Tell me how you drive and I’ll tell you who you Are: Reciprocal impact of gender categories and roles on attributed driving skills and Anxiety?

Social expectations significantly shape individual perceptions and behaviors and extend their influence to driving. We conducted two experimental studies to delineate the reciprocal influences of gender categories (male and female), gender roles (traditional masculinity and femininity), driving-related skills, and driving anxiety. Study 1 found that female portraits were associated with higher levels of driving anxiety, and feminine portraits were associated with safety skills. Higher levels of adherence to gender stereotypes associated with driving led to a stronger association between masculinity and perceptual-motor skills. Study 2 confirmed these findings, indicating that safety-oriented portraits were more likely to be perceived as female and feminine, and perceptual-motor-oriented profiles were more likely to be perceived as male and masculine. Addressing these stereotypes is critical to promoting equitable attitudes toward driving skills, regardless of gender.