Speaker
Description
Female-related and male-related stereotypes have so far been examined under the unique construct of “gender stereotypes”. However, growing behavioral and neural evidence has suggested that they may constitute distinct phenomena. Our current research supports this claim by capitalizing on the uniqueness of human faces to more strongly trigger gender stereotypes than verbal labels.
Previous studies have explored the neural bases of implicit gender stereotyping using word-based priming paradigms. We extended this approach by incorporating both words and faces, recording behavioral (Reaction Times, RTs) and neural (Event-Related Potentials, ERPs) responses. In Study 1, participants gender-categorized target third-person singular pronouns (lui ‘he’ or lei ‘she’) or faces (male, female), preceded by grammatically marked or stereotypically associated words (e.g., pensionato ‘pensioner’, passeggera ‘passenger’; conducente ‘driver’, badante ‘caregiver’). ERP data revealed an asymmetry in gender stereotype processing for faces in stereotypical contexts, but no previously found effect for pronouns. We confirmed that faces are more potent stereotype triggers than words. Study 2 replicated and extended these findings by examining both word-face and face-word priming effects. Participants performed a gender categorization task on faces preceded by stereotypically associated words (e.g., conducente ‘driver’, badante ‘caregiver’), and a lexical decision task on stereotypically associated words or non-words preceded by a face. ERP asymmetries were again observed when faces were targets, but only partially when stereotype-associated words were targets. Study 3 investigated the neural correlates of stereotypical and grammatical noun-verb gender agreement in Italian sentences. Results showed an asymmetry for grammatical but not stereotypical gender agreement. This grammatical asymmetry could owe to the unmarked nature of the masculine form in gender-marked languages.
Together, these studies show that female- and male-related stereotypes, as well as grammatical gender, engage distinct cognitive mechanisms. Stereotype asymmetries likely reflect the uneven evolution of gender roles, underscoring the need for distinct investigation and targeted intervention across different gender domains.
