Effect of sex and joystick experience on pursuit tracking in adults.
Using a joystick, adults (n = 39 males, 40 females in Experiment 1; n = 35 males, 40 females in Experiment 2; and n = 18 males, 18 females in Experiment 3) performed a computerized pursuit tracking task. Contrary to previously reported findings, the males were not more accurate than the females when performance was adjusted for prior perceptual-motor experience. Although no sex differences were found in a speeded tracking task, in an inverted tracking task the males exhibited a significant performance advantage; that advantage remained after several blocks of practice. Because participants' performance was adjusted statistically for prior perceptual-motor experience, the male advantage in inverted tracking was not related to experience. Rather, more proficient inverted tracking performance was associated with higher 3-dimensional mental rotations scores. In sum, sex differences in normal pursuit tracking may be better explained by differences in perceptual-motor experience. Inverted tracking, however, may depend on proficiency with spatial transformations.
Joseph
J E
JE
Georgetown Institute for Cognitive and Computational Sciences, the Research Building, Room EP04, 3970 Reservior Road NW, Washington DC, 20007-2197, USA. josephj@giccs.georgetown.edu
Willingham
D B
DB
D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*