Does prejudice against women in leadership positions affect voting behavior? A conjoint survey experiment in Japan reveals that female candidates face a double-bind. Voters penalize them when they either deviate from stereotypically feminine expectations OR adhere to those same expectations too closely.
## Data & Methods
Conjoint survey experiment conducted with Japanese voter respondents (N = 803).
Used experimental vignettes varying in gender-stereotypical traits and leadership behaviors.
Measured voting preferences across diverse scenarios.
## Key Findings
Female candidates are disadvantaged relative to male counterparts overall.
However, they also risk losing support if they diverge from gender-based behavioral expectations. ✅
This suggests voters may hold conflicting views: wanting women in political roles but ALSO adhering to traditional stereotypes about female behavior and competence.
Women face a difficult dilemma navigating these competing voter preferences 👍
## Why It Matters
These findings illuminate the complex relationship between descriptive representation and gender-based expectations. 😊
The "double-bind" suggests that simply increasing women's participation in politics may not be enough to overcome persistent biases against female leadership.
| Do Voters Prefer Gender Stereotypic Candidates? Evidence from a Conjoint Survey Experiment in Japan was authored by Yoshikuni Ono and Masahiro Yamada. It was published by Cambridge in PSR&M in 2020. |
