Does gender have a role to play in your vision capabilities? According to a recent study, the answer is yes. It is proven that women do see differently than men, but not in the way that you might think. After some testing, it was discovered that women are better at distinguishing the differences between colors. Men however are better at tracking fast-moving objects and resolving detail at a distance. This however shows one truth for residents of Paudcah, KY– men and women still don’t see each other eye to eye.
Differences in Color Vision Capabilities
Women are shown to have a larger color library compared to their male counterparts. A man may see the color purple, whereas a woman is most likely to see different shades such as plum, eggplant, grape, orchid, and even lavender.
There are three dimensions that help us visualize color: brightness, hue, and saturation.
- Brightness-the way a color reflects light or radiates
- Hue- the actual color-blue, purple, yellow, red
- Saturation- the vividness of a color’s hue
Scientific studies show that women were more capable of discerning subtle differences between colors.
Differences in Motion Vision
While men may be less capable to identify the differences in color, male vision is more equipped in detecting details and movement at a distance. Similar to the roof of women’s better color vision, this male strength may have roots in brain development and history.
Why do Women Have Different Vision Capabilities than Men?
Why is there a difference in vision capabilities when it comes to color and motion? The current theory is that brains are wired differently. Scientists have documents other differences with the senses while comparing the sexes. The brain is often the catalyst for these variances. Different hormones as well as hormone levels can play a role in how the brain arranges the neurons in the cortex for men and women. Several brain functions remain a mystery, so there may be more at play that we have yet to discover.
Other research gives credit to the historical roles that men and women had. It acknowledges that women were foragers and gathers, which could help with requiring a close-range color differentiation.
On the other hand, men were usually hunters, which improves their tracking skills. Noting color differences was not as important as being aware of their predators and prey movements. The hunters needed to be better with long-range and movement vision, allowing them to gain the upper hand while hunting.
Even though there are differences between male and female vision capabilities, both sexes still need their eyes checked out by a professional optometrist. Call us at Brush Optical today to schedule an appointment to get your vision checked out!
