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When Searching Hurts: The Role of Information Search in Reactions to Gender Discrimination

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Abstract

Two laboratory studies conducted with Dutch students explored women’s motivation to search for evidence of gender discrimination and its effects on psychological well-being. Study 1 (N = 161) considered situational self-relevance of one’s personal outcomes (personal failure or success) on women’s motivation to collect information about gender discrimination. Study 2 (N = 106) manipulated information search and studied its effects on well-being when information contains evidence of gender discrimination or personal failure. Results revealed that women are motivated to search for evidence of discrimination when outcomes are highly self-relevant (Study 1) or the need to search is high (Study 2). Furthermore women suffer from evidence of prejudice, but only when they are personally affected by this prejudice and evidence suggests it is pervasive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Katherine Stroebe

  2. Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Manuela Barreto & Naomi Ellemers

  3. Centre for Social Research and Intervention, ISCTE, Lisbon, Portugal

    Manuela Barreto

Authors
  1. Katherine Stroebe
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  2. Manuela Barreto
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  3. Naomi Ellemers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Stroebe.

Appendix: Items Used to Assess Need to Search for Information (Study 1), and Perceived Prejudice (Study 1 and 2): Dutch Original with [English] Translation

Appendix: Items Used to Assess Need to Search for Information (Study 1), and Perceived Prejudice (Study 1 and 2): Dutch Original with [English] Translation

Need to search for information (Study 1)

  1. 1.

    ik wil graag zien hoe ik het heb gedaan [I would like to see how I have done]

  2. 2.

    ik wil graag meer inzicht krijgen in mijn prestaties bij deze procedure [I would like to gain more insight into my achievements in this procedure]

  3. 3.

    ik wil graag meer weten over de selectieprocedure [I would like to know more about this selection procedure]

  4. 4.

    ik wil graag met Hans Brockens over de uitslag praten [I would like to talk to Hans Brockens about the outcome of this procedure]

  5. 5.

    ik wil graag de redenen voor deze uitslag weten [I would like to know the reasons for this outcome]

Perceived prejudice/discrimination

  1. 1.

    (Study 1 and 2): Hans Brockens lijkt me bevooroordeeld [Hans Brockens seems prejudiced]

  2. 2.

    (Study 1 and 2): Hans Brockens lijkt me discriminerend [Hans Brockens seems discriminatory]

  3. 3.

    (Study 2): In hoeverre denkt u dat uw uitslag van de procedure (aangenomen/afgewezen) het gevolg is van een bevooroordeelde selecteur? [To what extent do you think your outcome (accepted/rejected) in this procedure was due to a prejudiced interviewer?]

  4. 4.

    (Study 2): In hoeverre denkt u dat uw uitslag van de procedure (aangenomen/afgewezen) te maken heeft met Hans Brocken’s houding ten aanzien van mannen en vrouwen? [To what extent do you think your outcome (accepted/rejected) in this procedure was due to Hans Brocken’s attitude toward men and women?

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Stroebe, K., Barreto, M. & Ellemers, N. When Searching Hurts: The Role of Information Search in Reactions to Gender Discrimination. Sex Roles 62, 60–76 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9700-y

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