The belief in gender as an immutable binary (i.e., gender essentialism) fosters societal structure that drives prejudice against those who challenge it, such as transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals. This research examines whether TGNB individuals are perceived as distinct, stable, or cohesive gender groups and how these perceptions contribute to prejudice, particularly among those with strong essentialist beliefs.

Across three preregistered studies using correlational and experimental data, the findings reveal that TGNB individuals are often viewed as indistinct and unstable groups, contributing to negative attitudes toward them. Experimental evidence showed that framing transgender identities as stable reduced prejudice, improved evaluations of transgender individuals, and promoted positive intergroup expectations, especially among essentialist perceivers. These results highlight the role of group cognitions in reinforcing the gender binary and offer insights for reducing bias against TGNB individuals (Spielmann & Vial, under review).

In future projects, we aim to investigate stereotypes of TGNB people using voice as a context. Specifically, we seek to examine people’s expectations of TGNB individuals' voices (compared to cisgender individuals' voices) and further examine whether violating these expectations contributes to prejudice against TGNB people.

Image depicts transgender flag on the left and nonbinary flag on the right; Shadow Vectors by Vecteezy

Workplaces characterized by strong masculinity norms, or Masculinity Contest Cultures (MCC), privilege identities aligned with hegemonic masculinity—typically straight White men—while devaluing marginalized groups. This research examines how MCC shapes perceptions of social status across gender, race, and sexual orientation, and how these perceptions influence individuals’ organizational attraction, particularly for members of socially devalued groups.

Across four preregistered studies (N = 2,177), we found that MCC devalues marginalized identities, leading to a lower personal sense of status and reduced organizational attraction among women, men of color, and gay men, but not straight White men. Enhancing the perceived status of women mitigated the negative effects of MCC on women’s organizational interest, highlighting the role of status perceptions in shaping workplace engagement. These findings emphasize the exclusionary effects of MCC, which undermines diversity by reinforcing status hierarchies, and underscore the importance of inclusive norms to attract and retain talent from diverse backgrounds (Vial & Spielmann, in prep).

Image depicts a Black man and a woman wearing a hijab tugging on a rope; by Edmond Dantès

Globally, women are underrepresented in STEM relative to men. However, there is considerable cross-regional variability in these gaps, and the reasons for it are poorly understood. Notably, women are much better represented in STEM education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) compared to other parts of the world, even when the region is believed to be characterized by gender inequality and conservative gender attitudes. Based on Western social psychological theories, women should be especially underrepresented in the MENA region—yet, the statistics defy such expectations. 

To illuminate this paradox, my collaborators and I conducted a preregistered systematic literature review and supplementary meta-analysis integrating 147 articles from the MENA region that examined gender differences in psychological variables relevant to STEM engagement. Our findings provide bottom-up empirical evidence of a stark departure from well-documented Western patterns of gender differences. In the MENA region, women (vs. men) report greater motivation, more positive expectancies and attitudes, and lower anxiety toward STEM. We propose new directions for theory and research to better understand global variability in gender gaps in STEM engagement (Vial*, Spielmann*, & Cimpian, in prep). 

Image depicts a circular restroom sign divided into two halves, with a male figure icon on the left and a female figure icon on the right; by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash