Gender and Letters of Recommendation for Academia: Agentic and Communal Differences

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Madera, Juan M.; Hebl, Michelle R.; Martin, Randi C.
• 署名单位: University of Houston System; University of Houston; Rice University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/a0016539
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: 1591-1599
• 关键词: gender stereotypes; letters of recommendation; ACADEMIA; social role theory

摘要

In 2 studies that draw from the social role theory of sex differences (A. H. Eagly, W. Wood, & A. B. Diekman, 2000), the authors investigated differences in agentic and communal characteristics in letters of recommendation for men and women for academic positions and whether such differences influenced selection decisions in academia. The results supported the hypotheses, indicating (a) that women were described as more communal and less agentic than men (Study 1) and (b) that communal characteristics have a negative relationship with hiring decisions in academia that are based on letters of recommendation (Study 2). Such results are particularly important because letters of recommendation continue to be heavily weighted and commonly used selection tools (R. D. Arvey & T. E. Campion, 1982; R. A Guion, 1998), particularly in academia (E. P. Sheehan, T. M. McDevitt, & H. C. Ross, 1998).