Hostile and Benevolent Reactions Toward Pregnant Women Complementary Interpersonal Punishments and Rewards That Maintain Traditional Roles

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 92; no. 6; pp. 1499 - 1511
• Main Authors: Hebl, Michelle R, King, Eden B, Glick, Peter, Singletary, Sarah L, Kazama, Stephanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-11-2007
• Subjects: Adult; Applicants; Attitude; Attitudes; Benevolence; Biological and medical sciences; Customers; Discrimination; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender roles; Hostility; Human; Humans; Interpersonal Interaction; Interpersonal Relations; Job Applicants; Male; Miscellaneous; Occupational psychology; Organizational behavior; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Prejudice; Prosocial Behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Punishment; Retail stores; Reward; Rewards; Role; Sales Personnel; Sex Discrimination; Sex Role Attitudes; Sex Roles; Sexism; Social Behavior; Studies; Visual culture; Women; Women's studies; sexism; discrimination; pregnancy; women; Human; Punishment; Customer; Pregnancy; Job applicant; Discrimination; Sexism; Social interaction; Female; Hostility; Reward; Woman; Interpersonal relation
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1499

A naturalistic field study investigated behavior toward pregnant (vs. nonpregnant) women in nontraditional (job applicant) and traditional (store customer) roles. Female confederates, who sometimes wore a pregnancy prosthesis, posed as job applicants or customers at retail stores. Store employees exhibited more hostile behavior (e.g., rudeness) toward pregnant (vs. nonpregnant) applicants and more benevolent behavior (e.g., touching, overfriendliness) toward pregnant (vs. nonpregnant) customers. A second experiment revealed that pregnant women are especially likely to encounter hostility (from both men and women) when applying for masculine as compared with feminine jobs. The combination of benevolence toward pregnant women in traditional roles and hostility toward those who seek nontraditional roles suggests a system of complementary interpersonal rewards and punishments that may discourage pregnant women from pursuing work that violates gender norms.