Gender bias personality perception in stereotypically gendered sport

Abstract

Gender bias is a significant issue within sport and exercise; this bias can have prominent influences on performance and developmental issues. The extent of literature surrounding bias is vast. However, the cause of bias is rarely explored. The present study aimed to investigate the effect personality has on gender bias within sports; this considers the influence of personality on gender bias and the potential rationale for bias. Sixty-eight (34 male and 34 female) participants completed a Big-5 personality inventory and read two of four sports vignettes (ballet and football), either male or female vignettes; they then further completed a two Big-5 inventory questionnaires regarding the personality of the athlete in the vignette. The results indicated that individual personality traits influence the level of bias towards gender in sports. Further, they suggest that the gender of the athlete influences our perception of athletes’ personalities and the stereotypical gender of the sport they participated in.