Feminine-named hurricanes (vs. masculine-named hurricanes) cause significantly more deaths, apparently because they lead to lower perceived risk and consequently less preparedness.

We use more than six decades of death rates from US hurricanes to show that feminine-named hurricanes cause significantly more deaths than do masculine-named hurricanes. Laboratory experiments indicate that this is because hurricane names lead to gender-based expectations about severity and this, in turn, guides respondents’ preparedness to take protective action.

underestimate a female hurricane and die, I guess

  • abc@feddit.uk
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    2 days ago

    It would be interesting to learn the demographic breakdown of those perceiving the risk of female-named hurricanes - i.e. do factors like someone’s own gender, age, marital status, mean a more or less pronounced risk bias? or is it spread evenly?