In the eye of the beholder: perceptions of female and male outdoor leaders

The theory of expectation states suggests that each individual has certain performance and behavioural expectations of themselves and others in society. Those expectations are based on various roles people play within society. People in leadership roles are ascribed high status; others look up to them and grant them power and dominance. The literature also reveals that, based on gender, males are ascribed higher status than females. This can result in gender bias favouring males. This paper reports an examination of gender bias, based on participant expectations, in outdoor leadership. Participants read four descriptions of hypothetical outdoor leaders and responded to questions concerning the competence of depicted leaders. All subjects expressed a preference for a male outdoor leader thereby exhibiting some level of gender bias. While male respondents exhibited stereotypical responses to several dependent items, female respondents based the majority of their ratings on level of competence rather than sex of leader. Implications of the existence of gender bias in expectations of outdoor leaders, programme administrators and participants are discussed.