A new study led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in partnership with the University of Michigan, has found that people who strongly believe in gender stereotypes about intelligence are more likely to dismiss brilliant women characters as unrealistic, even when the characters are based on real people. A similar result was found among people who endorse racial stereotypes regarding intelligence.
The study authors recruited a sample of 1,000 participants to view one of four video clips from an American TV show or movie they had not previously seen, each featuring a brilliant protagonist. The participants were then asked if the portrayals aligned with their perceptions of real-life geniuses. The participants were also asked to review 16 photographs (4 each of Black and White men and women) and indicate whether the individuals could successfully portray six different traits in a TV show: intelligent, logical, assertive, friendly, hardworking, and emotional.
The participants who strongly believed in gender or racial intelligence stereotypes were less likely to perceive White women, Black women, and Black men protagonists as believable geniuses, compared to White men actors, even when these characters were based on real-life stories.
According to the authors, prior studies have found counter-stereotypical characters in entertainment media can positively effect viewers’ perceptions of marginalized communities. However, they argue these new findings suggest that strongly held gender and racial biases may undermine the potential for character portrayals to positively impact viewers’ attitudes and beliefs.