Gender and age differences in representations about psychological safety

Abstract

Purpose. To reveal the peculiarities of ideas about psychological safety among the inhabitants of Belarus, taking into account their gender and age characteristics.

Methods. To assess ideas about psychological safety, the Questionnaire for Psychological Safety was used, developed in the laboratory of the psychology of post-traumatic stress of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences N.E. Kharlamenkova with a team of co-authors. The questionnaire includes 60 descriptors that people most often associate with the concept of security. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data processing.

Findings. The article analyzes the differences between men and women, as well as between the age groups of 18–31 years old and over 31 years old, in their representations about psychological safety. It was revealed that there are differences in the ideas of psychological safety in men and women. The difference between representatives of different age categories was also revealed. It is shown that in the views of men, safety is associated with control and self-reliance, and in the views of women - with support and assistance. Some data correspond to the results obtained in foreign studies. The novelty consists in the findings that for adult men, health is in the first place, while for women and young people this descriptor is several ranks lower.

Application field of research. The results obtained can be used by specialists in the field of teaching the population the rules of life safety. Understanding the representations associated with safety among particular gender or age group will help the educators on life safety to develop classroom materials more effectively.