The impact of prior combat military service on Israeli women's self-efficacy and risk attitudes

Abstract

In recent years, more and more Israeli women are serving in combat units in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The current study is based on 24 in-depth retrospective interviews with women who served in mixed-gender combat units in the IDF and examines the impact of military service on their self-efficacy and risk attitude. The results indicate that perceived self-efficacy among women was strengthened as a result of this service, thus empowering them and causing them to make more calculated decisions after their discharge from the military. Moreover, increased self-efficacy was reported even among women who experienced negative attitudes from their male colleagues. The results also show that combat experience, even including life-threatening situations, makes interviewees more willing to take risks in general, and physical risks in particular, after their discharge from the army. Yet this tendency seems to be moderated over time. Hence, combat service offers important benefits for women since it provides them with new opportunities to acquire significant experience at a young age, which forms the basis for making wise decisions in life after their discharge. Understanding the implications of mixed-gender combat army service may help in designing the content of military training courses for men and women that will prepare them for the challenges of their joint service.