Referees' decision making in handball and transgressive behaviors: Influence of stereotypes about gender of players?

• Published in: Sex roles Vol. 51; no. 7-8; pp. 445 - 453
• Main Authors: SOUCHON, N, COULOMB-CABAGNO, G, TRACLET, A, RASCLE, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01-10-2004; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Aggression; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive science; Cultural Influences; Decision making; Females; France; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Gender Differences; Gender stereotypes; Goal Orientation; Handball; Heuristics; Individual Characteristics; International Organizations; Males; Personality Traits; Physical Characteristics; Players; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Sex Stereotypes; Social Behavior; Social psychology; Social role. Sex role; Sports officiating; Stereotypes; Team Sports; Transgression; Video Technology; Human; Arbitration; Sex role; Decision making; Sex; Transgression; Stereotype; Social cognition; Sport; Regulation; Handball; Aggressiveness; Cognitive bias
• ISSN: 0360-0025; 1573-2762
• DOI: 10.1023/B:SERS.0000049233.28353.f0

The purpose of these studies was to examine gender's effect on transgressive behaviors and referees' decisions during handball games (Study 1) and the potential influence of gender stereotypes about players on referees' decisions as regards these transgressive behaviors (Study 2). In Study 1, 20 games (10 women's games and 10 men's games) were videotaped and observed. The findings indicated that men displayed transgressive behaviors more than women and that referees penalized women more than men. In Study 2, 30 referees answered a set of questions after they watched an edited video showing similar situations of female and male players. The findings showed that the similar situations in the video were judged in a different way by the referees. Thus, female players were granted more penalties than were male players. Gender stereotypes could effectively influence decision making.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]