Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018

Alice H. Eagly; Christa Nater; David I. Miller; Michèle Kaufmann; Sabine Sczesny

doi:10.1037/amp0000494

Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018

Alice H. Eagly^*, Christa Nater, David I. Miller, Michèle Kaufmann, Sabine Sczesny

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

811 Scopus citations

Abstract

This meta-analysis integrated 16 nationally representative U.S. public opinion polls on gender stereotypes (N = 30,093 adults), extending from 1946 to 2018, a span of seven decades that brought considerable change in gender relations, especially in women's roles. In polls inquiring about communion (e.g., affectionate, emotional), agency (e.g., ambitious, courageous), and competence (e.g., intelligent, creative), respondents indicated whether each trait is more true of women or men, or equally true of both. Women's relative advantage in communion increased over time, but men's relative advantage in agency showed no change. Belief in competence equality increased over time, along with belief in female superiority among those who indicated a sex difference in competence. Contemporary gender stereotypes thus convey substantial female advantage in communion and a smaller male advantage in agency but also gender equality in competence along with some female advantage. Interpretation emphasizes the origins of gender stereotypes in the social roles of women and men.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	301-315
Number of pages	15
Journal	American Psychologist
Volume	75
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000494
State	Published - Apr 2020

Funding

This article was published Online First July 18, 2019. X Alice H. Eagly, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University; X Christa Nater, Department of Psychology, University of Bern; X David I. Miller, American Institutes for Research, Washington, D.C.; Michèle Kaufmann and X Sabine Sczesny, Department of Psychology, University of Bern. The research was supported in part by a grant (P0BEP1_162210) from the Swiss National Science Foundation awarded to Christa Nater. Michèle Kaufmann is now at Growth from Knowledge (GfK), Nuremberg, Germany. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Alice H. Eagly, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. E-mail: [email protected]

Keywords

Agency
Communion
Competence
Gender stereotypes
Public opinion polls

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Psychology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1037/amp0000494

Cite this

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title = "Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018",

abstract = "This meta-analysis integrated 16 nationally representative U.S. public opinion polls on gender stereotypes (N = 30,093 adults), extending from 1946 to 2018, a span of seven decades that brought considerable change in gender relations, especially in women's roles. In polls inquiring about communion (e.g., affectionate, emotional), agency (e.g., ambitious, courageous), and competence (e.g., intelligent, creative), respondents indicated whether each trait is more true of women or men, or equally true of both. Women's relative advantage in communion increased over time, but men's relative advantage in agency showed no change. Belief in competence equality increased over time, along with belief in female superiority among those who indicated a sex difference in competence. Contemporary gender stereotypes thus convey substantial female advantage in communion and a smaller male advantage in agency but also gender equality in competence along with some female advantage. Interpretation emphasizes the origins of gender stereotypes in the social roles of women and men.",

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Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of U.S. public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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