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Cited by 141Gender Diversity and InequalitySocial and Intergroup PsychologyCareer Development and Diversity

Female Leaders: Injurious or Inspiring Role Models for Women?

Hoyt, Crystal L., Simon, Stefanie·2011·Psychology of Women Quarterly
DOI 10.1177/0361684310385216
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Abstract

The impact of female role models on women’s leadership aspirations and self-perceptions after a leadership task were assessed across two laboratory studies. These studies tested the prediction that upward social comparisons to high-level female leaders will have a relatively detrimental impact on women’s self-perceptions and leadership aspirations compared to male and less elite female leaders. In Study 1 ( N = 60), women were presented with both female and male leaders before serving as leaders of ostensible three-person groups in an immersive virtual environment. This study established the relatively deflating impact of high-level female leaders, compared to high-level male leaders and the control condition, on participants' self-perceptions. Using a similar methodology, Study 2 ( N = 57) further demonstrated that the impact of elite female leaders on participants' self-perceptions in turn adversely affected their leadership aspirations. This study also showed more positive responses to nonelite female leaders with whom participants more strongly identify and who increase counterstereotypic thinking. Taken together, these studies point to a potential dark side of elite female leaders as role models in a domain where individuals are possible targets of a negative stereotype. However, they also point to the relatively more beneficial impact of female role models who disconfirm the negative stereotype.

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Crossref · 10.1177/0361684310385216

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57 of 57 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Identification with role models and perceived attainability of their success moderates the impact of leader role models on women.

    “One important moderator of the impact of leader role models on women is the extent to which they are able to identify with the role models and deem their success attainable.”

    From Managing to clear the air: Stereotype threat, women, and leadership (2016) · cites this paper as Hoyt and Simon (2011)

  • Exposure to elite female leaders had self-deflating effects on women's leadership aspirations and self-perceptions following a leadership task, whereas exposure to less elite female role models with whom women could identify did not have this negative impact.

    “For example, examining women's performance in the stereotype-threatening domain of leadership, Hoyt and Simon (2011) found that whereas exposure to elite female leaders had self-deflating effects on women's leadership aspirations and self-perceptions following a leadership task, similar exposure to less elite female role models with whom the women could identify, did not have this negative impact.”

    From Managing to clear the air: Stereotype threat, women, and leadership (2016) · cites this paper as Hoyt and Simon (2011)

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Authors
Hoyt, C. L., & Simon, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Richmond (US)
  • Tulane University (US)
Corresponding author
Hoyt, Crystal L.
ORCID
Venue
Psychology of Women Quarterly
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2011-03
Volume
35
Issue
1
Pages
143-157
ISSN
  • 0361-6843 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-6402
DOI
10.1177/0361684310385216
OpenAlex
W2138789001
Cited by
140
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
FWCI
12.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Psychology of Women Quarterly (publishedVersion)
Funders
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Diversity and Inequality
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
Keywords
female role models, women in leadership, leadership aspirations, self-perception, upward social comparison, gender stereotypes, leader identification

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