Effects of Gender and Counter-stereotypical Major on Overall Impression and Ratings of Stereotypical Traits

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of gender and academic major type (i.e. gender stereotypical, non-stereotypical, and neutral) on assessment of a target person in order to determine how people perceive those who violate gender norms. Participants rated the person on three dependent variables assessing general impression of the target. They also completed ratings of the extent to which twelve adjectives best described each target person (e.g., sensitive, competitive, aggressive). It is predicted that targets with non-stereotypical majors will receive lower ratings for overall impression, physical attractiveness, and desire to meet. It is also predicted that targets with non-stereotypical majors wiII be rated higher on the non-stereotypical traits than those with stereotypical majors. The dependent variables listed above were analyzed using a Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance, the independent variables used were major type, and participant sex.