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.

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Apr 4th, 1:30 PM Apr 4th, 3:00 PM

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