Miami University, Department of Psychology, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2011 Jul;37(7):930-41. doi: 10.1177/0146167211403322. Epub 2011 Apr 5.
The current research explores role congruity processes from a new vantage point by investigating how the need for change might shift gender-based leadership preferences. According to role congruity theory, favorability toward leaders results from alignment between what is desired in a leadership role and the characteristics stereotypically ascribed to the leader. Generally speaking, these processes lead to baseline preferences for male over female leaders. In this research, the authors propose that a shift in gender-based leadership preferences will emerge under conditions of threat. Because the psychological experience of threat signals a need for change, individuals will favor candidates who represent new directions in leadership rather than consistency with past directions in leadership. Specifically, they find that threat evokes an implicit preference for change over stability (Experiment 1) and gender stereotypes align women with change but men with stability (Experiments 2a and 2b). Consequently, the typical preference for male leaders is diminished, or even reversed, under threat (Experiments 3 and 4). Moreover, the shift away from typical gender-based leadership preferences occurs especially among individuals who highly legitimize the sociopolitical system (Experiment 4), suggesting that these preference shifts might serve to protect the underlying system.
当前的研究从一个新的视角探讨了角色一致性过程，即研究需求变化如何可能改变基于性别的领导偏好。根据角色一致性理论，对领导者的好感源于领导角色中期望的东西与领导者通常具有的特征之间的一致性。一般来说，这些过程导致对男性领导者的基本偏好超过女性领导者。在这项研究中，作者提出，在受到威胁的情况下，基于性别的领导偏好将会发生转变。因为威胁的心理体验表明需要改变，所以个体将倾向于代表领导新方向的候选人，而不是与过去领导方向保持一致的候选人。具体来说，他们发现，威胁会引起对变化的隐含偏好，而不是对稳定的偏好（实验 1），并且性别刻板印象将女性与变化联系在一起，而将男性与稳定联系在一起（实验 2a 和 2b）。因此，在受到威胁的情况下，对男性领导者的典型偏好会减弱，甚至反转（实验 3 和 4）。此外，这种偏离典型基于性别的领导偏好的情况尤其发生在高度认可社会政治制度的个体中（实验 4），这表明这些偏好转变可能有助于保护潜在的制度。
