Does Gender Affect How Participants Perceive a Professional's Intelligence?
Location
CSU 201
Start Date
4-4-2011 1:30 PM
End Date
4-4-2011 3:00 PM
Student's Major
Psychology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Kristie Campana
Mentor's Department
Psychology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
The purpose of this research was to examine how attitudes about job performance changes based on gender, profession, and quality of job performance. Previous research has suggested that women tend to be rated lower when performing equally well as men and this difference is especially noticeable when women make mistakes. Furthermore, men and women are rated differently depending upon whether a job is seen as masculine or feminine. We created 8 scenarios that manipulated gender, profession and quality of performance.
It is predicted that men will be rated higher than women in both hard and soft sciences, but men will be rated even higher in the hard science. In the soft science, men will still be rated higher than females, but the gap will not be as large, because it is seen as a more feminine field. Both genders‘ intelligence rating will be higher for the hard science because it is seen as more prestigious. The female actor may also be rated harsher for a mistake because they should know how to do their job whereas men made an honest mistake; both will be rated harsher for making a mistake in the hard science because it appears to be more life threatening.
In conclusion, this study may show the current views of sexism and how women are held to a different standard, especially when it comes to job skills.
Does Gender Affect How Participants Perceive a Professional's Intelligence?
CSU 201
The purpose of this research was to examine how attitudes about job performance changes based on gender, profession, and quality of job performance. Previous research has suggested that women tend to be rated lower when performing equally well as men and this difference is especially noticeable when women make mistakes. Furthermore, men and women are rated differently depending upon whether a job is seen as masculine or feminine. We created 8 scenarios that manipulated gender, profession and quality of performance.
It is predicted that men will be rated higher than women in both hard and soft sciences, but men will be rated even higher in the hard science. In the soft science, men will still be rated higher than females, but the gap will not be as large, because it is seen as a more feminine field. Both genders‘ intelligence rating will be higher for the hard science because it is seen as more prestigious. The female actor may also be rated harsher for a mistake because they should know how to do their job whereas men made an honest mistake; both will be rated harsher for making a mistake in the hard science because it appears to be more life threatening.
In conclusion, this study may show the current views of sexism and how women are held to a different standard, especially when it comes to job skills.
Recommended Citation
Schwartz, Katie. "Does Gender Affect How Participants Perceive a Professional's Intelligence?." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 4, 2011.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2011/oral-session-07/4
