New Research Suggests Reframing Women’s Underrepresentation in Politics as Men’s Overrepresentation

Study Highlights Impact of Framing on Public Attitudes

It’s well-known that women are underrepresented in political leadership. Now, a new study highlights how we frame this problem can impact public attitudes. The research reveals that framing the gender disparity as “men’s overrepresentation” rather than “women’s underrepresentation” can provoke stronger emotional reactions and motivate action—at least among women.

Methodology

The research, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and conducted by researchers at New York University, involved a series of experiments that included over 10,000 participants. Participants read mock news articles based on real-world data on the gender gap in leadership in politics and business. Half of the participants read articles that framed the gap as women’s underrepresentation, and half read the same article framed as men’s overrepresentation. Both versions presented the same underlying facts.

Results

The researchers determined that framing the gender gap in political leadership as an outcome of men’s overrepresentation—such as emphasizing that 71% of Congress is male rather than noting that 29% is female—elicited greater anger among women and heightened perceptions of injustice. In turn, this anger made women more likely to take action, from writing letters to lawmakers to supporting initiatives aimed at reducing gender bias.

Why Women Feel More Motivated to Take Action

In particular, participants were given the opportunity to write their representatives regarding the Women’s Global Empowerment, Development and Prosperity Act of 2020, which was under consideration in Congress at the time of the study. Women who became angry after reading about men’s overrepresentation wrote longer letters to their Congressional representatives. These women also showed greater interest in reading about strategies to reduce gender inequality and expressed stronger intentions to donate to related programs.

Limitations

The research also revealed some limitations to the men’s overrepresentation framing. While it increased women’s anger at political disparities, it had no impact on men’s reactions. Men “did not seem to show a change in anger at the gender gap across framing conditions, perhaps because they defensively downplayed the existence of bias and discrimination when reminded that their group was overrepresented in leadership,” the researchers write in the paper.

Context of Business Leadership

The reframing also had no significant effect in the context of business leadership. When participants read articles about gender disparities in the leadership of Fortune 500 companies, they reacted the same regardless of how the problem was framed. The researchers proposed a few possible reasons for this outcome. First, the gender gap in Fortune 500 leadership might not feel relevant to those outside the business world. People may also believe it’s more important for political leadership to reflect the demographic makeup of society. Finally, the researchers note that gender gaps in political leadership may seem more changeable, explaining in the paper, “Political leadership is elected by constituents, whereas business leadership is typically appointed by boards of a select few individuals.”

Conclusion

The new research is significant because its reframing approach motivates women to take action, potentially driving meaningful change. As a result, we should say there is a men’s overrepresentation problem in politics. There are still 16 states that have only been represented by male U.S. senators and 18 that have had exclusively male governors. “Framing the gender gap in politics as due to men’s advantages—in this case, men’s overrepresentation—as opposed to women’s disadvantages—their underrepresentation—not only affects how women view this concern but also prompts action to combat it,” concludes lead author Usman Liaquat, currently a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University, in a press release.

FAQs

Q: Why did the researchers choose to frame the gender gap as men’s overrepresentation rather than women’s underrepresentation?
A: The researchers wanted to explore whether reframing the gender gap as men’s overrepresentation would elicit stronger emotional reactions and motivate action among women.

Q: Did the reframing approach have an impact on men’s reactions?
A: No, the reframing approach did not have an impact on men’s reactions. Men did not show a change in anger at the gender gap across framing conditions.

Q: Was the reframing approach effective in the context of business leadership?
A: No, the reframing approach did not have a significant effect in the context of business leadership.