How do people give and get directions?

This exact thing happened to me the other day.

I wonder if it is best to just stay away from University campuses.

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At the risk of... Well, to hell with the risk.

I remember several years ago hearing about some basic studies done with regards to how people give directions. There was an interesting difference between how the majority of women gave directions compared to how the majority of men gave directions. The main difference had to do with using landmarks compared to using distance/cardinal directions. The majority of women were more likely to use landmarks in their directions, and more able to follow directions given that way. For the men, it was the same with the distance/cardinal directions route. Why the difference? Was it simply cultural? I have no idea, but I do keep it in mind when I give directions to someone. If the person starts "zoning out" when I use one method, I start over with the other method.