TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex, Drugs, and Reckless Driving
T2 - Are Measures Biased Toward Identifying Risk-Taking in Men?
AU - Morgenroth, Thekla
AU - Fine, Cordelia
AU - Ryan, Michelle K.
AU - Genat, Anna E.
PY - 2018/8
Y1 - 2018/8
N2 - We investigated whether risk-taking measures inadvertently focus on behaviors that are more normative for men, resulting in the overestimation of gender differences. Using a popular measure of risk-taking (Domain-Specific Risk-Taking) in Study 1 (N = 99), we found that conventionally used behaviors were more normative for men, while, overall, newly developed behaviors were not. In Studies 2 (N = 114) and 3 (N = 124), we demonstrate that differences in normativity are reflected in gender differences in self-reported risk-taking, which are dependent on the specific items used. Study 3 further demonstrates that conventional, masculine risk behaviors are perceived as more risky than newly generated, more feminine items, even when risks are matched. We conclude that there is confirmation bias in risk-taking measurement.
AB - We investigated whether risk-taking measures inadvertently focus on behaviors that are more normative for men, resulting in the overestimation of gender differences. Using a popular measure of risk-taking (Domain-Specific Risk-Taking) in Study 1 (N = 99), we found that conventionally used behaviors were more normative for men, while, overall, newly developed behaviors were not. In Studies 2 (N = 114) and 3 (N = 124), we demonstrate that differences in normativity are reflected in gender differences in self-reported risk-taking, which are dependent on the specific items used. Study 3 further demonstrates that conventional, masculine risk behaviors are perceived as more risky than newly generated, more feminine items, even when risks are matched. We conclude that there is confirmation bias in risk-taking measurement.
KW - Gender differences
KW - Gender norms
KW - Risk aversion
KW - Risk-taking
KW - Sex differences
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=anu_research_portal_plus2&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:000444561200012&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
U2 - 10.1177/1948550617722833
DO - 10.1177/1948550617722833
M3 - Article
SN - 1948-5506
VL - 9
SP - 744
EP - 753
JO - Social Psychological and Personality Science
JF - Social Psychological and Personality Science
IS - 6
ER -