Gender and social influence

This review article reveals that men are generally more influential than wo men, although the gender difference depends on several moderators. Relative to men, women are particularly less influential when using dominant forms of communication, whereas the male advantage in influence is reduced in dom ains that are traditionally associated with the female role and in group se ttings in which more than one woman or girl is present. Mates in particular resist influence by women and girls more than females do, especially when influence agents employ highly competent styles of communication. Resistanc e to competent women can be reduced, however, when women temper their compe tence with displays of communality and warmth.