Analyzing Gender Differences in Helping Behavior: Interim Report

This interim report delves into the research progress on understanding how gender differences influence helping behavior, particularly in emergency situations. It restates the research objectives, which focus on identifying gender as a factor in helping behavior, exploring the likelihood of males assisting in emergencies, and discovering age-related influences on prosocial motivation. The report outlines completed work, including the research proposal and initial meetings with the supervisor, as well as remaining tasks such as distributing surveys, analyzing data, and completing the final research report. It acknowledges limitations like the small sample size and potential misinterpretations in the questionnaire. The literature review explores gender differences in helping, the role of social status, and the impact of physical attractiveness, identifying a gap in research regarding cross-gender influences. The methodology section details the use of a quantitative survey method with 40 participants to examine the relationship between gender differences and bystander intervention, using a custom-designed questionnaire to gather data for analysis.

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Interim Report
1.0 Progress since the Research Proposal
1.1 Restatement of the research objective
The objective has not undergone any changes since the research proposal. The
aim of research proposal emphasizes that how gender difference influence helping
behaviour. The study will focus on how male and female react during an emergency
situation. This will comprise the following research objective:
1.1.1 To show that gender different is one of the factors that influence helping
behavior.
1.1.2 To identify that male are more likely to help in an emergency situation.
1.1.3 To discover the age relate of age group also influence prosaically motivation.
These objectives allow me to find out is there any substantial change in behaviour
pattern due to gender difference and to find out when people are more willing to help, in
case people of the same sex are at stake or people of the opposite sex.
1.2 My progress
Work completed
Plans for the selected research topic, obtained journal article, submitted a
research proposal are completed on 23rd February. My first met with supervisor is on 21st
January. We discussed the topic that I choose and how to start on research proposal. Our
second met is on 19 Mac 2018. We discussed on interim report and how the way to
conduct the questionnaire survey.
There are a few things that remain to be done.
 I need to send out 40 set of survey forms before 1st April.
 I need to collect back the questionnaire an then organize, interpret and
analyses the data.
 I need to complete and submit final research report.

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1.3 Problems and successes
Although the research is conducted, there are some unavoidable limitations.
Firstly, because of the time limit, this research is conducted only on a small size of
population. This is indicated earlier in the research proposal; the sample size is 40 and it
is not large enough to represent the whole population. Therefore, to generalize the
results for larger groups, the study have involved participants from different
demographic background. The sampling units of this research are from different
demographic background.
Secondly, there are limited outcome in a quantitative questionnaire. Quantitative
questionnaire involves structures question with close ended questions. It leads to limited
outcomes outlined in the research report. Furthermore, not all the participants are good
in English. They might not understand what the questions are about and they might
misinterpret the meaning. So, they might not answer the question sincerely. Therefore,
the results cannot always represent the actual occurring, in a generalized form.
1.4 Critical assessment of any further literature
As indicated earlier in research proposal, Basow & Crawley (as cited in Hupp-
Wilds, 2014) show that male and female are more likely to help an individual that are in
opposite gender. Feinman also stated that males are more likely to help than a female
whereas Bihm, Gaudet and Sale stated that females are more likely to help than male (as
cited in Hupp-Wilds, 2014). Eagly and Crowley who conducted meta-analysis also
described that male is more likely to engage prosocial help because of their gender role
model (as cited in Koon, 2013).
This show the situations above require a person to help a person of opposite
gender actually showcase if the person has awareness of the gender bias. Gender bias is
as much social as it is cultural. Different cultures have their own understandings of
gender bias. A study that addresses the degree of gender awareness among a social

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group and how that is affecting their overall prosocial behavior can also shed light upon
other social aspects of their individual as well as community lifestyle.
1.5 Research plan
Time schedule below showed the remaining time for me to complete research report.
Date Progress Remarks
Before 1st April Interim Report
 Complete and Submit Interim
Report
Questionnaire Survey
 Give the questionnaire to 40
participants
1st April until
15 April
Final Research Report
 Title
 Abstract
 Acknowledgement
 Chapter 1: Introduction
 Chapter 2: Literature Review
 Chapter 3: Research
Methodology
- Collect, organize, interpret
and analyze the questionnaire
data
16 April until
29 May
Final Research Report
 Chapter 4: Findings
 Chapter 5: Conclusions and
Recommendation
 References
 Appendices
- Meet with supervisor on 16th
April
- Use SAS software to
interpret the data (17th-1st
May)
- Write out the discussion and
conclusion (2nd -12th May)

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- Proofreading (13th -16th
May)
- Amendment (17th -21st
May)
- Submission Research
Report (22nd - 29th May)
2.0 Draft chapter on literature review and methodology

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2.1 Literature review
2.1.1 Introduction
In the present day, gender has been regarded as one of the most important aspect
in helping behaviour especially in the western societies. It has also been found that while
helping other individuals, men are more likely to help strangers than women. It has also
been agreed by many psychologists that gender plays an important role in the society
while helping others (Gentile et al., 2014). Accordingly, there are stereotypes on
people’s genders that exit for some reason such as a person’s gender is determined at the
time of his or her birth and they were told to behave accordingly, thus it influence their
helping behaviour.
2.1.2 Gender Differences and Helping
In order to understand the gender differences in helping process, it is important
to understand the roles of gender that influence the helping behaviour of every
individual. Furthermore, different roles are directed for specified genders as these norms
have been set by the society an individual lives (Gentile et al., 2014). For instance in
case of the gender role of female it has been argued by many scholars that societal
norms encourages women to help others and moreover, women are also expected to give
importance to other’s needs than their own and accordingly will try to help others
(Schaller, 2016). The female role playing has also been regarded as a caring nature and it
has also been stated that women are more empathic than men. On the other hand, the
male gender role in influencing helping behaviour is different than that of female as they
tends to portray heroic behaviour. Furthermore, with their heroic behaviour, they tend to
save other from certain risk or danger and it has also been stated by some scholars that
the gender role influences men to help strangers more than women (Seidman, 2016). For
instance, bystanders might get more help from men than women, as in this case male can
achieve its heroic deeds.
2.1.3 Role of Social Status in Helping

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It is important to note that the social division of gender as per their status within
the society largely influence the helping behaviour. It has been stated by some scholars
that individuals in the lower status role will be acting more as a service provider than the
receivers. However, it has also been noted that in gender differences men acts more as a
receiver of helps than women in relation to job and more (Turner, 2018). In cases, when
helping behaviour is seen from societal context, then gender differences in influencing
behaviour plays a major role as a status cue in order to attain longer goals. According to
Starr and Zurbriggen (2017), there are certain implications in status differentiation
between gender when seen from social view point, as it has been stated that individuals
directly requesting for help as shown as an influencing attempt and helping to that
response is viewed as compliant behaviour.
2.1.4 Physical Attractiveness and Helping Behaviour of Gender Difference
Physical attractiveness among gender plays a major role while influencing
helping behaviour as people who are more attractive are likely to receive more help than
others who are not (Turner, 2018). Prior to that, in case of gender differences, attractive
women tends to receive more help than men, and furthermore it has also been stated by
numerous scholars that men tends to help attractive women more than the less attractive.
As per the report it has been found that men time to spend more time in helping opposite
gender attractive people than the unattractive (Dovidio et al., 2017). As noted physical
attractiveness of different genders plays a significant role in helping behaviour, therefore
attractive women are more likely to act as a receiver than providers, whereas on the
other hand, men in helping behaviour more likely to act as a helping agents rather than
receiving help and also tends to help attractive women more than the unattractive
women.
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2.1.5 Literature Gap

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In order to carry out the research and to have a clear understanding of the role of
gender in influencing human behaviour, numerous journals, articles and books have
been thoroughly examined. However, various critical observations have led to the
identification of the gap in literature. From the study, it has been observed that most of
the researchers mainly dealt with the role of male and female gender in influencing
behaviour, whereas there are very few researches regarding the role of cross-gender in
influencing behaviour and also did not provide any clear explanation. It should be noted
that transgender willingly wants to help others but people are less likely to receive help
from them and they are left alienated within the society.
2.1.6 Summary
Gender role in influencing behaviour is a wider topic in itself that consists of
different gender roles while helping other person. Society also plays a significant role in
adjusting human behaviour as per the norms of the society. Apart from this, it has also
been shown that physical attractiveness also plays a major role in influencing behaviour
while helping others, as attractive individuals are likely to receive more help than the
unattractive people.
2.2 Methodology

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2.2.1 Introduction
In this chapter, the outline of the research methods is described. It will illustrate
the details of research methods, data collection and data analysis plan. This research
report is aimed at determining the difference in gender and sex are one of the factors that
influence helping behaviour. It is initiated to study any substantial changes in behaviour
pattern due to gender difference; if people are aware of their gender bias and to explore
the relationship (if any) between them.
The entire project is work of deductive and exploratory research. There are no
new theories are generated in this study. Instead, existing theories as stated in the
literature review, for instance roles of gender that influence the helping behaviour of
every individual have been examined in this research. Thus, it is a replicable study
within a small population and different environment.
2.2.2 Research Method
With reference to the research questions in research proposal, the quantitative
survey method is used for this study. Questionnaire survey method is using because it is
practical, economical and more efficient. The same questionnaire is also used to collect
all other necessary variables for data analysis. However, the demographic form is
rewording again to match with the status of the local participants. The questionnaire is
used to determine and to explore the factors that will affect individual’s helping
behaviour.
2.2.3 Participants
40 participants are primarily recruited from local, Malaysia. Thus, the sample
size is actually equivalent to the population. Since, the main focus on this study is to
gain better understanding on the gender difference and bystander intervention.
Therefore, participants who identified as male, female and transgender are very
important in this study. This population is related with the behaviour pattern due to

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gender difference and gender bias. The participants in this study are volunteers and do
not received any reward for their participation.
2.2.4 Instrumentation
This study used a custom-designed questionnaire which developed by previous
researcher for the survey activities. There are altogether nine pages of questions. The
assessments are reviewed in six sections, such as demographic questionnaire, Decisional
Balance Scale, Slaby Bystander Efficacy Scale, Bystander Intervention Measure (BIM),
Conformity to Masculine Role Norms-46 (CMNI-46) and Prosocial Tendencies Measure
(PTM). Copies of complete questionnaire are located in Appendices A-G.
This study uses Statistical Analysis System (SAS) in its analysis. It is
recommended software for analyzing quantitative data.
2.2.5 Data collection
The questionnaire is sent through email or distribute to participants personally.
Participants are requested to answer all questions completely and sincerely before their
submission. However, precautions have to be taken against some potential issues from
data collection. The participants have to be literate or understand the content of each
question. The participants are given two about two weeks to complete the survey.
2.2.6 Data analyze
After collecting the answered questionnaire, the data will be logged into a table
using Microsoft Excel Sheet. The data is then edited and summarized before being
transferred to SAS software for further analysis. The data will be interpreted from 40
respondents.

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3.0 Final Report Structure
How Does Gender Influence Helping Behavior?
Abstract
This paper is aim to study how gender brings its effect on helping behavior. It
examines the following questions: How male and female react during an emergency
situation? Why the society not helping when they are confronting an emergency
situation? Why that male are more likely to helped in emergency situation? After
reviewing some of the literature, it was observed that there are substantial changes in
behavior pattern due to gender difference. In addition, age relate of age group also
influence prosaically motivation. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 40
participants. All of the necessary data and information were collected via a specific
designed questionnaire. The study involved mainly quantitative analyses which aimed to
answer the specific research questions framed in this paper. After develop the findings,
the study ends with some strategic for motivate bystander to engage in any emergency
situation without gender stereotyping. The entire research project began in January 2018
and has taken about five months to complete.
Words: 161

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Acknowledgements
This research paper would not have been possible without the guidance and the
help of several individuals who have contributed to the success of my research paper. I
would like to thank to all for their valuable help on my preparation by finishing my
research and study on my topic. The persons that I would like to thank are project
supervisor, Ms. Thilagarani, course coordinator, Dr. Ooi Chia Yee, my family and my
friends.
Words: 74

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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Gender difference has its effects on different spheres of social life. Helping or
prosocial behavior is one of the important phenomena of modern human society.
Difference in sex and gender are the key factors that affect situations that require
altruistic behavior. Different studies on how men and women act in situations when help
to a stranger required showed different and often contradictory results.
The difference of men and women in perceiving reality is also a cause of the
difference in the way they react in situations where there is a need to offer assistance to
others. To understand this some basic theories about gender difference may be
understood which will help in better contemplation of the topic. Firstly, mention may be
made about Hofstede’s model of cultural dimension (Hofstede-insights.com, 2018).
Though there is nothing specific about gender roles in this model, however the model in
its conception of masculinity describes a culture as masculine which is more driven by
logic, the masculine side also represents “achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and
material rewards for success”, on the other hand the feminine aspect in this model
include “preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life”,
this aspect is mainly driven by emotion. Therefore, this theory clearly describes the
perception of the difference of men and women in terms of intelligence.
The academic performance of the person is also affected by the gender; it has
been seen according to trends. Though these trends cannot be generalized, however it is
seen that male students are more likely to have likings for science group subjects,
whereas girls are more likely to be affiliated to literature (Schmitt, 2016). However, this
is not to be taken as a stereo type and certainly there are women good at science and vice
versa. More than the gender of that person research proves it is the masculine or
feminine mindset in the students (as mentioned in Hofstede model) that determine the
above factors. A girl who has traits of masculinity (as described in Hofstede model) in
her perception is more likely to be affiliated to science subjects.
CNN reports about a study published in “Nature” which states that “In
women, part of the brain showed a greater response when sharing money, while in men,