Rolling with the Changes: A Role Congruity Perspective on Gender Norms

TLDR

Role congruity theory holds that groups are favorably evaluated when their characteristics align with the typical social roles of the group, and social roles shape norms prescribing valued behavior for men and women. The study examined how perceived social roles influence the prescriptive content of gender stereotypes by investigating cross‑temporal role change across three experiments. Participants evaluated gender‑stereotypic traits of men and women across past, present, and future, assessed consensual trend descriptions, and read experimentally manipulated role‑change scenarios in a novel society to gauge trait evaluations. Results showed that perceptions of cross‑temporal role changes led to differential valuing of role‑congruent characteristics, with participants projecting greater value on traits that facilitate role success as roles shift.

Abstract

Role congruity theory (e.g., Eagly & Diekman, 2005 ) posits that a group will be positively evaluated when its characteristics are perceived to align with the requirements of the group's typical social roles. Social roles may thus form the basis of norms that prescribe valued behavior for men and women. Three experiments explored the relationship between perceived social roles and the prescriptive content of gender stereotypes by examining perceptions of cross-temporal role change. In the first study, participants evaluated the gender-stereotypic traits of past, present, and future men and women. In the second study, participants evaluated descriptions of consensually perceived trends for men and women. In the third study, participants read experimentally manipulated descriptions of role changes in a novel society and evaluated the traits of future citizens. Perceptions of cross-temporal changes in social roles (whether naturally occurring or experimentally manipulated) were associated with differential valuing of role-congruent characteristics. In general, participants' responses reflected a pattern of anticipated accommodation to shifts in social roles, with greater value projected for characteristics that facilitate role success.