GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF BACKLASH: THE SOCIAL COST OF SEX ROLE VIOLATION
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1
Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia
Aims: Females in stereotypically masculine careers can experience discrimination. Role Congruity Theory (RCT) proposes that this results from negative evaluations formed by a perceived incongruity between the gender traits (personal characteristics) females are conceived as holding, and the requirements of specific careers. The aims of the study were twofold; firstly to investigate whether males are also subject to negative social evaluations as a result of transgressing stereotypically gendered careers. Secondly, to test whether transgression at different levels of normative gender traits and jobs impacts observers’ judgments of them. Method: 234 adults (70.5% female) participated in an online experiment. They viewed male and female point-light walkers (PLW) paired with vignettes depicting varying levels of stereotypically masculine or feminine traits and careers. Participants rated each pairing on likability and competence. Results: ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect of gender trait for both likability (p < .05) and competence (p < .001) suggesting that feminine traits are perceived as both more likable and competent than masculine traits overall. The significant interaction between gender trait and gender of job on likability ratings (< .001) suggests that when gender trait and career is congruent, likability ratings increase significantly. Simple effects revealed that sex/trait congruent females (female/feminine trait) were perceived as more likable (p < .001) and competent (p < .001) than females with masculine traits, but the corresponding effect for males was not found. Conclusions: While the study provided only partial support for traditional female based RCT, findings were consistent with a female trait-sex congruity preference, where females suffer a backlash in negative perceptions when they present masculine traits. Males were not found to suffer backlash for presenting feminine traits. Further research on levels of trait, job and sex congruence and the implications for RCT is recommended.
Keywords:
gender,
Bias,
Congruity,
Backlash,
Sex-roles
Conference:
Southern Cross University 13th Annual Honours Psychology Research Conference, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 7 Oct - 7 Oct, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Research
Topic:
Psychology
Citation:
Hulme
H and
Kozlowski
D
(2016). GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF BACKLASH: THE SOCIAL COST OF SEX ROLE VIOLATION.
Front. Public Health.
Conference Abstract:
Southern Cross University 13th Annual Honours Psychology Research Conference.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FPUBH.2016.02.00002
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Received:
29 Sep 2016;
Published Online:
30 Sep 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Ms. Harriet Hulme, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, h.hulme.10@student.scu.edu.au