U.S. Masters Track Participation Reveals a Stable Sex Difference in Competitiveness:

Evolutionary Psychology

Robert O. Deaner¹ 

关键词: athletics;    social roles;    evolutionary psychology;    distance running;    Title IX;   

DOI  :  10.1177/147470491401200501

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

It is well established that men are more likely than women to engage in direct competition, but it is unclear if this reflects social structural conditions or evolved predispositions. These hypotheses can be addressed by quantifying competitiveness in sports and testing if the sex difference is decreasing over time in the U.S., a society where social roles have converged. Study 1 assessed participation and the occurrence of relatively fast performances by masters runners (40–74 years old) at recent road races and track meets. Fast performances occurred over 20 times more often at track meets than at road races. Women comprised 55% of finishers at roads races but only 15–28% of finishers at track meets. Thus, the sex difference in masters track participation can serve as a measure of the sex difference in competitiveness. Study 2 used data from national championship meets and yearly rankings lists to test whether the sex difference in masters track participation decreased from 1988–2012. The sex difference decreased overall, but there was no evidence of change since the late 1990s. Therefore, the sex difference in the willingness to engage in direct sports competition appears to reflect both social structural conditions and evolved predispositions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC