A new study from New York University highlights how the way we talk about the gender gap in political leadership can influence perceptions and actions. Framing the issue as “men’s overrepresentation” elicits more anger and motivation to address the disparity, particularly among women.
Recognizing the potential influence of media on public attitudes on the gender gap in leadership, a team of psychology researchers from New York University set out to explore whether the framing of this gender gap — either as “women’s underrepresentation” or “men’s overrepresentation” — could impact perceptions and inspire actions to address it.
In their new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the researchers found that framing the gender gap as “men’s overrepresentation” in political leadership elicited stronger emotional reactions, particularly anger, among women. This anger subsequently increased perceptions of the disparity as unjust and motivated calls for change.
“While most Americans acknowledge that gender diversity in leadership is important, framing the gender gap as women’s underrepresentation may desensitize the public,” co-author Emily Balcetis, an associate professor of psychology at NYU, said in a news release. “For many, taking the same statistics, like that 29% of Congress is female, but reframing the issue as men’s overrepresentation, by saying instead that 71% of Congress is male, elicits stronger emotional responses and spurs people to do something to increase access to leadership for men and women.”
The study suggests that this simple reframing can have powerful effects on women’s willingness to take action against gender disparity. However, the researchers note certain limitations — the framing did not impact perceptions of business leadership among either men or women, nor did it increase anger among men regarding the political leadership gap.
Despite these limitations, the results offer a promising avenue for addressing a long-standing issue.
Rachel Godsil, a professor at Rutgers Law School, co-founder of the Perception Institute and one of the paper’s authors, emphasized the broader societal benefits.
“Our society benefits when we have women as well as men as leaders in politics and business,” Godsil said in the news release. “It is crucial that we can all be confident that no one is shut out of leadership positions because of their gender.”
The research team conducted a series of experiments where participants read mock news articles based on real-world gender gap data in politics and business. These articles either framed the gap as women’s underrepresentation or men’s overrepresentation.
Responses were measured through expressed anger at the gender gap and willingness to support federal legislation like the Women’s Global Empowerment, Development and Prosperity Act of 2020. Participants could also write letters to their congressional representatives or indicate their interest in reducing gender disparity through other actions, like social media posts or donations.
The findings showed that women who read the “men’s overrepresentation” frame in political leadership contexts displayed more anger and a greater readiness to support gender equity measures. This emotional response correlated with behaviors such as writing more impassioned letters to Congress and showing a stronger desire to donate to programs aimed at reducing gender bias.
“Framing the gender gap in politics as due to men’s advantages — in this case, men’s overrepresentation — as opposed to women’s disadvantages — their underrepresentation — not only affects how women view this concern, but also prompts action to combat it,” added lead author Usman Liaquat, an NYU doctoral student at the time of the study and now a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University.
This innovative approach to framing gender disparity highlights how subtle shifts in perspective can drive significant social action, marking a potential path forward in closing the gender gap in leadership.