Genre and (on) self -confidence
Why half men think they can manage to land an airplane
A survey shakes social networks, according to which many men consider themselves capable of such a feat. Expert opinion.
Behind the “yes” to the question posed of the success of an emergency landing, experts point to an effect of social desirability, but also the weight of a gendered socialization from childhood.
KEYSTONE
- Men can overestimate their skills by effect of social desirability.
- Socialization can play a role in the perception of its capacities.
- The landing of an airplane requires impossible technical expertise for novices.
The video made the buzz on Social networks. Decatrated micro-handworming atmosphere, we see young people answer the following question: “Do you feel capable of landing an emergency plane?”
“Absolutely not!” Answer a young woman immediately, while at her, a young man frowns, reflects a few seconds before launching: “It depends on the plane.” Another still looks at the camera, lifts his chin and blows a “yeah” assured as a answer.
Videos of the genre circulate en masse on Instagram or Tiktok. But behind their anecdotal and frankly funny side, would there be a sociological reality?
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The question of plane landing by novices comes fromAn American survey From 2023. He asked the following question: “How sure you can safely land an emergency airliner, by relying only on air control assistance?” Almost a third of respondents answer yes. Among the men interviewed, this level of confidence climbs to almost 50%.
Gender differences?
“This survey lacks information so that we can draw valid conclusions,” immediately tempers Isabelle Zinn, labor sociologist and professor at the Haute École specialized Bernese. For her, you have to be careful not to strengthen certain stereotypes. “That said, we can question the reactions of the video and the responses of the respondents,” she says. Do these men who answer yes do they really think they can manage to land the plane? We can doubt it. They could be influenced by what research calls for the effect of social desirability, the tendency to want to be strong and competent in the eyes of their peers, even if it means selling too much. “
Morgane Rudaz, doctoral student in gender studies at the University of Geneva, also tempers: “This is an example that is worth what it is worth.” For the researcher, this case, however, shows the interest of an analysis from the angle of gender relationships when it comes to assessing her ability to face complex situations.
She explains: “On the one hand, women rather show practical realism, and recognize that you need a sum of knowledge to pilot and land an airplane. On the other, some men tend to overestimate their skills and expertise, which comes from a gendered and differentiated socialization. ”
By this term, the researcher designates the fact that we learn from childhood Girls and boys to see each other and behave differently. Social science research has explored for years the way in which the former are encouraged to be modest and cautious, while the latter are more advanced to be confident and take risks.
A Belgian study From 2023 also shows that in adolescence, more than half of girls (51%) doubt their success against 38% of boys. But that’s not all: if the self -confidence of young women decreases with age, that of boys increases, indicates the investigation.
The opinion of a professional pilot
Marius Chiumino is a military pilot and business jets. For the professional, it may not be so surprising that Monsieur Tout-le-Monde feels capable of such a feat: “There is a whole imagination of aviation conveyed by cinema, which makes you feel like this world well. It is true that we can say that an airliner can take charge like any other vehicle, but in reality, it is far from being the case. ”
The professional pilot insists on the complexity inherent in each landing, even for experienced pilots: “The procedures require tiny precision, there is also a muscle help to take. Landing is a phase that remains tense, while someone manages to land an airliner without any experience, it would hold the miracle, and again. ”
Finally, what about the help of the automatic pilot? “For it to be effective, it requires extremely advanced knowledge of the system, which only a line pilot can have.”
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