Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images

Background: Gender stereotypes are still a social problem. They display themselves in the process of perception by activating a gender schema as well as androcentrism and gender polarization lenses. Objective: This paper addresses the dependence of perception on social stereotypes and schemas. The...

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Main Authors: Ekaterina Zizevskaia, Mariia Shchukina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University 2018-03-01
Series:Psychology in Russia: State of Art
Subjects:
Online Access:http://psychologyinrussia.com/volumes/pdf/2018_1/psych_1_2018-12_Zizevskaya.pdf
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author Ekaterina Zizevskaia
Mariia Shchukina
author_facet Ekaterina Zizevskaia
Mariia Shchukina
author_sort Ekaterina Zizevskaia
collection DOAJ
description Background: Gender stereotypes are still a social problem. They display themselves in the process of perception by activating a gender schema as well as androcentrism and gender polarization lenses. Objective: This paper addresses the dependence of perception on social stereotypes and schemas. The research aimed at understanding how a gender-neutral image of a cat is perceived, and checking such factors as gender schema, gender stereotyped context, the animal’s weight, the identification of participants with an animal on basis of their own gender. Design: A Female Cat or Male Cat Test, consisting of 12 pictures, was constructed for this research. We also used the Masculinity, Femininity and Gender Type of Personality Inventory, the Russian version of the Male Attitude Norms Inventory. Tests were conducted on 197 students in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow. Results: A cat was perceived as male 6.4 times more often than as a female, when each case of perception was counted. It was seen as male 7.2 times more often than as a female when we analyzed how the cat was seen in general by each participant. A gender-stereotyped context influenced perception for some participants. There was no influence of the animal’s weight or identification of participants with an animal on basis of their own gender. Conclusions: The research supports the hypotheses that perception of a picture of a gender-neutral animal can be explained mainly by gender schema and the interplay between “lenses” of gender polarization and androcentrism. When the last one was activated, the cat was seen as male. Most of cases when the animal was seen as a female can be explained by the influence of polarization lenses (through gender-stereotyped context in the pictures).
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spelling doaj.art-e1433c9cbe4d443f81c779b642f4130b2022-12-22T01:39:55ZengM.V. Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityPsychology in Russia: State of Art2074-68572307-22022018-03-0111115116310.11621/pir.2018.0112Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral imagesEkaterina Zizevskaia0Mariia Shchukina1General, Developmental and Differential Psychology Department, Saint Petersburg Institute of Psychology and Social Work, Saint PetersburgGeneral, Developmental and Differential Psychology Department, Saint Petersburg Instituteof Psychology and Social Work, Saint Petersburg Background: Gender stereotypes are still a social problem. They display themselves in the process of perception by activating a gender schema as well as androcentrism and gender polarization lenses. Objective: This paper addresses the dependence of perception on social stereotypes and schemas. The research aimed at understanding how a gender-neutral image of a cat is perceived, and checking such factors as gender schema, gender stereotyped context, the animal’s weight, the identification of participants with an animal on basis of their own gender. Design: A Female Cat or Male Cat Test, consisting of 12 pictures, was constructed for this research. We also used the Masculinity, Femininity and Gender Type of Personality Inventory, the Russian version of the Male Attitude Norms Inventory. Tests were conducted on 197 students in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow. Results: A cat was perceived as male 6.4 times more often than as a female, when each case of perception was counted. It was seen as male 7.2 times more often than as a female when we analyzed how the cat was seen in general by each participant. A gender-stereotyped context influenced perception for some participants. There was no influence of the animal’s weight or identification of participants with an animal on basis of their own gender. Conclusions: The research supports the hypotheses that perception of a picture of a gender-neutral animal can be explained mainly by gender schema and the interplay between “lenses” of gender polarization and androcentrism. When the last one was activated, the cat was seen as male. Most of cases when the animal was seen as a female can be explained by the influence of polarization lenses (through gender-stereotyped context in the pictures).http://psychologyinrussia.com/volumes/pdf/2018_1/psych_1_2018-12_Zizevskaya.pdfgender neutral imagegender schemaandrocentrismpolarization lensmalefemaleperception
spellingShingle Ekaterina Zizevskaia
Mariia Shchukina
Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
Psychology in Russia: State of Art
gender neutral image
gender schema
androcentrism
polarization lens
male
female
perception
title Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
title_full Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
title_fullStr Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
title_full_unstemmed Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
title_short Gender schemas in perception of gender-neutral images
title_sort gender schemas in perception of gender neutral images
topic gender neutral image
gender schema
androcentrism
polarization lens
male
female
perception
url http://psychologyinrussia.com/volumes/pdf/2018_1/psych_1_2018-12_Zizevskaya.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ekaterinazizevskaia genderschemasinperceptionofgenderneutralimages
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