Effects of Confronting Implicit Gender Stereotypes

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/vh53ww027

Abstract

Gender bias across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines is a pervasive issue that affects women throughout their educational and professional careers. Interpersonal confrontation of stereotypes has shown promise as an effective bias reduction strategy. The present study aimed to examine the effects of confrontation of implicit gender stereotypes on the development of cues for control, future expressions of implicit and explicit biased responding, and confrontation effects on hypothetical behavior. This study found that participants who were confronted by a partner (via an online structured discussion) experienced more self-directed negative affect, and reduced stereotypic responding on later tasks. Confrontation had no effect on participants’ ambivalent sexism or hypothetical behavior.

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