Stereotypes vs. Reality:

CDS 2024 PRE-CONFERENCE

Stereotypes vs. Reality:

Are there Gender Differences in the Development of Prosociality, and Why Should We Care?

Thursday, March 21, 2024

9:00am to 4:00pm

Organizers:

Seleste Beaulieu, Sophie Arnold, Aashna Poddar, Johannes Bullinger, Andrei Cimpian, Kristen Dunfield

Speakers include:

 May Ling Halim, Nadia Chernyak, Audun Dahl, Gustavo Carlo, Rebecca Peretz-Lange, Sonya Xinyue Xiao, Andrei Cimpian, Kristen Dunfield

REGISTRATION: FREE for folks without a PhD (e.g., PhD students, lab managers, undergraduate students), $25 for post-docs, $50 for faculty. Coffee and snacks will be provided. To register for the preconference, please select it when registering for the main CDS meeting.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: We welcome blitz talk and poster submissions from researchers at all career levels. Submissions can include published or completed projects, as well as studies in progress. Presenting the same research in both the preconference and the main conference is allowed. To submit, please submit a brief abstract (max 250 words) in this submission portal. Submission deadline: January 19. Decisions will be announced by January 26.

PRE-CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION

Being prosocial is considered universally good, but issues arise when, as is the case, girls and women are expected to be more prosocial than boys and men. This places an undue burden on girls and women to prioritize others’ needs and excludes boys and men from the many social, emotional, and academic benefits that arise from acting in prosocial ways. Puzzlingly, despite these beliefs, past work on produced prosocial behaviors has found that while some show gender differences in adults  (e.g., departmental service) others—regardless of age— do not (e.g., instrumental helping). So, although gender stereotypes about prosocial behavior are fairly consistent across the lifespan, there is less clarity on when and whether gender differences in actual prosocial behaviors develop. 

This pre-conference centers on the development of these gendered expectations to be prosocial and the perplexing relationship between expectations of and engagement in prosocial behavior by focusing on two key questions: (1) Do stereotypes create differences in prosocial behaviors? How? (2) Why do stereotypes sometimes align with gender differences in prosocial behavior and other times don’t?

In this pre-conference, we bring together researchers from the distinct, yet related fields of prosocial development and gender development to discuss these puzzling questions and generate new research ideas and collaborations on the topic. Given the broad benefits of prosociality for both society and the individuals engaging in prosociality, collaborations between researchers in these areas will be crucial to address inequalities in the expectations placed on women and men to help and serve in gendered ways, and ultimately, ensure a more equitable future for all.