GENDERED NORMS FOR FAMILY-SIZE, EMPLOYMENT, AND OCCUPATION - ARE THERE PERSONAL COSTS FOR VIOLATING THEM

The present study investigated gendered stereotypes involving women's family size, employment and occupation. Eleven ratings of targets' soc ial and personality characteristics were ascribed by 400 undergraduate s to a hypothetical married woman described as voluntarily childfree o r the mother of one, two, or eight children, and as nonemployed or emp loyed either part or full time in either a gender-appropriate or gende r-inappropriate occupation. Women employed in gender-atypical occupati ons were considered less expressive and were socially distanced, but t his factor did not interact with family sire. Two-children mothers wer e regarded favorably as was employment. prior findings denigrating sin gle-child mothers and glorifying eight-children mothers were not repli cated-both groups were rated similar to normative, two-children mother s. Consistent with prior research, childfree women were evaluated leas t favorably. Findings suggest that norms regarding both family size (t wo children) and employment exist among contemporary college students.