Gender Differences in Walking Preferences

1. Gender Differences in Walking Preferences Jenny Braun, Sarah J. Hickman, Jeremy Owens Hanover College 2005

2. Introduction • Women’s bathroom • Groups of women walking to class • Do women travel in groups more often than men travel in groups?

3. Research • People in Groups • People need interactions with others to feel a sense of belonging (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) • When in a group people feel less anxious and self-aware (Carron, Estabrooks, Prapavessis, & Hausenblas, 1999)

4. Research (cont.) • Gender Differences in Groups • Women prefer closer proximity to each other than men (Barnard & Bell, 1984) • Females value communication with emotional support (Burelson, 2003 ) • Males value communication that maintains independence (Burelson, 2003 )

5. Hypothesis • Women are more likely to walk in groups than men are

6. Methods • Subjects were observed while they were walking to and from class • On a small, Midwestern college campus • Observer recorded the gender of every person and whether or not the person was traveling alone or in a group

7. 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

8. Percent Walking in Group Chi Square(1) = 3.60, p = .058

9. Same Gender Walking in Group Chi Square(1) = 4.08, p = .043

10. Discussion • Safety Concerns • Women may feel uncomfortable walking alone • Women alone are at greater risk than men for robbery and sexual assault • Men may feel more comfortable walking alone

11. Discussion • Gender Roles • Male: agentic • Female: communal • Williams & Best, 198

12. Future Research • Gather research via video camera • Gather more varied results • Observe in different locations • Urban vs. Rural • College-aged vs. Different Age Groups

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