Gender Stereotypes, Ascribed Gender and Social Perception

Abstract

This study studied the effects of gender labeling on the descriptions made by naive observers (43 males and 104 females) of filmed presentations of five individuals. For several of the five individuals the chromosomal and anatomic gender was discrepant with the apparent gender assumed from dress or physical appearance. The observers were informed after the first rating of the biological gender of the five persons and were asked to repeat their descriptions. Merely changing the label, i.e., male/female, significantly altered the descriptions. The label appeared to invoke the observers' stereotypic model of male/female qualities and overrode “objective” assessment.