就业机会更广泛地获得。 该项目将开发和传播可用于所有年龄和不同文化的人，包括不识字人口的评估工具，这将有助于提高许多不同环境中的人的空间能力。 该项目通过NSF跨学科行为和社会科学研究（IBSS）竞赛获得支持。