Judgments and reactions of women being approached by an unknown man in town

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how women reacted to the approach of an unknown man in town. 105 female Japanese undergraduates participated in the pilot survey. This survey identified six types of judgments made by women when they were approached by an unknown man in town. To investigate the relation between these six types of judgments and the reaction of women to an unknown man, 290 female Japanese undergraduates participated in the main study. The results showed that judgments concerning risks and situation, as well as personality, intentions, and appearance of an unknown man were related to the reactions of women. The importance of judgments about personality of an unknown man and about risk in initiating relationships with males not belonging to the females' social network are discussed.