Global Determinants of Navigation Ability

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: Current Biology

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-2866.e4

ISSN: 0960-9822

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.009

Abstract:

Human spatial ability is modulated by a number of factors, including age [1–3] and gender [4, 5]. Although a few studies showed that culture influences cognitive strategies [6–13], the interaction between these factors has never been globally assessed as this requires testing millions of people of all ages across many different countries in the world. Since countries vary in their geographical and cultural properties, we predicted that these variations give rise to an organized spatial distribution of cognition at a planetary-wide scale. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mobile-app-based cognitive task, measuring non-verbal spatial navigation ability in more than 2.5 million people and sampling populations in every nation state. We focused on spatial navigation due to its universal requirement across cultures. Using a clustering approach, we find that navigation ability is clustered into five distinct, yet geographically related, groups of countries. Specifically, the economic wealth of a nation was predictive of the average navigation ability of its inhabitants, and gender inequality was predictive of the size of performance difference between males and females. Thus, cognitive abilities, at least for spatial navigation, are clustered according to economic wealth and gender inequalities globally, which has significant implications for cross-cultural studies and multi-center clinical trials using cognitive testing. Coutrot et al. used a mobile app to test the spatial ability of more than 2.5 million people around the world. Spatial ability declines across the adult lifespan and at the population level is strongly correlated with a country's economic wealth, with gender differences being reflective of the gender inequality in a country.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: Scopus

Global Determinants of Navigation Ability.

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: Curr Biol

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-2866.e4

eISSN: 1879-0445

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.009

Abstract:

Human spatial ability is modulated by a number of factors, including age [1-3] and gender [4, 5]. Although a few studies showed that culture influences cognitive strategies [6-13], the interaction between these factors has never been globally assessed as this requires testing millions of people of all ages across many different countries in the world. Since countries vary in their geographical and cultural properties, we predicted that these variations give rise to an organized spatial distribution of cognition at a planetary-wide scale. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mobile-app-based cognitive task, measuring non-verbal spatial navigation ability in more than 2.5 million people and sampling populations in every nation state. We focused on spatial navigation due to its universal requirement across cultures. Using a clustering approach, we find that navigation ability is clustered into five distinct, yet geographically related, groups of countries. Specifically, the economic wealth of a nation was predictive of the average navigation ability of its inhabitants, and gender inequality was predictive of the size of performance difference between males and females. Thus, cognitive abilities, at least for spatial navigation, are clustered according to economic wealth and gender inequalities globally, which has significant implications for cross-cultural studies and multi-center clinical trials using cognitive testing.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: PubMed

Global Determinants of Navigation Ability

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: CURRENT BIOLOGY

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-+

eISSN: 1879-0445

ISSN: 0960-9822

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.009

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Global Determinants of Navigation Ability

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: Current Biology

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-2866.e4

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.009

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: Manual

Global Determinants of Navigation Ability.

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: Current biology : CB

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-2866.e4

eISSN: 1879-0445

ISSN: 0960-9822

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.009

Abstract:

Human spatial ability is modulated by a number of factors, including age [1-3] and gender [4, 5]. Although a few studies showed that culture influences cognitive strategies [6-13], the interaction between these factors has never been globally assessed as this requires testing millions of people of all ages across many different countries in the world. Since countries vary in their geographical and cultural properties, we predicted that these variations give rise to an organized spatial distribution of cognition at a planetary-wide scale. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mobile-app-based cognitive task, measuring non-verbal spatial navigation ability in more than 2.5 million people and sampling populations in every nation state. We focused on spatial navigation due to its universal requirement across cultures. Using a clustering approach, we find that navigation ability is clustered into five distinct, yet geographically related, groups of countries. Specifically, the economic wealth of a nation was predictive of the average navigation ability of its inhabitants, and gender inequality was predictive of the size of performance difference between males and females. Thus, cognitive abilities, at least for spatial navigation, are clustered according to economic wealth and gender inequalities globally, which has significant implications for cross-cultural studies and multi-center clinical trials using cognitive testing.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: Europe PubMed Central

Global Determinants of Navigation Ability.

Authors: Coutrot, A., Wiener, J.M. et al.

Journal: Current Biology

Volume: 28

Issue: 17

Pages: 2861-2866

ISSN: 0960-9822

Abstract:

Human spatial ability is modulated by a number of factors, including age [1-3] and gender [4, 5]. Although a few studies showed that culture influences cognitive strategies [6-13], the interaction between these factors has never been globally assessed as this requires testing millions of people of all ages across many different countries in the world. Since countries vary in their geographical and cultural properties, we predicted that these variations give rise to an organized spatial distribution of cognition at a planetary-wide scale. To test this hypothesis, we developed a mobile-app-based cognitive task, measuring non-verbal spatial navigation ability in more than 2.5 million people and sampling populations in every nation state. We focused on spatial navigation due to its universal requirement across cultures. Using a clustering approach, we find that navigation ability is clustered into five distinct, yet geographically related, groups of countries. Specifically, the economic wealth of a nation was predictive of the average navigation ability of its inhabitants, and gender inequality was predictive of the size of performance difference between males and females. Thus, cognitive abilities, at least for spatial navigation, are clustered according to economic wealth and gender inequalities globally, which has significant implications for cross-cultural studies and multi-center clinical trials using cognitive testing.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31134/

Source: BURO EPrints