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Behavioral gender differences are reinforced during the COVID-19 crisis
Physics and Society · Submitted 20 Oct 2020
abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review
The authors' main claim After the lock-down gender differences in mobility and communication patterns increased massively, while sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms tend to synchronize.
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The abstract, sentence by sentence
Behavioral gender differences are known to exist for a wide range of human activities including the way people communicate, move, provision themselves, or organize leisure activities. Using mobile phone data from 1.2 million devices in Austria (15% of the population) across the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis, we quantify gender-specific patterns of communication intensity, mobility, and circadian rhythms. We show the resilience of behavioral patterns with respect to the shock imposed by a strict nation-wide lock-down that Austria experienced in the beginning of the crisis with severe implications on public and private life. We find drastic differences in gender-specific responses during the different phases of the pandemic. After the lock-down gender differences in mobility and communication patterns increased massively, while sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms tend to synchronize. In particular, women had fewer but longer phone calls than men during the lock-down. Mobility declined massively for both genders, however, women tend to restrict their movement stronger than men. Women showed a stronger tendency to avoid shopping centers and more men frequented recreational areas. After the lock-down, males returned back to normal quicker than women; young age-cohorts return much quicker. Differences are driven by the young and adolescent population. An age stratification highlights the role of retirement on behavioral differences. We find that the length of a day of men and women is reduced by one hour. We discuss the findings in the light of gender-specific coping strategies in response to stress and crisis.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | Behavioral gender differences are known to exist for a wide range of human activities including the way people communicate, move, provision themselves, or organize leisure activities. | background 1.00 | 0.03 | 0.02 | asserted 1.00 |
| s1 | Using mobile phone data from 1.2 million devices in Austria (15% of the population) across the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis, we quantify gender-specific patterns of communication intensity, mobility, and circadian rhythms. | method 0.92 | 0.96 | 0.03 | asserted 0.97 |
| s2 | We show the resilience of behavioral patterns with respect to the shock imposed by a strict nation-wide lock-down that Austria experienced in the beginning of the crisis with severe implications on public and private life. | result 0.89 | 0.61 | 0.26 | asserted 1.00 |
| s3 | We find drastic differences in gender-specific responses during the different phases of the pandemic. | result 0.99 | 0.92 | 0.23 | asserted 1.00 |
| s4 | After the lock-down gender differences in mobility and communication patterns increased massively, while sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms tend to synchronize. | result 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.52 | asserted 0.99 |
| s5 | In particular, women had fewer but longer phone calls than men during the lock-down. | result 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.07 | asserted 1.00 |
| s6 | Mobility declined massively for both genders, however, women tend to restrict their movement stronger than men. | result 1.00 | 0.93 | 0.10 | asserted 0.77 |
| s7 | Women showed a stronger tendency to avoid shopping centers and more men frequented recreational areas. | result 1.00 | 0.93 | 0.06 | asserted 0.96 |
| s8 | After the lock-down, males returned back to normal quicker than women; young age-cohorts return much quicker. | result 1.00 | 0.92 | 0.15 | asserted 1.00 |
| s9 | Differences are driven by the young and adolescent population. | result 0.78 | 0.88 | 0.11 | asserted 1.00 |
| s10 | An age stratification highlights the role of retirement on behavioral differences. | result 0.57 | 0.77 | 0.05 | asserted 0.88 |
| s11 | We find that the length of a day of men and women is reduced by one hour. | result 1.00 | 0.95 | 0.08 | asserted 1.00 |
| s12 | We discuss the findings in the light of gender-specific coping strategies in response to stress and crisis. | interpretation 1.00 | 0.48 | 0.05 | unclear 0.90 |
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Original abstract
Behavioral gender differences are known to exist for a wide range of human activities including the way people communicate, move, provision themselves, or organize leisure activities. Using mobile phone data from 1.2 million devices in Austria (15% of the population) across the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis, we quantify gender-specific patterns of communication intensity, mobility, and circadian rhythms. We show the resilience of behavioral patterns with respect to the shock imposed by a strict nation-wide lock-down that Austria experienced in the beginning of the crisis with severe implications on public and private life. We find drastic differences in gender-specific responses during the different phases of the pandemic. After the lock-down gender differences in mobility and communication patterns increased massively, while sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms tend to synchronize. In particular, women had fewer but longer phone calls than men during the lock-down. Mobility declined massively for both genders, however, women tend to restrict their movement stronger than men. Women showed a stronger tendency to avoid shopping centers and more men frequented recreational areas. After the lock-down, males returned back to normal quicker than women; young age-cohorts return much quicker. Differences are driven by the young and adolescent population. An age stratification highlights the role of retirement on behavioral differences. We find that the length of a day of men and women is reduced by one hour. We discuss the findings in the light of gender-specific coping strategies in response to stress and crisis.
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Uses the method or tool of 1 paper
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Following [ref] we compare gender differences by calculating the area between the curves $Δ_FM$, see Fig. [ref] C by the gray shaded area, see Methods in SI Text S3.
Gender-specific behavior change following terror attacks · Circadian rhythms · 0.98
Cites as background 1 paper
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Telecommunication data has been used before to study the effect of crisis and emergencies [ref] .
Mobile phone location data reveal the effect and geographic variation of social distancing on the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic · Introduction · 0.86
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