Sex Differences in Everyday

Risk-Taking Behavior in Humans

By Annelise Lorenzo, Brea

Talsness, Jenna Tioseco

Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R., &

Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology,

6(1), 29-42.

Intr

oduct

ion:

• Previous studies have shown that males are

more prone to taking risks in regards to conflict,

sexual behavior, driving, accident risk taking,

drugs, financial decisions, and outdoor

activities.  • Females find risk taking more stressful.  

• Powlowski and Atwal (2008) studied the sex

differences in risk taking behavior in two

everyday examples: -Catching the bus and crossing the road.  

• Two issues were examined in this study.  

-First, they examine trade-offs between costs and benefits of

two courses of action

-Secondly, to explore the extent that risk-taking is a form of

mating display for males.  Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R.,

& Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology,

6(1), 29-42.

Meth

ods:

• The first study : bus stop

• Observations were made on the bus

• A sample : 20 mornings over a four-month

period • The arrival times of 475 females and 524

males were recorded

• The second study: busy road crossing

• Participants were selected as they

approached the crossing

• Recorded the following: sex, approximate

age (by decade), risk state of road on

approach, whether the subject crossed or

waited, risk state of the road when the

subject crossed, whether the participant

was a leader or a follower when he/she

crossed, number and sexes of all individuals

on the subject’s side of the crossing point

at the moment he/she is crossed.

• A total of 500 males and 500 females were

sampled in this way..

Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R.,

& Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology,

6(1), 29-42.

Resu

lts:

Optimizing bus waiting time

-Females were more likely to arrive in groups

than were males (42.0% vs. 28.6%

respectively). -Males arriving alone did so significantly later

than females arriving alone.

-Females arriving alone were significantly

more likely to arrive during the cautious

period, whereas males arriving alone were

more likely to arrive during the risky period (p

= 0.001). Road-crossing-Males were significantly more likely to cross

the road at higher risk states than females (p

< 0.001). -Males were less likely to wait than females,

and this difference was true at each risk state

except the lowest: no risk.

-Overall, males were also more likely to initiate

crossing the road than were females (p <

0.001) at all risk levels except very risky (p

>0.05). Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R.,

& Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology,

6(1), 29-42.

Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R.,

& Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology, 6(1

), 29-42.

Dis

cuss

ion

• Males are more likely than females to take

risks even in everyday situations

• Male risk-proneness is related to the

number of females in the immediate

vicinity • Males later arrival time suggests

• It is a form of display• Males are more reluctant to waste time

• Genetic advertising hypothesis supported:

male risk taking during road crossings was

affected by the presence of female

spectators• Females not significantly affected by the

presence of males

Pawlowski, B. B., Atwal, R.,

& Dunbar, R. M. (2008). Sex

differences in everyday risk-

taking behavior in humans.

Evolutionary Psychology, 6(1

), 29-42.

Vid

eo

http://www.youtube.co

m/watch?v=voOjIPLxnoQ