Evaluating an Excerpt about Gender: Does Sex of an Author Matter?

Abstract

This study examined whether students are more likely to view a female author as biased and as having a political agenda when writing about gender than a male author. In the sample of 338 undergraduate students, the sex-related excerpt was rated as more biased, more subjective, and less scientific than the control reading. Female authors were rated as less objective and more likely to be presenting a personal view than male authors; however, no interaction between content of excerpt and sex of author occurred. The implications of these findings for research on sex and prejudice are discussed.