Evaluating Vocational Aptitude Assessments Using Survey Experiments:

Determining Gender Stereotypes Embedded in Assessments

Abstract

Studies on gender occupational segregation have recently begun to focus on capturing the imbalanced changes in its structure. Therefore, surveys targeting hiring managers using survey experiments have been conducted. They examine whether the gender of applicants affects independent assessments of individual productivity, thereby determining whether gender stereotypes exist. Based on these findings, this study examines gender differences in vocational aptitude assessments by surveying the general public. Respondents were presented with a profile of a fictitious person, and the responses were analyzed to determine whether the evaluation of vocational aptitude differed depending on the gender written on a vignette card. The results revealed no gender-based differences in the assessment of vignettes in male-dominated professions. However, in male blue-collar and security jobs, female respondents underestimated female vignettes, and in women-dominated jobs, male respondents underestimated male vignettes. These results suggest that gender-stereotyped assessments may be decreasing in occupations where gender occupational segregation is weakening.