We analyzed cognitive maps of the world of 82 students of three university courses, to verify possible differences between men and women in regard to knowledge of countries and preference. The mental representations of the world were externalized by means of sketch maps drawn by the students or printed maps with the contour of continents filled by the students with names and location of the countries. Just a few countries were well known by the students, particularly in North and South America (average of 28.8 countries, out of a possible total of 192). Among the 25 countries with the highest means, 24 had higher means for the men, in some cases with statistically significant differences. In relation to the spatial location of the countries on the map, out of the 92 countries known in common, 76 (83%) were better positioned by men. Among the 40 countries most mentioned in regard to preference, 22 were equivalent in preference for both groups, 14 were seen more positively by men and only 4 by the women, even though none of these differences reached statistical significance.
gender; cognitive maps; world; knowledge of countries; preference
