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Students’ stereotypes of professors: an exploration of the double violations of ethnicity and gender

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Abstract

This study examined students’ stereotypes of professors based on professor ethnicity, gender, teaching style, and course taught. An ethnically diverse sample of undergraduates (N = 594) rated hypothetical professors on several dimensions including perceived warmth, professional competence, and difficulty. Evidence consistent with response amplification and expectancy violation theories was found. Women professors were viewed as more warm than men professors even though their course syllabuses were identical. Students’ ratings of women and Latina/os were, in some cases, based on their teaching style and the courses they taught, whereas ratings of Anglo men were not. Implications for women and Latina/os in the academy are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Sciences Department, University of Houston-Downtown, One Main St., Houston, TX, 77002, USA

    Kristin J. Anderson

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  1. Kristin J. Anderson
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Correspondence to Kristin J. Anderson.

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Anderson, K.J. Students’ stereotypes of professors: an exploration of the double violations of ethnicity and gender. Soc Psychol Educ 13, 459–472 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9121-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9121-3

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