Does Technology Thwart Gender Stereotypes? An Impression Formation-Based Examination of the Differential Influence of Technology across Gender and Messages

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between gender, message sentiment, and technology use on the way that observers form impressions of others. Building on impression formation and gender stereotype research and theory, we develop a two-study research methodology for examining how impressions of technology users are formed. The results of our two studies indicate that technology use is an important component in impression formation, significantly inhibiting the effects of gender stereotyping, such that women and men are not evaluated differently based on their apparent competency in using technology nor on the content of their messaging. Our findings indicate that the use of technology subverts both the male and female stereotypes that observers normally engage.