Women's fear of crime and preference for formidable mates: how specific are the underlying psychological mechanisms?

Abstract

Previous research shows that feelings of vulnerability, as measured by fear of crime, are associated 16 with preferences for physically formidable and dominant mates (PPFDM), ostensibly because of the 17 physical protection such mates can afford. In the lab and in the field, we tested whether the 18 relationship between PPFDM and fear of crime is pronounced when the risk of crime is relatively 19 high, and for crimes that are evolutionarily more costly. In Study 1, women were presented with 20 daytime and night time images that featured a lone shadowy male figure, crime hotspots and 21 safespots, and they reported their risk of victimisation in the situation depicted in the image. In 22 Study 2, we had female participants walk through crime hotspots and safespots in a city centre 23 during the daytime, and had them report their perceived victimisation risk for different types of 24 crime, perpetrated by a male-versus female. Participants in Study 1 and 2 also completed a scale 25 that measures PPFDM. In both studies, we found that PPFDM was positively associated with fear of 26 crime in hotspots and in safespots. Additionally, fear of crime was significantly affected by risk 27 situation (i.e., safespot versus hotspot, night time versus daytime). The relationship between PPFDM 28 and fear, however, did not vary in relation to risk situation, perpetrator gender, or crime type, 29suggesting that the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between perceived risk of 30 victimisation and PPFDM are general in nature. Women who prefer physically formidable and 31 dominant mates tend to feel more at risk of crime, regardless of the situational risk factors present. 32

Fear of crime and preference for aggressive-formidable same-sex and opposite-sex friends

“…Subjective fear of crime, however, was a significant positive predictor of aggressiveness-formidability in both actual male friends, and in the preferred characteristics of an ideal male friend. The finding that subjective fear of crime is a stronger predictor than objective crime rates mirrors previous research on romantic partner selection in women (Snyder et al 2011;Ryder et al 2016). The results partially replicate those of Snyder et al (2011), and extend the Bodyguard hypothesis from the domain of mating to the realm of platonic friendships.…”

“…Based on previous literature on mate choice, we expect that both childhood and current neighbourhood objective crime rate relates not only to women's preference for male friends who are aggressive and formidable, but also to higher manifestation of these traits in their actual male friends. Similarly, we expect that subjective fear of crime is positively associated with women's choice of aggressive-formidable male friends, perhaps even more so than objective crime (see Snyder et al 2011;Ryder et al 2016 for similar findings in romantic partner preferences). In addition, we expect that fear of crime is unrelated to friend characteristics that are irrelevant in providing physical protection.…”

“…Previous research suggests that especially in dangerous neighbourhoods (Snyder et al 2011), and under other environmental threats (Reeve et al 2016), women prefer physically strong and/or dominant males as romantic partners. Interestingly, when investigating preference for formidable romantic partners, research has found that subjective fear of crime is a stronger predictor than the objective risk of crime (Snyder et al 2011;Ryder et al 2016). Fear of crime, in turn, is influenced by exposure to violent crime in childhood (Snyder et al 2011), as well as crime in the current neighbourhood environment (Zhao et al 2015).…”

Aggressor or protector? Experiences and perceptions of violence predict preferences for masculinity

“…Since male masculinity is associated with dominance (Dijkstra & Buunk, 2001;Batres, Re, & Perrett, 2015), it could be advantageous for women to choose a more masculine male in environments with a high level of male-male competition (Puts, 2010;Brooks et al, 2011). Ryder et al, (2016) found that at the individual level, women preferred more physically formidable and dominant partners when they felt more at risk of crime in public places.…”

“…Several researchers (Puts, 2010;Brooks et al, 2011;Snyder et al, 2011;Fessler, Hollbrook, & Fleischman, 2015;Ryder et al, 2016) have suggested that women's masculinity preferences reflect their need for protection in violent environments. Brooks et al, (2011) found supporting evidence for this claim across 30 different countries using an…”