Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle
Language:English
Published: Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1225154800
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-bgsu12251548002021-08-03T05:28:38Z Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle Psychology Motivated Stereotyping Role Congruity Theory Women Psychotherapist Previous research (Sinclair and Kunda, 2000) suggests that students and employees may rate female professors and managers who deliver negative feedback more negatively than their male counterparts. This finding is thought to result from participants’ applying the stereotype that women are less competent than men to protect their threatened self-esteem. In the current research, I examined the potential for motivated stereotyping of women to occur within the context of psychological therapy. I expected female, more than male, therapists (portrayed through typed stimulus materials and a photograph) to be derogated by participants after providing negative feedback because doing so: a) activates participants' motivation to protect their self-esteem, b) allows for use of readily available negative stereotypes about women, and c) violates the expectation that females will be kind. However, negative feedback can be provided in a relatively kind manner and, therefore, not violate the female-gender-role expectation of kindness. Therefore, in the current research I varied the type of feedback (positive or negative) and the manner in which negative feedback (e.g., blunt, negative feedback or negative-but-kind feedback) was presented. In addition to the primary dependent variable of derogation, I also assessed stereotype activation in order to examine the aforementioned process thought to underlie the derogation of professional women who provide negative feedback. Using a role-play methodology, 176 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of six conditions within a 3 [Type of Feedback: (positive, blunt negative, negative-but-kind)] x 2 [Sex of Therapist: (male, female)] between-subjects factorial design. Five hypotheses were proposed; partial support was found for 2 of the 5 hypotheses. To the extent that the methodology allowed for a clear test of these hypotheses, it is possible that the role of psychotherapist may represent a context to which previously proposed theory and results do not apply. Thus, consistent with role congruity theory, females may avoid the previously documented patterns of motivated derogation within certain female-dominated professions (Eagly & Karau, 2002). 2008-10-31 English text Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1225154800 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1225154800 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Psychology
Motivated Stereotyping
Role Congruity Theory
Women
Psychotherapist
spellingShingle Psychology
Motivated Stereotyping
Role Congruity Theory
Women
Psychotherapist
Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle
Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
author Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle
author_facet Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle
author_sort Barnhart Miller, Amy Michelle
title Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
title_short Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
title_full Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
title_fullStr Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
title_full_unstemmed Motivated Stereotyping of Women: Sources of Justification for Derogating Female Therapists
title_sort motivated stereotyping of women: sources of justification for derogating female therapists
publisher Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2008
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1225154800
work_keys_str_mv AT barnhartmilleramymichelle motivatedstereotypingofwomensourcesofjustificationforderogatingfemaletherapists
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