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Think Women, Think Warm: Stereotype Content Activation in Women with a Salient Gender Identity, Using a Modified Stroop Task

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Abstract

We examined whether a salient gender identity activates gender stereotypes along the dimensions of sociability and ability (Fiske et al. 2002). A sample of US undergraduates (40 men, 38 women) instructed to think about women subsequently took longer to name the colors of words associated with sociability than ability on a modified Stroop task. Solo women in another sample of US undergraduates (45 women) showed the same response pattern. Women in a third sample of US adults (20 men, 16 women) showed a similar pattern. Meta-analysis of the three samples suggests women with a salient gender identity experience relative activation of only the positive dimension of a stereotype (e.g. “woman” equals warm).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, 100 Tuck Hall, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA

    Judith B. White

  2. Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Wendi L. Gardner

Authors
  1. Judith B. White
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  2. Wendi L. Gardner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Judith B. White.

Appendix

Appendix

Stereotype content Stroop word list.

Negative

Positive

Incompetent

Word Length

Competent

Word Length

Bungling

8

Adroit

6

Clumsy

6

Capable

7

Failing

7

Clever

6

Helpless

8

Competent

9

Ignorant

8

Expert

6

Inept

5

Genius

6

Stupid

6

Gifted

6

Unable

6

Handy

5

Unfit

5

Qualified

9

Useless

7

Smart

5

M

6.6

M

6.5

Negative non-trait

Positive non-trait

 Accident

8

Diamond

7

 Agony

5

Health

6

 Assault

7

Heaven

6

 Crash

5

Happy

5

 Disaster

8

Lucky

5

 Divorce

7

Miracle

7

 Filth

5

Peace

5

 Jail

4

Pleasure

8

 Pollute

7

Rainbow

7

 Poverty

7

Vacation

8

 M

6.3

M

6.4

Cold

Warm

 Abusive

7

Amicable

8

 Blunt

5

Cordial

7

 Careless

8

Friendly

8

 Hostile

7

Gracious

8

 Impolite

8

Humane

6

 Rude

4

Intimate

8

 Sarcastic

9

Kind

4

 Stern

5

Obliging

8

 Sullen

6

Social

6

 Uncivil

7

Warm

4

 M

6.6

M

6.7

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White, J.B., Gardner, W.L. Think Women, Think Warm: Stereotype Content Activation in Women with a Salient Gender Identity, Using a Modified Stroop Task. Sex Roles 60, 247–260 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9526-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9526-z

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