Gender Differences in Distance Estimates When Exposed to Multiple Routes

Abstract

People frequently are aware of more than one route to cross an environment. Based on prior findings that increased information about a route increases perceived route length, we tested if exposure to multiple routes alters perceptions of length. Participants (6 males and 6 females) were instructed to walk along bending pathways while observing either only the single path designated for them, or with that path and two additional nearby paths also visible. Our results confirm that for males the number of marked routes had no effect on accuracy of route length estimates, but for females estimations were significantly less accurate when more routes were present compared to when only a single route was visible. The findings support that awareness of multiple routes can change length estimates, at least for women.