Gender Bias in Perceptions of Military Leaders: Hostile Sexism Moderates Men’s Evaluations of Faces
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Wetzler, Elizabeth L.
Korenman, Lisa M.
Rylander, Stephen R.
Issue Date
2024-03-15
Type
journal-article
Language
Keywords
hostile sexism , sexually dimorphic faces , leadership potential , Military Leadership , gender bias , gender perceptions , traditional gender roles
Alternative Title
Abstract
In this study, we examined the role of dispositional sexism in male service academy cadets' evaluations of military leadership potential for sexually dimorphic male and female faces, with a particular focus on the impact of hostile sexism. Male cadets (N = 224) rated eight pairs of masculinized and feminized faces on 14 characteristics relevant to Army leadership and completed a measure of hostile and benevolent sexism. We tested a 2 (sex of face: male, female) × 2 (gender of face: masculine, feminine) × 2 (type of sexism: hostile, benevolent) × 2 (level of sexism: low, high) mixed model ANOVA with the first two variables as within subjects and the last two variables as between subjects and using composite leadership potential ratings as the dependent variable. Results indicated a significant three-way interaction between sex of face, gender of face, and levels of hostile (but not benevolent) sexism, whereby participants with elevated levels of antipathy towards women reported the least positive perceptions of military leadership potential for women with masculine facial features. These findings underscore the importance of addressing hostile sexism in military training and leadership development programs to promote equality and inclusion.
Description
Citation
Wetzler, Elizabeth L., Lisa M. Korenman, and Stephen R. Rylander. "Gender Bias in Perceptions of Military Leaders: Hostile Sexism Moderates Men’s Evaluations of Faces." Sex Roles 90, no. 4 (2024): 552-564.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
ISSN
0360-0025
1573-2762
1573-2762