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Implicit and Explicit Occupational Gender Stereotypes

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Abstract

This study was designed to compare implicit and explicit occupational gender stereotypes for three occupations (engineer, accountant, and elementary school teacher). These occupations represented the end points and middle of a masculine–feminine continuum of explicit occupational gender stereotypes. Implicit stereotypes were assessed using the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which is believed to minimize self-presentational biases common with explicit measures of occupational gender stereotypes. IAT results for the most gender stereotyped occupations, engineer (masculine) and elementary school teacher (feminine), were comparable to explicit ratings. There was less agreement with less stereotyped comparisons. Results indicated that accounting was implicitly perceived as more masculine than explicit measures indicate, which calls into question reports of diminishing gender stereotyping for such occupations.

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Acknowledgments

Rachel Blalock, Beau Isley, Michiko Iwasaki, and Vance Jackson collected data by serving as experimenters for this study. We appreciate their generous help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA

    Michael J. White

  2. Department of Accounting, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA

    Gwendolen B. White

Authors
  1. Michael J. White
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  2. Gwendolen B. White
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Correspondence to Michael J. White.

Appendix

Appendix

Words Used as Stimuli

Engineer. Blueprints, Hardware, Mechanical, Science, Technical

Accountant. Auditing, Business, Finance, Money, Taxes

Elementary School Teacher. Children, Creativity, Learning, Patience, Story Time

Masculine names. Andrew, James, John, Matthew, Michael

Feminine names. Amanda, Jennifer, Jessica, Melissa, Michelle

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White, M.J., White, G.B. Implicit and Explicit Occupational Gender Stereotypes. Sex Roles 55, 259–266 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9078-z

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