Abstract
This study tested the effect of gender category label on likability ratings of people who engage in gender-stereotyped behaviors (male-stereotyped behaviors or female-stereotyped behaviors), focusing on the negative aspects of stereotyped behaviors. In the experiment, participants’ sex (male or female) and category label (male, femaleor unlabeled) were the independent variables. Participants were asked to read sentences describing gender stereotyped behaviors, then. evaluate the likability of the target (male, female, or unknown). Results indicated that when the gender category label consistent with negatively stereotyped behavior was associated, negative impressions of the target (i.e., a stereotype-consistent person) were moderated only when evaluators were outgroup. Furthermore, when the opposite gender category label was associated with negatively gender-stereotyped behavior, the target (i.e., a stereotype-inconsistent person) was evaluated negatively. Also, this negative evaluation was most prominent when a male label was associated with female-stereotyped behavior.
