Implicit Self-Esteem as a Potential Link between Gender Identity Threat in Males and Attitudes towards Women in Managerial Positions

Marwa Makhlouf, Noha Ezz El-Din Fikry, Hana Hazem Hafiz, Ingy Farweez

Abstract


This experiment investigated the effects of male gender threat on implicit self-esteem, and how that in turn may influence prejudices towards women in managerial positions. The Self-Esteem Implicit Association Test (IAT) was administered to 82 male undergraduate students prior to and after a gender threat intervention using false results on a measure of gender roles. After the gender threat intervention and IAT, respondents answered the Women as Managers Scale. Results showed that participants who received the gender threat intervention did not show significant differences in attitudes toward women in managerial positions compared to participants who were randomly assigned to the group that did not receive the gender threat. However, there was a significant positive relationship within the overall sample between implicit self-esteem and positive attitudes towards women in managerial positions.

Keywords


self-esteem; gender

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References


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