Women are warm, but she isn’t: how and when gender stereotypes are applied
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2025
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Abstract
This dissertation aimed to disentangle the psychological mechanisms and conditions underlying the application of gender stereotypes. Specifically, it sought to test the distinction between the activation and application of gender stereotypes, evaluate the effect of counterstereotypical examples on stereotype application, identify whether stereotype activation functions as a mechanism through which stereotype application operates, and assess the effect of individual factors on the activation and application of gender stereotypes. These objectives were addressed through three experiments and a measure validation study. The first study, comprising two experiments, established the empirical distinction between stereotype activation and application. We adapted and validated a single experimental task that addresses both processes and separates them using formal modeling techniques. The second study validated a sexism measure in a separate sample from the same population, which was then used to evaluate its role as an individual factor influencing stereotype activation and application. The final study, involving one experiment, examined the effect of counter-stereotypical examples on stereotype application. We evaluated the mediating role of stereotype activation and the influence of individual factors such as sexism, motivation to respond without sexism and gender essentialism. Our findings enhance the understanding of how and when gender stereotypes are applied, shedding light on the cognitive processes involved in forming impressions of both stereotypical and counter-stereotypical individuals. These insights are crucial for developing more effective strategies to mitigate the negative impact of harmful gender stereotypes.
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Tesis (Doctor of Psychology)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2025