Gender in competition: An inquiry into the perception and expression of women’s competitiveness

Persistent occupational gender-gaps have increasingly been explained with reference to the existence of sex differences in competitiveness. The present research proposal will aim to shed light on the specificities of women’s competitive appetite. In our first line of research, we will assess the social value and interpretation of women’s competitiveness and explore potential perception biases related to the assessment of women’s competitive behaviours. In our second line of research, we will endeavour to pinpoint factors that may be responsible for modulating the expression of women’s competitiveness (e.g. status, gender-identity, backlashing) and we will model their interactions. Finally, in our third line of research we will venture to examine whether specific techniques (e.g. mindfulness) may be useful in curtailing both gender-related perception biases and the inhibition of competitive behaviour. This threefold investigation should contribute to furthering our understanding of the socio- psychological factors implicated in the enabling and disabling of women’s social empowerment and professional advancement.