Understanding the Structure of Stereotypes of Women: Virtue and Agency as Dimensions Distinguishing Female Subgroups1

A two-part study investigated the dimensional structure of stereotypes of women. In one sample (n = 258), participants sorted traits according to the likelihood that they would co-occur in the same woman. In a separate sample (n = 102), participants were given the same traits and were asked to judge the traits' desirability and to judge the moral virtue, sexual liberalism/conservatism, warmth, competence, and power of a woman who possessed high levels of each trait. Results from hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that participants perceived women in terms of six subgroups: professional, feminist, homemaker, female athlete, beauty, and temptress. Large differences among these subgroups were identified based on ratings of their moral virtue and sexual conservatism (i.e., virtue) and competence and power (i.e., agency). The implications of a virtue-agency model of female subgroups for gender stereotyping research are discussed.

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