In Search of the Loci for Sex Differences in Throwing

Abstract

Contemporary accounts of sex differences in perceptual-motor performance differ in their emphasis on nature and nurture. Study 1 examined the effect of extensive training on one of the largest sex differences, namely accuracy in dart throwing, and found that physical differences in height and reach could not explain sex differences in regional/national level dart players. Study 2 rejected accounts of sex differences based on participation rates by showing that male players recruited from a relatively small pool of club players were superior to the best female players selected from a much larger pool at the international level. Alternative accounts of the source of sex differences in darts, based on male and female players' differential development and practice histories, are discussed.

Key words:

• expert performance
• development
• expertise
• perceptual-motor skill

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Linda J. Duffy

We want to thank Neil Charness and Roy Roring for very helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Please address all correspondence concerning this article to Linda Duffy, Psychology Academic Group, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, Enfield, UK EN3 4SF