©Arlene Taylor PhD

Males tend to have a long-range narrow, tunnel-vision style (e.g., built-in binoculars). They may find it easier to locate items that are further away (e.g., signs, markers, hunting quarry). They may also be less distracted by other things in the environment as they hone in on the quarry, whatever that is.

Females on the other hand tend to have a short-range, wide, peripheral-vision style. Typically they find it easier to locate specific items in cupboards, drawers, and refrigerators as their vision takes in more of the immediate environment.

Summary of Selected Vision Differences

Females

• Have more of the smaller, thinner P ganglion cells which process color and texture

• Are prewired to be more interested in faces.

• Tend to prefer colors such as red, orange, green, and beige as P cells are prewired to be most sensitive to them.

• When helping a girl with her school assignment, smile and look her in the eye

• Role-playing or writing essay on “how you feel” can be an effective exercise

Males

• Have a thicker retina containing more of the larger, thicker M cells which are “motion detectors,” so move around more than do girls.

• Are prewired to be more interested in moving objects.

• Tend to prefer colors such as black, gray, silver, and blue because M cells are prewired to be most sensitive to them.

• When helping a boy, sit or stand shoulder to shoulder and spread materials in front of you.

• Drawing a map or deconstructing passage of text analytically can be an effective exercise

NOTE: This information refers to a style of vision and not to actual visual acuity (e.g., 20/20 vision).