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Cited by 3,723Decision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsGender Roles and Identity StudiesPersonality Traits and Psychology

Gender differences in risk taking: a meta-analysis

Byrnes, James P., Miller, David C., Schafer, William D.·1999·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.125.3.367
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Abstract

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of 150 studies in which the risk-taking tendencies of male and female participants were compared. Studies were coded with respect to type of task (e.g., self-reported behaviors vs. observed behaviors), task content (e.g., smoking vs. sex), and 5 age levels. Results showed that the average effects for 14 out of 16 types of risk taking were significantly larger than 0 (indicating greater risk taking in male participants) and that nearly half of the effects were greater than .20. However, certain topics (e.g., intellectual risk taking and physical skills) produced larger gender differences than others (e.g., smoking). In addition, the authors found that (a) there were significant shifts in the size of the gender gap between successive age levels, and (b) the gender gap seems to be growing smaller over time. The discussion focuses on the meaning of the results for theories of risk taking and the need for additional studies to clarify age trends.

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Crossref · 10.1037/0033-2909.125.3.367

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172 of 172 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Male teenagers have a greater risk-taking tendency, which is attributed to more than two times fatal crash rates than their counterparts.

    “Later, several studies pointed out the greater risk-taking tendency of male teenagers [43,44] , which is attributed to more than two times fatal crash rates than their counterparts [45] .”

    From Understanding the potential key risk factors associated with teen driver crashes in the United States: A literature review (2023) · cites this paper as [43]

  • Women are typically found to be more risk-averse than men.

    “Another relevant difference is that women are typically found to be more risk-averse than men (for reviews of the literature, see Byrnes et al., 1999; Croson & Gneezy, 2009; Eckel & Grossman, 2008).”

    From Talking the talk, not walking the walk: The coevolution of overconfidence and loss aversion (2026) · cites this paper as Byrnes et al., 1999

  • Sexual competition takes different forms in males and females, with males engaging in more physical aggression and substantially higher risk-taking.

    “In addition, sexual competition takes different forms in males and females, with males engaging in more physical aggression and substantially higher levels of risk-taking behavior (e.g., Archer, 2009; Byrnes et al., 1999; Kruger and Nesse, 2006; Wilson et al., 2002).”

    From The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity (2011) · cites this paper as Byrnes et al., 1999

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Related

Authors
Byrnes, J. P., Miller, D. C., & Schafer, W. D.
Affiliations
University of Maryland, College Park (US)
ORCID
Byrnes, James P.
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
1999-05
Volume
125
Issue
3
Pages
367-383
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/0033-2909.125.3.367
OpenAlex
W2026217192
Cited by
3,723
References
173
Citations by year
2026: 137 · 2025: 210 · 2024: 227 · 2023: 231 · 2022: 215 · 2021: 287 · 2020: 275 · 2019: 261 · 2018: 216 · 2017: 202 · 2016: 194 · 2015: 169 · 2014: 192 · 2013: 151 · 2012: 126
FWCI
6.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Keywords
gender differences, risk-taking, sex differences, age trends, intellectual risk-taking, physical skills, smoking, self-reported behavior, observed behavior

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