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Gender and Perceptions of Danger

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Abstract

This study examined how gender affects evaluations of potentially dangerous situations, perceptions of risk, and advice given to a potential victim. Responses of 660 university students (68% female; 52% Anglo, 34% Hispanic) to a multipart questionnaire indicated that gender of the respondent, the potential aggressor, and the potential victim can all influence evaluations of danger, willingness to use a gun, beliefs about risk, and advice concerning how to behave in a dangerous situation. As hypothesized, responses reflected stereotypes of greater male aggressiveness, greater female fearfulness, and greater perceived danger for women than for men. Also as predicted, respondents perceived greater danger to others than to themselves and from strangers rather than from intimates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of New Mexico, USA

    Mary B. Harris & Kari C. Miller

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  1. Mary B. Harris
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  2. Kari C. Miller
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Harris, M.B., Miller, K.C. Gender and Perceptions of Danger. Sex Roles 43, 843–863 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011036905770

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