How are gender counter-stereotypical adolescents evaluated by their peers? Investigating the backlash effect in French schools

Abstract

AbstractResearch on the backlash effect has long studied the social sanctions that individuals impose on those who do not conform to stereotypical expectations. Specifically, research has focused on reactions to gender stereotype violations. Studies have shown that adults, adolescents, and even children will sanction others when they fail to conform to gender stereotypes. The present pre-registered research (https://tinyurl.com/4epypv3a) studied this gender backlash among adolescents in French middle and high-schools. For this study, we were also interested in exploring the moderating role of participants’ socioeconomic status in their expression of backlash. We created four profiles of adolescents presenting their candidacy for a school representative role. The profiles varied in the personality traits and behaviors they contained (stereotypically feminine vs. masculine) and the gender of the target (boy vs. girl). A sample of 840 participants between the ages of 13 and 18 rated the target adolescent on measures intended to capture backlash, as well as gender stereotypicality items. Using multilevel models to analyze our data, we did not find evidence of backlash as hypothesized. However, unexpectedly, on a measure of perception of arrogance, we found that participants judged a counter-stereotypical target more positively than a stereotypical target. Furthermore, we also found evidence that, compared to stereotypical targets, counter-stereotypical targets were judged more competent, mostly by high SES adolescents. Possible methodological and theoretical explanations for these results are discussed, as well as implications for future research on the backlash effect, particularly among adolescents.