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Effects of Gender-Fair Language on the Cognitive Representation of Women in Stereotypically Masculine Occupations and Occupational Self-Efficacy Among Primary School Girls and Boys
Lenhart, Jan; Heckel, Franziska (2025): Effects of Gender-Fair Language on the Cognitive Representation of Women in Stereotypically Masculine Occupations and Occupational Self-Efficacy Among Primary School Girls and Boys, in: Bamberg: Otto-Friedrich-Universität, S. 1–15.
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Publisher Information:
Year of publication:
2025
Pages:
Source/Other editions:
Sex roles : a journal of research, Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025, Jg. 91, Nr. 1, 6, S. 1–15, ISSN: 1573-2762
Year of first publication:
2025
Language:
English
Abstract:
Based on the assumption that language influences thinking, the present study investigated the effect of gender-fair language in German, a grammatically gendered language among primary school children. Specifically, in a single-study experiment, we compared 218 German third and fourth graders on the effects of the generic masculine (e.g., der Polizist; English: the policeman) and gender-fair language in terms of the feminine and masculine form (e.g., die Polizistin/der Polizist; English: the policewoman/the policeman) on the cognitive representation of women in stereotypically masculine occupations and occupational self-efficacy. General self-efficacy was examined as a moderator variable, assumed to influence the effect of gender-fair language on occupational self-efficacy. The results indicate that the gender-fair form led to a higher cognitive representation of women in stereotypically masculine occupations for girls and increased girls’ occupational self-efficacy for stereotypically masculine occupations. In contrast, the use of gender-fair language did not significantly influence boys’ cognitive representation of women and their occupational self-efficacy. General self-efficacy did not affect the effect of gender-fair language on occupational self-efficacy. Thus, even as early as in primary school, gender-fair language could help attracting girls to stereotypically masculine occupations.
Keywords: ; ; ; ;
Gender-fair language
Gender stereotypes
Cognitive representation of women
Occupational self-efficacy
Primary school students
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Peer Reviewed:
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International Distribution:
Yes:
Type:
Article
Activation date:
April 25, 2025
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https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/107500