International Women's Day: What happens to the brain when it encounters sexist stereotypes

You've tried to protect them from gender stereotypes, and yet your kids are sitting in front of you telling you that boys can't wear dresses. The effects on the brain are shocking - but they can be turned around

(iStock/Christopher Futcher)

Meet Jane and Tim. They have four-year-old twins – one boy, one girl – who have always played together with only the squabbles that you’d expect of siblings. Their daughter never questioned her brother when he did things we would all perceive as ‘girly’. And yet this is what she has just done for the very first time – looking up and asking her parents, “Aren’t dresses just for girls?”

From the day these children entered the world, their parents endeavoured to keep everything they came into contact with in primary colours – there’s no princess pink or boy blue in this household. They sought out gender-neutral toys, clothes and learning materials. And this unexpected comment during a dressing-up session seems to suggest that so much of their work has been undone.

What could, and should, Jane and Tim do? As it stands, they watch in mute fascination. They didn’t see this coming. Stereotypes woven into the TV they watch, the language they use and the interactions they have with friends have begun to alter their twins’ perceptions of identity. But, from a psychological point of view, does this matter?

Every year we learn more about the insidious effects of stereotyping and the automatic associations our brains make between particular things. For instance, we know that typically our brains will have a stronger association for ‘female’ and ‘family’ than ‘female’ and ‘work’. This simply means that ‘family’ is more front-of-mind than ‘work’ when we think about women.

We’re quick to make assumptions of this type. New research by neuroscientists at the University of Bern tracked the associative process in the brain and found that there isn’t an additional step in thinking to account for this speed. We go through the same process when we’re asked to think of ‘female’ and ‘work’ as we do when we think of ‘female’ and ‘family’. We’re just quicker at the latter.

And the exact same process lies behind research showing children as young as six have a stronger association between ‘maths’ and ‘boys’ than ‘maths’ and ‘girls’.

Despite being unconscious processes and split second differences, this matters and shows up in real life in three particular areas: stereotype embodiment, stereotype threat, and benevolent sexism.

‘Stereotype embodiment’ means we take on and personify stereotypes that exist about us. Put forward by Dr Becca Levy originally to explain the effects of stereotypes on older adults, it accounts for, as an example, why girls behave meekly when asked to throw or run ‘like a girl’.

If ‘stereotype embodiment’ is when we take on the characteristics of our stereotype, ‘stereotype threat’ means we perform less well because of it.

This means that when girls or women are reminded of their gender just before taking a maths test, before entering a negotiation or other situations where women are expected to perform less well due to a stereotype, they do end up performing less well. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

We usually see sexism as a hostile behaviour or comment from a male to a female. But work by Professor Susan Fiske at Princeton has shown two sides to it: hostile and benevolent. In men, this benevolent sexism might show up as chivalrous behaviour, enforcing the stereotype that women are weak and need protecting.

Women who have internalised gender-specific stereotypes may expect benevolent behaviours and encourage other women to seek out this kind of supportive behaviour. Women should be happy to be treated like princesses, the logic goes.

We should remember that due to the human brain’s unique ability to change throughout life, the more that women and girls, whatever their ages, encounter situations that reinforce gender stereotypes – such as entering a card shop and seeing a sea of pink cards for girls - the more likely they are to succumb to these stereotype effects. As Dr Josef Parvizi of Stanford University Medical Centre puts it, “the brain is moulded by experience.”

So what should parents like Jane and Tim do in the struggle against gender stereotypes? Sharing positive role models has been shown to be one effective route. Discussing a powerful, successful or compassionate role model from the public eye or family and friends - be it Ginni Rometty, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, or more of an everyday kind of role model - could be a wonderful way to spend time with children and stretch their minds a little more.

But challenging stereotypes at home when they arise will go a long way towards balancing out the effect they can have. While debating the merits of a pink dress versus green dungarees may not be the ideal way to spend an evening with your daughter or your son, it might just stretch their thinking - and cause that all-important neuroplastic change away from stereotypes.

Iain Smith is a behavioural psychologist at Mind Gym and Parent Gym