From policy to mindset: Psychological mechanisms linking gender-neutral language to perceptions of educational opportunity
Chen X. Zhang Z. You F. Wei L. Shu W. Wu L. Tang N.
2025Arts and Science Press Pte. Ltd.
Environment and Social Psychology
2025#10Issue 10
As an institutional or symbolic change, gender-neutral language (GNL) frequently has been discussed, although its psychological impacts have not been thoroughly researched. This experimental study is informed by the framing theory, stereotype threat, social identity theory, and expectancy-value theory in testing the hypothesis that gender-neutral and gendered institutional text exposures, using the framing theory, effect perceptions of fairness, belonging, and aspirational intent. In a between subjects research design (N = 200), the subjects viewed either gendered or gender-neutral passages of scholarship and policy and took self-report measures and an implicit association test. GNL augmented perceived fairness and belonging and augmentation of intent to apply; greatest impacts were in women and non-binary participants. These findings demonstrate that inclusive language is a cognitive intervention that directs inspirational avenues to opportunity. Direct implications of the findings in the case of educators and policymakers: the small, inexpensive amendments made to institutional texts can positively influence the perceptions of the accessibility and reinforce the engagement of underrepresented population.
educational opportunity , fairness perception , GNL , psychological framing , social identity , stereotype threat
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YUNNAN UNIVERSITY, Yunnan, Kunming, 650091, China
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ, United Kingdom
Al-Farabi Kazakh National university, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev, Bishkek, 720026, Kyrgyzstan
Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, 400031, China
INTI International University, Negeri Sembilan, 71800, Malaysia
Sichuan TOP IT Vocational Institute, Sichuan, Chengdu, 611743, China
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, 999078, China
YUNNAN UNIVERSITY
University of Edinburgh
Al-Farabi Kazakh National university
Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev
Sichuan International Studies University
INTI International University
Sichuan TOP IT Vocational Institute
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026