Does gender play a role in your vision capabilities? According to recent scientific studies, the answer is yes — women see differently than men. But not how you might think.
After a barrage of testing, it was shown that women are better at distinguishing among colors. Not to be left out, the same studies show men to excel at tracking fast-moving objects and resolving detail at a distance. It appears one truth remains — men and women still don’t see eye to eye.
Differences in Color Capabilities
Women have a larger color library than their male counterparts. A man might see the color purple, but women are more likely to see various shades like plum, eggplant, grape, orchid and lavender.
There are three dimensions that help us visualize color: hue, saturation, and brightness.
- Hue — the actual color — red, yellow, green, or blue
- Saturation — the vividness of a color’s hue
- Brightness – the way a color radiates or reflects light
Scientific results showed that women were more capable of discerning subtle differences in color visualizations.
Differences in Motion Vision
While men may be less capable in the color department, male vision shined in detecting details and movement at distance. Like women’s color vision, this strength of male vision may have roots in the brain development and history.
Why Do Women See Differently Than Men?
Why the difference in color capabilities and motion vision? The current theory is brain wiring. Science has documented other differences in sensory between the sexes, and the brain is often the catalyst for the variances. Different hormones, and hormone levels may play a role in how the brain arranges the neurons in the visual cortex of men and women. Many brain functions remain a mystery, so there might be more at play that hasn’t come to light.
Other research gives credence to the historical roles of men and women, giving the nod to women’s foraging and gathering tasks. These tasks required better close range color differentiation.
On the other hand, early human hunters were males tasked with tracking and collecting animals for food. Noticing color differences wasn’t as important as being aware of predators and prey. They needed better long range and movement vision to gain the upper hand while hunting.
Credits to www.berkeleyeye.com for this article