Regulatory Fit from Stereotype Threat: Enhancing Women's Leadership Aspirations (PDF)

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2008 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, grade: magna cum laude, University of Mannheim (Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften, Lehrstuhl für Mikrosoziologie und Sozialpsychologie), language: English, abstract: A series of studies investigates the impact of regulatory fit on women's leadership
aspirations. A regulatory fit occurs when an outcome is presented in gain frames
under a promotion focus and in loss frames under a prevention focus. Combining
research on regulatory focus and research on stereotype threat it is argued that
regulatory fit may result from stereotype threat (loss frame) under a prevention focus
and from the absence of stereotype threat (gain frame) under a promotion focus. In
line with previous research it is proposed that regulatory fit a) enhances motivation
(Studies 1 and 2) and b) creates a feeling right experience that increases the
persuasiveness of external stimuli (Study 3). In all three experiments regulatory fit
was operationalized as experiencing stereotype threat when under a prevention focus
or, respectively, experiencing the absence of stereotype threat when under a
promotion focus. Further, women's aspirations to engage in a leadership role were
assessed. In Studies 1 and 2 it was shown that women's motivation to occupy a
leadership role was enhanced in the regulatory fit conditions compared to women in
the nonfit conditions. Study 3 demonstrated that a stimulus (i.e., role model) was more
persuasive under regulatory fit. Women experiencing regulatory fit compared to
women in the nonfit conditions were more persuaded by role models, showing more
interest in a leadership role when confronted with a positive model and less interest
when confronted with a negative model. These studies show that stereotype threat can
elicit regulatory fit, which in turn affects women's leadership aspirations. Future
directions and limitations are discussed.