Singing (or Cursing) in the Rain: Gender Differences in Weather Preferences
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
Major
Psychology
Minor
Philosophy and Photography
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Jana Hackathorn; Dr. Daniel Wann
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Prior research interprets women’s behavioral changes in response to weather as evidence of greater affective or biological sensitivity (e.g., Govind et al., 2020; Jiao et al., 2021; Schmidt et al., 2013). For example, Govind and colleagues (2020) found that when the weather is bad, women consume more hedonic goods/services (e.g., alcohol, the movies). However, this explanation may be overly reductive. Rather than stemming from emotional vulnerability, these findings may reflect differences in self-presentation demands between genders. Women, for instance, face greater social and cultural pressure to maintain certain appearance standards, which are directly influenced by environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and precipitation. Poor weather conditions may thus constrain women’s ability to meet appearance-related norms, influencing their mood and behavioral choices—not because they are inherently more reactive or affective, but because the social costs of not maintaining appearance standards are higher. Conversely, men’s self-presentation norms are generally less tied to environmental appearance cues, and more tied to achievement cues, which may explain their apparent behavioral stability across weather conditions (Brown, et al., 1998; Haferkamp et. al, 2012). The current study was conducted to examine if weather affects observable behaviors of self-presentation in both genders differently.
The data was gathered via pencil/paper surveys given to participants in various places (e.g., library, classrooms, dining halls) at a midwestern public university. Participants (N=99; 59 females, 37 males, and 3 nonbinary) were simply asked if they would like to complete a brief survey. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 61 years (M=22.31 SD=8.95) and contained, students, faculty, and staff. The sample was predominately white (N=83).
Fall Scholars Week 2025
Psychology: Completed Projects
Singing (or Cursing) in the Rain: Gender Differences in Weather Preferences
Prior research interprets women’s behavioral changes in response to weather as evidence of greater affective or biological sensitivity (e.g., Govind et al., 2020; Jiao et al., 2021; Schmidt et al., 2013). For example, Govind and colleagues (2020) found that when the weather is bad, women consume more hedonic goods/services (e.g., alcohol, the movies). However, this explanation may be overly reductive. Rather than stemming from emotional vulnerability, these findings may reflect differences in self-presentation demands between genders. Women, for instance, face greater social and cultural pressure to maintain certain appearance standards, which are directly influenced by environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and precipitation. Poor weather conditions may thus constrain women’s ability to meet appearance-related norms, influencing their mood and behavioral choices—not because they are inherently more reactive or affective, but because the social costs of not maintaining appearance standards are higher. Conversely, men’s self-presentation norms are generally less tied to environmental appearance cues, and more tied to achievement cues, which may explain their apparent behavioral stability across weather conditions (Brown, et al., 1998; Haferkamp et. al, 2012). The current study was conducted to examine if weather affects observable behaviors of self-presentation in both genders differently.
The data was gathered via pencil/paper surveys given to participants in various places (e.g., library, classrooms, dining halls) at a midwestern public university. Participants (N=99; 59 females, 37 males, and 3 nonbinary) were simply asked if they would like to complete a brief survey. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 61 years (M=22.31 SD=8.95) and contained, students, faculty, and staff. The sample was predominately white (N=83).