I can see clearly now
Krause et al. (1982) surveyed vision correction in 14 year olds in Finland. They found that girls were more likely than boys to have corrective lenses, but that when boys did need correction, their cases of myopia or hyperopia were more pronounced. This suggests that the boys (or perhaps their parents) had a higher threshold for correction-seeking than the girls, which is in line with what we already know about the medical habits of males (see "Playing Doctor", Aug 31). Taylor et al (1997) found higher rates of vision correction in adult women as well. However, Kleinstein's 1984 review calls the vision difference between males and females "small and not well-documented."
In his argument for a return to traditional sex roles, Taking Sex Differences Seriously, Steven E. Rhodes claims that women have better night vision than men, ostensibly to better care for "teary infants in the moonless grass," whereas men have better day vision for hunting (according to a 2004 review by Carlson of the "Family Research Council"). The "Search Your Love" dating advice suggests that women have better peripheral vision than men to help them "to see what’s happening around the house, to spot an approaching danger, to notice changes in the children’s behavior and appearance". However, I was unable to find any backup for either of these assertions.
I remember desperately wanting glasses in elementary school. In 2nd or 3rd grade, the other kids started to get glasses, and while I remember it was the kids that I wanted to be like who were getting them, the only specific kid I can remember is a boy named Patrick, who had gold aviator frames. I can't remember ever thinking that glasses were uncool or a sign of infirmity, but later I remember thinking that being allowed to wear contacts was a major rite of passage into adulthood. I wore contacts for most of my adolescent and young adult life, but switched back to glasses when I transitioned because having masculine frames helped me "pass" better.
In his argument for a return to traditional sex roles, Taking Sex Differences Seriously, Steven E. Rhodes claims that women have better night vision than men, ostensibly to better care for "teary infants in the moonless grass," whereas men have better day vision for hunting (according to a 2004 review by Carlson of the "Family Research Council"). The "Search Your Love" dating advice suggests that women have better peripheral vision than men to help them "to see what’s happening around the house, to spot an approaching danger, to notice changes in the children’s behavior and appearance". However, I was unable to find any backup for either of these assertions.
I remember desperately wanting glasses in elementary school. In 2nd or 3rd grade, the other kids started to get glasses, and while I remember it was the kids that I wanted to be like who were getting them, the only specific kid I can remember is a boy named Patrick, who had gold aviator frames. I can't remember ever thinking that glasses were uncool or a sign of infirmity, but later I remember thinking that being allowed to wear contacts was a major rite of passage into adulthood. I wore contacts for most of my adolescent and young adult life, but switched back to glasses when I transitioned because having masculine frames helped me "pass" better.