Same Script, Different Decade: The Gender Stereotype Freeze Frame

Elizabeth L. Haines. Ph.D., William Paterson University

Over the past forty years, women have made remarkable gains in politics, sports, higher education, leadership, and the workplace. Yet, despite this progress, gender stereotypes still depict women and men as fundamentally—and inaccurately—different. Drawing on data from 1983, 2014, and 2024, I show that perceptions of gender differences in agency and communion remain strikingly strong (Cohen’s d = 0.9–1.8), even as actual behavioral and occupational gaps have narrowed (Haines, Deaux, & Lofaro, 2016; Haines & Lofaro, in prep).

I argue that the barriers to gender equality are not simply “in the stereotypes” but arise from the intersection of individual, relational, and structural forces in both work and home contexts. To illuminate these dynamics, I introduce the Role Prioritization Model (Haines & Stroessner, 2019), which builds on role congruity, lack of fit, and backlash theories (Eagly & Karau, 2002; Heilman, 2001; Rudman & Glick, 2001) to specify when and how prescriptive and proscriptive norms limit both women and men.

Title: When Information Affects Attitudes: The Effectiveness of Targeting Attitude-Relevant Beliefs

Abstract: Do citizens update strongly held beliefs when presented with belief-incongruent information, and does such updating affect downstream attitudes? Though fact-checking studies find that corrections reliably influence beliefs, attitudinal effects are negligible. We argue that such findings may reflect belief relevance - the extent to which specific beliefs bear on attitudes. Using large language models (LLMs), we elicit deeply held issue attitudes and "focal beliefs" that are described as central to those attitudes. We then randomly assign participants to receive either an LLM-generated factual argument targeting (1) their focal belief, (2) an attitude-relevant but unmentioned belief ("distal belief"), or (3) a placebo. In experiments with two large online convenience samples, we show that counterarguments successfully decrease both focal and distal belief strength, with effects persisting after one week.

Roadblocks and Roadmaps to Sustainable Occupational Gender Diversity

Despite efforts to promote gender diversity, women remain underrepresented within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields traditionally occupied by men. Similarly, men are underrepresented in HEED (Healthcare, Early Education, and Domestic) roles typically performed by women. This persistent occupational gender segregation can constrain individuals’ professional pathways, undermine the quality of organizational outputs, and reinforce the existing gender status quo. In response, my work: 1) Identifies the ways in which prevalent gender biases impede sustainable occupational gender diversity (i.e., the lasting, substantial presence and valued engagement of individuals from across the gender identity spectrum), and 2) Develops and evaluates innovative diversity interventions aimed at reducing ongoing occupational gender segregation. In this talk, I will first present experimental evidence of gender bias in both STEM and HEED, before exploring its direct consequences for women’s and men’s enthusiasm for counter-stereotypic occupations. I will then discuss a program of ongoing research focused on generating and testing evidence-based interventions aimed at increasing awareness of and reducing these gender biases. The broader goal of this work is to remove gendered obstacles so that individuals across the gender identity spectrum are freer to pursue their genuine goals and talents