Evaluating stereotypes in counter-stereotypic occupations

The contemporary workplace no longer exhibits rigid gender based stereotypes, rather it is, in theory at least, an area of equal opportunity for all. However, both anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that individuals working in counterstereotypic occupations (i.e., a female mechanic) still receive negative evaluations and are subject to discrimination. This study aimed to determine whether the negative evaluations these individuals receive map onto Fiske, Cuddy and Glick’s (2006) universal warm-cold dimension of social perception. With the use of a Single Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) stereotypicality was examined in relation to perceptions of warmth and coldness. The results revealed that individuals in counter-stereotypic occupations were perceived as cold. The theoretical and practical implications of implicitly associating coldness with counter-stereotypicality are discussed.