Backlash Effects in Online Discussions: Effects of Gender and Counterstereotypical Communication on Persuasiveness and Likeability

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Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of gender and communication style on evaluations of social influence perceptions with regards to likeability and persuasiveness in online debates. We conducted an experiment to test whether the violation of gender stereotypes leads to backlash against participants in online discussion using linguistic style that contradicts stereotypes associated with their gender. Based on status incongruity theory, we expect a backlash effect against agentic women. Results show that women who adopt an agentic communication style are perceived as less persuasive than agentic men, and that women are perceived as less persuasive than men in general, regardless of style. Meanwhile, we do not find a similar effect for status-incongruent men arguing in a communal manner. However, contrary to expectations, backlash against agentic women was not mediated by stereotyped perceptions of excessive dominance and a lack of communality.

Authors

• Julia R. Winkler, University of Mannheim

• Annabell Halfmann, U of Mannheim

• Rainer Freudenthaler, U of Mannheim