De Sociale Psychologie van Sekse-Ongelijkheid: De interactie tussen Stigma en Zelfregulatie.

Despite substantial changes in their position, women are still strongly underrepresented in various fields and in the higher positions in society. My research concentrates on the social psychological factors that transfer low social status into lower outcomes, and the processes by which this occurs. The research I propose takes an innovative approach, integrating research on self−regulation with work on social identity and stigma to understand processes of central relevance to women pursuing upward mobility. My research is part of a shift away from a perspective on men as perpetrators and women as victims − to a social psychology of intergroup relations from the perspective of the target (women). Key in my approach is that it considers women not as passive recipients of negative attitudes, stereotypes, and behaviors, but as active individuals pursuing multiple goals (e.g., esteem, belonging, enhancement of self) and using various strategies to maintain well−being, motivation and performance. The work focuses on three groups of particular interest for these questions: young girls making decisions with regard to the maths/sciences; working women making decisions with regard to upward mobility and pursuing leadership positions in traditionally male−dominated fields; and young Muslim women making decisions with regard to education and work. The research I propose links in with existing programmatic research in Leuven on the psychology of ethnic and cultural diversity and social inequality, strengthening it, but also greatly benefitting from the existing expertise. Four lines of work are outlined in the proposal: a) Threat and challenge in well−being, motivation and performance; b) Effects of identity affirmation on well−being, motivation and performance; c) the role of ingroup ties in well−being, motivation and performance; and d) Queen Bee and collective behavior processes. For each line, studies will be conducted with women pursuing upward mobility in which they are presented with controlled manipulations in the lab or field (including assessment of physiological threat and challenge indicators, supplementing the traditional emphasis on self−report). These will be combined with correlational field studies examining how women in education and work respond to natural stigma−related threats in their environments, including longitudinal studies that examine effects over time.