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If God is a Woman, Can She Lead?: Exploring the Impact of Gendered Perceptions of God on Attitudes Toward Leadership
Location: East Ballroom
Mentor: Dr. Simon Howard
Despite progress toward gender equality in various contexts (e.g. socially, politically, and economically), job disparities between men and women persist, especially in areas of leadership. Prior research suggests that exposure to a masculine depiction of God strengthens beliefs surrounding traditional gender roles, including beliefs about which gender is most fit for leadership. The current study explored how priming individuals with gendered versions of the Lord’s Prayer (e.g. influencing an individual's God concept using either “Father,” “Mother,” or “Provider”) affects the evaluation of male versus female job candidates. Participants first read a gendered version of the Lord’s Prayer, and then completed a leadership task, where they were shown a series of faces and asked to evaluate perceived candidacy. Results revealed no significant effect of priming on candidacy evaluations. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.
