GamePolitics.com is providing a story on how University of Toronto researchers are making a breakthrough in understanding how spatial skills in men and women differ and how they can be reconciled. “Action-oriented games” can apparently bridge the gender gap in such tasks as deciphering maps and understanding geometry.

Lead study author Jing Feng says:

Our second experiment showed that both men and women can improve their spatial skills by playing a video game and that the women catch up to the men… Moreover, the improved performance of both sexes was maintained when we assessed them again after five months.

GamePolitics’ piece is concise but offers swell insight into some landmark work being done.

Humorously, Joystiq’s coverage of the article includes “driving a car” among the spatial skills subset. While likely technically correct, don’t go telling your girlfriends they need to pick up a controller before you get in the car with them again, guys.