The effect of attitude toward women on the relative individuation of women and men is mediated by perceived gender subgroups

Abstract

The present study investigated whether a differential number of perceived subgroups for men and women mediated the previous finding that men and women with more traditional attitudes concerning women's roles individuate men more than women, whereas individuals with less traditional attitudes better individuate women (Stewart, Vassar, Sanchez, & David, 2000). Participants were asked to recall traits of 2 male and 2 female targets described to them. Comparison of memory errors for male vs female targets indicated relative individuation of men and women. Participants also generated subgroups of men and women and indicated their familiarity with these groups. As predicted, relative number of subgroups but not differential familiarity mediated the relationship between attitudes and relative individuation of men and women. More complex representations of women are proposed to facilitate organization of information about new members of this group.

Interethnic Differences (or Similarities?) in the Relative Individuation of Women and Men

“…noted the importance of the failure to find attitude effects on individuation for African American participants but stated that "there were too few African American students in the studies to adequately explore the nature of the differences" (p. 146). A later study advantaged by a larger number of African American participants (26 women and 19 men) again found a pattern of equivalent individuation of women and men for African American participants, regardless of participants' gender or reported attitudes toward women (Stewart et al 2006). If attitude effects on relative individuation are restricted to White participants, the utility of this principle is in question.…”

“…The comparable attitude effects on individuation in the United States and the Netherlands offered preliminary confidence in the potency of attitude effects on the relative individuation of women and men. But questions concerning the generalizability of this principle are raised in discrepant results for African American and White participants reported in two studies 2006). In these studies, attitudes were consistently found to predict the relative individuation of women and men for White participants; however, in both studies, African American participants were found to individuate women and men equivalently, regardless of their gender or attitudes toward women and despite their reported perception that men hold higher status than women.…”

“…In order to allow an appropriate comparison with the numerous previous studies in this research line that have demonstrated attitude effects on individuation for White participants (including participants from the same university as that of the present participants), the paradigm of the present experiment was highly similar to that employed in previous experiments 2006). The key difference was that, in the present experiments, target ethnicity was specified.…”

“…For example, in a study of the relative individuation of men and women, Lorenzi-Cioldi et al (1995) found that both men and women perceived men to hold higher status and, consequently, better individuated men. Yet, in more recent research, the extent to which one individuates women versus men was found to be better predicted by one's attitudes toward women's rights and roles in society than by either shared group membership or the generally held perception that men hold higher status than women (Stewart et al 2006;Stewart et al 2004;. Individuals with more traditional views about women's rights and roles, as measured by the Attitude Towards Women Scale, (AWS; Spence and Helmreich 1978) were found in a series of studies conducted in the United States and the Netherlands to better individuate, and therefore to better remember, men than women 2004;2006).…”

“…Yet, in more recent research, the extent to which one individuates women versus men was found to be better predicted by one's attitudes toward women's rights and roles in society than by either shared group membership or the generally held perception that men hold higher status than women (Stewart et al 2006;Stewart et al 2004;. Individuals with more traditional views about women's rights and roles, as measured by the Attitude Towards Women Scale, (AWS; Spence and Helmreich 1978) were found in a series of studies conducted in the United States and the Netherlands to better individuate, and therefore to better remember, men than women 2004;2006). The authors attributed this finding to participants' reported perception that men hold higher societal status and to the established tendency for individuals to better individuate those in higher status roles (Fiske 1993).…”