Most sociological studies of heroism have focused on the theoretical realm, but this study empirically examines heroism, particularly the gendered nature of heroic status attribution. Although overlooked in the sociological literature of heroism, the term "hero" is gendered, reflecting acts of bravery only for males. Data were collected in a RDD telephone survey sample of 400 people. Respondents were given four randomly selected rescue vignettes, systematically varied for gender, role behavior, status, and setting or rescuer/rescue. Findings suggest the viability of the vignette method and conditional factors (gender, status, role behavior, and setting) that make males and females appear heroic.
