Comment on Wagner, Elejabarrieta and Lahnsteiner (1995): From sperm and ovum to gender stereotypes

Abstract

Wagner, Elejabarrieta and Lahnsteiner (1995) conclude that people use gender‐stereotypic attributes and sexual metaphors in describing the sperm and the ovum. The conclusion is criticized on the basis of two arguments: (1) the sperm is, in actuality, more active than the ovum and this difference is reflected in subjects' judgements; (2) in their study, the researchers themselves induced (a) the person metaphor and (b) gender categories. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.