Linguistic gender bias as a result of uncertainty: the moderating roles of group identification and sociostructural variables

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine whether low status groups (females) use more language abstractions for gender stereotypical information about their ingroup and outgroup when primed with uncertainty compared to certainty. It also tested whether gender identification, gender related system justification and legitimacy and stability perceptions of the gender hierarchy moderated this relationship. Previous studies showed that uncertainty feeling led to increased group identification and ingroup bias. Moreover, people with high need for cognitive closure, i.e., who were less tolerant to uncertainty, were found to infer traits from behaviors that were stereotypical more than those with low need for cognitive closure. Inferring traits from behaviors, i.e., inductions are a way of language abstraction and occur more frequently and automatically than inferring behaviors from traits, i.e., deductions. This study also tested this asymmetry in Turkish language for the first time. In line with expectations, participants made more and faster inductions than deductions. Uncertainty priming led to increased gender identification when participants were exposed to an outgroup member, i.e., male student. As expected, when they read statements about the female student, uncertainty led those who were high in gender identification and legitimacy but who were low in stability make more stereotypecongruent rather than incongruent inductions, which was not observed among low identifiers, low legitimacy participants or those who found the system stable. Moreover, participants who read statements about the male student and who were exposed to uncertainty made more stereotype-incongruent rather than congruent inductions when they were low in system justification and legitimacy, which was also in line with predictions. Finally, the study also investigated the effect of manipulations on hit and correct rejection performance and response times.