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Gender Differences in

Walking PreferencesJenny Braun, Sarah J. Hickman,

Jeremy Owens

Hanover College2005



Introduction

Women’s bathroom

Groups of women walking to class

Do women travel in groups more oftenthan men travel in groups?



Research

People in Groups

– People need interactions with others to feel asense of belonging (Baumeister & Leary, 1995)

– When in a group people feel less anxious andself-aware (Carron, Estabrooks, Prapavessis, & Hausenblas,

1999)



Research (cont.)

Gender Differences in Groups

– Women prefer closer proximity to each otherthan men (Barnard & Bell, 1984)

– Females value communication with emotionalsupport (Burelson, 2003 )

– Males value communication that maintains

independence (Burelson, 2003 )



Hypothesis

Women are morelikely to walk ingroups than men are



Methods

Subjects were observed while they werewalking to and from class

– On a small, Midwestern college campus

Observer recorded the gender of everyperson and whether or not the person wastraveling alone or in a group



Results

961 observations were collected

60% of the total observations were female

36% of females walked in a group

30% of males walked in a group



Percent Walking in Group

30%

36%

26%

27%28%

29%

30%

31%

32%33%

34%

35%

36%

37%

Male Female

Chi Square(1) = 3.60, p = .058



Same Gender Walking in Group

11%

16%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Male Female

Chi Square(1) = 4.08, p = .043



Discussion

Safety Concerns

–Women may feel uncomfortable walking alone

– Women alone are at greater risk than men forrobbery and sexual assault

– Men may feel more comfortable walking alone



Discussion

Gender Roles

– Male: agentic

– Female: communal Williams & Best, 198



Future Research

Gather research via video camera

Gather more varied results – Observe in different locations

– Urban vs. Rural

–College-aged vs. Different Age Groups



References

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire forinterpersonal attachment as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin , 117 , 497-529.

Berdahl, J. L. & Anderson, Cameron. (2005). Men, women, and leadershipcentralization in groups over time. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice , 9 (1), 45-57.

Burleson, B. R. (2003). The experience and effects of emotional support: What theStudy of cultural and gender differences can tell us about close relationships,emotion and interpersonal communication. Personal Relationships , 10 (1), 1-23.

Carron, A. V., Estabrooks, P. A., Prapavessis, H., & Hausenblas, H.A. (1999).Reductions in the social anxiety of women associated with group membership:Distraction, anonymity, security, or diffusion of evaluation? Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice , 3 (2), 152-160.

Hjorthol, R. (2001). Gendered aspects of time related to everyday journeys. Acta Sociologica , 44 (1), 37-49.Leary, M. R., Nezlek, J. B., Downs, D., Radford-Davenport, J., Martin J., &

McMullen, A. (1994). Self-presentation in everyday interactions: Effects of targetfamiliarity and gender composition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ,67 (4), 664-673.



References (cont.)

O'Neil, J. M., Helms, B. J., Gable, R. K., David, L., & Wrightsman, L. S.(1986). Gender-role conflict scale: College men's fear of feminity .Connecticut: Plentum Publishing Corporation.

Rudman, L. A., Goodwin, S. A. (2004). Gender differences in automaticin-group bias: Why do women like women more than men likemen? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 87 (4), 494-509.

Sriram, N. (2002). The role of gender, ethnicity, and age in intergroupbehavior in a naturalistic setting. Applied Psychology: An International Review , 51 (2), 251-265.

Timmers, M., Fischer, A. H., & M. A. S.R. (2003). Ability versus vulnerability: Beliefs about men's and women's emotional behaviour .The Netherlands: Psychology Press Ltd.

Williams, J. E., & Best, D. L. (1990). Sex and psyche: Gender and self viewed cross-culturally . Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.

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