Ann Arbor Times

A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan has uncovered significant insights into societal beliefs regarding gender differences in social preferences. The research indicates that there is a strong belief among people that women are inherently more generous, cooperative, and equality-driven than men. This perception has far-reaching implications for workplace dynamics, hiring decisions, and leadership opportunities.

The study analyzed 15 experiments with nearly 9,000 participants. It found that both men and women expect women to make choices favoring fairness over self-interest and to behave altruistically. However, when actual decision-making behaviors were examined, it was observed that men and women acted similarly across various scenarios.

Christine Exley, an associate professor of economics at the University of Michigan and one of the authors of the study, emphasized the impact of these beliefs: “These beliefs matter regardless of their accuracy. They shape the expectations and constraints that women face in professional and personal settings, influencing how they are perceived, evaluated and treated.”

Exley highlighted that such perceptions can have real-world consequences in workplaces. Women who are expected to be cooperative may be overlooked for leadership roles requiring tough decision-making. Employers might assume women prioritize fairness over performance-based rewards, affecting their chances for promotion to roles involving negotiations or resource management.

Hiring dynamics are also influenced by these perceptions. As Exley noted, workers who benefit from equal pay policies might prefer female employers due to the belief that women favor fairness over merit-based outcomes. This could inadvertently attract lower-performing candidates to female-led workplaces.

Beyond professional settings, these beliefs affect household dynamics and policy preferences as well. Participants expected women more than men to desire equal caregiving responsibilities at home. In political discussions, women were seen as stronger supporters of redistribution policies like equal pay and affordable healthcare.

The study suggests these ingrained beliefs stem from associative memory—how individuals recall past experiences influences their generalizations about gender behavior.

While acknowledging that gender differences can exist, Exley stressed recognizing how strongly held beliefs shape interactions in ways reinforcing disparities: "If women are consistently expected to behave in certain ways," she said, "they may face greater scrutiny when they deviate from those expectations."

This research was published in February's issue of The Quarterly Journal of Economics.