Laboratory of Experimental Social Psychology LESP Gender Stereotypes

Laboratory of Experimental Social Psychology (LESP) Gender Stereotypes do not affect Trait Transference and Trait Inference Sara Demuzere, Vera Hoorens & Judith Maier K. U. Leuven ESCON Conference 2006 -

Outline Introduction q Previous research q Current research q – – – n Goal Paradigm Experiment Conclusion 2 ESCON Conference 2006 - 2

Introduction n Trait Transference “You are perceived as possessing the very traits you describe in others. “ (Skowronski, Carlston, Mae, & Crawford, 1998) n Trait Inference “You are perceived as possessing the very traits you describe in yourself or when someone else describes these traits in you. “ (Uleman, 1999) 3 ESCON Conference 2006 - 3

Introduction You are too stingy to pay the next coffee. Stingy He is too stingy to pay the next coffee. Stingy 4 ESCON Conference 2006 - 4

Introduction Gender Stereotypes: - Psychological traits and characteristics stereotypical for men or women - Example: men are: aggressive, active, courageous, impolite women are: empathic, emotional, careful, dependent 5 ESCON Conference 2006 - 5

Past Research Stereotypes affect Trait Inference q § Stereotypical Inferences (Wigboldus, Dijksterhuis, & van Knippenberg, 2003) § Influence of Cognitive Capacity (Wigboldus, Sherman, Franzese, & van Knippenberg, 2004) Probe Recognition Paradigm q Trait Transference insensitive to Stereotypes? Trait Attribution Paradigm 6 ESCON Conference 2006 - 6

Probe Recognition Paradigm q Exposure Phase § § Stereotype-consistent: “The skinhead hits the saleswoman. ” Stereotype-inconsistent: ”The girl hits the saleswoman. ’” q Probe words § § § Implied but not actually included: “aggressive” Was the word included in the preceding sentence? Dependent variables: RTs and error rates 7 ESCON Conference 2006 - 7

Goal Trait Attribution Paradigm n n Test occurrence of Trait Transference Examine how stereotypes affect Trait Transference Test occurrence of Trait Inference Replicate finding that stereotypes affect Trait Inference 8 ESCON Conference 2006 - 8

Trait Attribution Paradigm Control Exposure Phase NO Trait Implied Critical Trait Implied Filler Task Control Implied Congruent Incongruent Trait Rating Task Critical Implied Congruent Incongruent 9 ESCON Conference 2006 - 9

Exposure Phase Trait Inference Self Inference Photographed person’s behavior (“I” form) Trait Transference Other Inference Photographed person’s behavior (“He/She” form) Someone else’s behavior (“He/She” form) 10 ESCON Conference 2006 - 10

Trait Rating Task Is the person on the picture X (implied trait) ? Is the person on the picture Y (evaluatively congruent trait) ? Is the person on the picture Z (evaluatively incongruent trait) ? O Not at all O O O Completely 11 ESCON Conference 2006 - 11

Participants & Design q n = 215 (undergraduates) q 2 (Trial: control vs critical) X 3 (Attribution: self inference vs other inference vs transference) x 2 (Emphasis: baseline vs gender) X 2 (Valence: desirable vs undesirable) X 3 (Trait: stereotypically male vs stereotypically female vs gender-neutral) X 2 (Gender: male vs female) 12 ESCON Conference 2006 - 12

Trait Inference and Trait Transference Implied Traits: Effect of Trial Mean Trait Rating Self Inference Control Critical Other Inference Control Critical Trait Transference Control Critical Trial Control trials: descriptions not implying any trait Critical trials: trait-implying descriptions 13 ESCON Conference 2006 - 13

Trait Inference and Trait Transference p < 0. 001 p = 0. 01 = Fig. 1. Mean Trait Ratings for implied traits. 14 ESCON Conference 2006 - 14

Trait Specificity Effect of Trial Mean Trait Rating Self Inference Other Inference Trait Transference Implied Traits Only! Control Critical Trial Control trials: descriptions not implying any trait Critical trials: trait-implying descriptions 15 ESCON Conference 2006 - 15

Trait Specificity Congruent Traits: effect of Trial = p < 0. 01 = Fig. 2. Mean Congruent Trait Rating in function of Condition. Fig. 2. Mean Trait Ratings for congruent traits. 16 ESCON Conference 2006 - 16

Trait Specificity Incongruent Traits: effect of Trial = = = Fig. 3. Mean Trait Ratings for incongruent traits. 17 ESCON Conference 2006 - 17

Effect of Valence Fig. 3. Mean Trait Ratings for incongruent traits. 18 ESCON Conference 2006 - 18

Gender Stereotyping? Trait Type x Gender of Communicator Mean Judgement of Communicator Women = Men Male Neutral Female Type of Trait 19 ESCON Conference 2006 - 19

Gender Stereotyping! Trait Type x Gender of Communicator F(2, 94) = 41. 97, p < 0. 0001 Women Men Women = Men Fig. 3. Mean Implied Trait Rating for the interaction between Type of Trait and Gender of Communicator. 20 ESCON Conference 2006 - 20

H 3: Effect of Gender Stereotypes on TT Mean Judgement of Communicator Three-way interaction between Gender of Communicator, Type of Trait and Condition Male Communicators Female Communicators Control Critical Male Neutral Female Type of Trait Male Female Neutral Type of Trait 21 ESCON Conference 2006 - 21

No effect for female Trait Type x Condition communicators! F(2, 94) = 3. 12, p < 0. 05 = Control Critical = Fig. 4. Mean Implied Trait Rating for the interaction between Type of Trait and Condition 22 ESCON Conference 2006 - 22

Partial support for male communicators! Trait Type x Condition F(2, 94) = 3. 15, p < 0. 05 Control Critical = Fig. 5. Mean Implied Trait Rating for the interaction between Type of Trait and Condition 23 ESCON Conference 2006 - 23

TT not influenced by Gender Stereotypes ! Type of Trait X Gender of Communicator X Condition F(2, 94) = 0. 27, n. s. Male Communicators Control Critical = Female Communicators = = Fig. 6. Mean Implied Trait Rating for the interaction between Type of Trait, Condition and Gender of Communicator. 24 ESCON Conference 2006 - 24

Conclusion n Trait Tranference as the Actual Attribution of n Trait Specificity: Traits Only implied traits attributed onto communicators, not evaluatively congruent traits n Strength of TT not affected by Gender Stereotypes – As compared to stereotype-irrelevance, NOT inhibited by stereotypeinconsistency – As compared to stereotype-irrelevance, NOT facilitated by stereotypeconsistency 25 ESCON Conference 2006 - 25

Further Research n Different Types of Manipulation n Gender Stereotypes on Trait Inferences n Racial stereotypes on both Trait Transference and Trait Inferences 26 ESCON Conference 2006 - 26

Laboratory of Experimental Social Psychology (LESP) The End Sara. Demuzere@psy. kuleuven. be Vera. Hoorens@psy. kuleuven. be Judith. Greb@psy. kuleuven. be Sara Demuzere & Vera Hoorens ESCON Conference 2006 -