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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: Sex roles : a journal of research, Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Jg. 91, Nr. 1, 6, S. 1–15, doi: 10.1007/s11199-024-01552-4.
Faculty/Chair:
Author:
Title of the Journal:
Sex roles : a journal of research
ISSN:
1573-2762
Publisher Information:
Year of publication:
2025
Volume:
91
Issue:
1, 6
Pages:
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
DDC Classification:
RVK Classification:
Peer Reviewed:
Yes:
International Distribution:
Yes:
Type:
Article
Activation date:
December 16, 2024
Project(s):
Versioning
Question on publication
Permalink
https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/105453