Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Psychology

Specialization

Behavioral Science

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Mollie Ruben

Abstract

Humans rely on stereotyping to simplify and process a complex world. The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) identifies two main dimensions of stereotyping known as warmth and competence. Previous literature has focused on perceptions of cisgender men and cisgender women, referring to those whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth, along these dimensions. However, nonbinary individuals reject the traditional gender binary, and it is not known how warmth and competence perceptions will be applied to this demographic. This study investigated whether a nonbinary leader would be rated lower on warmth, competence, and desire to have as a boss when compared to a man and woman leader. Participants were 156 cisgender men and women recruited via Prolific who were instructed to read a biography and listen to an audio clip of a fictionalized leader. Participants were randomized to believe the leader was a man, woman, or nonbinary individual while the credentials remained the same. Moderators included the Need for Closure Scale (NFC) as an indirect measure of gender essentialism and a scale measuring beliefs about displaying pronouns. There were no significant differences in the perceptions of the nonbinary leader on warmth, competence, or desire to have as a boss. Higher NFC predicted marginally higher ratings of warmth (b = .03, p = .08) and significantly higher ratings of desire to have as a boss for the nonbinary leader (b = .04, p = .03). More positive beliefs about displaying pronouns predicted significantly higher ratings of the nonbinary leader (b = .27, p = .02). Results suggest a need for a more rigorous evidence-base to understand the biases and stereotypes faced by specific and separate gender-diverse groups.

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