Comparative Assessment of the Hierarchy of Mental Image of Men and Women towards Urban Spaces in District 8 of Tabriz

The purpose of this research is to examine the mental image of men and women. The present study was a descriptive-analytical one. The data collection tool was a questionnaire with a sample size derived from the Cochran formula and sketch maps. In analyzing the data obtained, comparative and descriptive tests and content analysis were used. The results showed that there was a significant difference between men and women in terms of the mental image of urban spaces, and the mean value of the ranking showed that the mental image was stronger in men than that in women. Also, the mental image of men was more general than that of women, and women were more likely to shape their mental image in details. Men in their mental image presented themselves at all levels of the mental image hierarchy, called places with different points of gravity and with emphasis on paths. In contrast, women pointed out less to the names of the places while they focused more in their mental image on the most detailed maps, social and spatial interactions focusing on their habitat as a point of gravity, and their main emphasis was on landmarks.