Abstract Many studies have addressed way-finding and direction-giving strategies regarding the differences between males and females in terms of behavior and self-report measures. To put it in a nutshell, men and women have cognitive and mental differences in the way they communicate and handle various linguistic and psychological issues. Therefore, the idea of giving directions might call the attention of scholars to explore the differences between the two genders in this respect. In this study, these differences are identified based on four aspects of giving directions proposed by Ward et.al. (1986), including Cardinal directions, relational terms, landmarks, and mileage estimates. The study was carried out with 140 adults above 15 years old in Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran. The data was gathered via questioners for literate participants and descriptive interviews for illiterate participants. The results showed that women tended to be more specific and exact in giving step-by-step directions. They had also a great inclination towards utilizing relational terms. Men, on the other hand, were more bound to pointing to directions by referring to exact mileage and using cardinal directions more often. In addition, the analysis found 103 references to landmarks, of which 59 were made by men and the rest by women. This study can help to develop a clearer picture of the gender differences with implications for educators as well as policymakers. Keywords: Gender differences, Way finding, Spatial skills, Navigation, Giving directions
