On the Courtroom Use and Misuse of Gender Stereotyping Research

Expert psychological testimony in recent sex discrimination and sexual harassment cases has presented fact finders with a conceptual framework for understanding the antecedents and consequences of gender stereotyping. In this article, we focus on perhaps the most scientifically complex aspect of research on gender stereotyping—namely, the role that individuating information plays in stereotypical thinking. Although a preponderance of evidence suggests that stereotypes are likely to influence impressions and evaluations when perceivers have either minimal or ambiguous information about another person, there is the potential for attorneys and even some expert witnesses to misconstrue this aspect of the scientific data base. We review briefly pertinent findings on the relationship between stereotypes and individuating information, and discuss some of the reasons why this evidence could be misrepresented.