A new study finds that framing gender disparity in political leadership as 'men's overrepresentation' rather than 'women's underrepresentation' can lead to stronger emotional responses and increased motivation for action, particularly among women.
It’s well-known that women are underrepresented in political leadership. Now, a new study highlights how we frame this problem can impact public attitudes. The research reveals that framing the gender disparity as “men’s overrepresentation” rather than “women’s underrepresentation” can provoke stronger emotional reactions and motivate action—at least among women. The study, conducted by researchers at New York University, involved a series of experiments that included over 10,000 participants.
Participants read mock news articles based on real-world data on the gender gap in leadership in politics and business. Half of the participants read articles that framed the gap as women’s underrepresentation, and half read the same article framed as men’s overrepresentation. Both versions presented the same underlying facts. The researchers determined that framing the gender gap in political leadership as an outcome of men's overrepresentation—such as emphasizing that 71% of Congress is male rather than noting that 29% is female—elicited greater anger among women and heightened perceptions of injustice. In turn, this anger made women more likely to take action, from writing letters to lawmakers to supporting initiatives aimed at reducing gender bias. In particular, participants were given the opportunity to write their representatives regarding the Women’s Global Empowerment, Development and Prosperity Act of 2020, which was under consideration in Congress at the time of the study. Women who became angry after reading about men’s overrepresentation wrote longer letters to their Congressional representatives. These women also showed greater interest in reading about strategies to reduce gender inequality and expressed stronger intentions to donate to related programs
GENDER DISPARITY WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POLITICAL REPRESENTATION PERCEIVED INJUSTICE MOTIVATION FOR ACTION
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Reframing the Gender Gap: How News Coverage Influences Perceptions and ActionA new study reveals that framing the gender gap as 'men's overrepresentation' instead of 'women's underrepresentation' can spark anger and motivate women to address the issue, particularly in politics.
Read more »
Bidens host women's health conference to focus on health care gender gapPresident Biden and first lady Jill Biden highlighted the progress made in the first year of their White House initiative.
Read more »
Close the Gender Giving Gap: Women Need More Charitable Support in Wake of the ElectionMore Than A Magazine, A Movement
Read more »
Meet The Women Closing The U.K. Gender Funding GapAcross the pond, the U.K. is tackling its gender funding gap head on, through a government-backed taskforce which has just raised £255 million ($320M).
Read more »
Biden hopes to close the gender gap in health carePresident Biden and first lady Jill Biden brought together researchers, investors and advocates Wednesday for the White House's first ever research conference on women's health.
Read more »
Two Men Face Trial for Cutting Down Famed ‘Sycamore Gap’ Tree, Damaging Hadrian’s WallSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »