Gender-Specific Effects of Muting on Outdoor Ropes Challenge Participation

Abstract

Muting (verbal silencing) is a teaching practice commonly employed by facilitators in outdoor challenge course education programs as a method for modifying communications among participants. However, it is unknown to what extent this teaching intervention differentially impacts male's and female's overall engagement with challenge initiatives. The current research uses matched, mixed-gender groups presented with one of two experimental conditions of verbal muting: either all females or all males muted. Results indicate that muting participants dependent upon their gender differentially impacts initial and sustained challenge initiative engagement. On certain tasks, females are consistently much more significantly impacted, initially and during the duration of this teaching intervention. Suggestions for future empirical research with other facilitator practices commonly applied during outdoor challenge courses are offered.

Keywords

Participatory Engagement Proxemics Gender Differences Muting

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