Neural Gender Stereotype Asymmetry in Bidirectional Word-Face Priming

This study investigates the behavioral and neural correlates of implicit and automatic gender stereotyping at the intersection of language and face processing, focusing on the bidirectional flow of gender-stereotypical information and previously observed asymmetries in stereotype processing. We recorded response times (RTs) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) to a target face (male, female) preceded by stereotypically associated words (e.g., conducente “driver”, badante “caregiver”), or to stereotypically associated target words preceded by a face (male, female). Participants performed a gender categorization task on target faces and a lexical decision task on target words/non-words. RTs showed typical priming effects for target faces, but an asymmetrical priming effect for target words: faster responses to stereotypically female words preceded by a gender-congruent face, whereas faster responses to stereotypically male words preceded by a gender-incongruent face. ERPs showed a gender stereotype asymmetry for target faces and only partially for target words. Female faces elicited a larger P300 and LPP when preceded by stereotypically gender-incongruent than -congruent prime words; male faces elicited a larger N400 when preceded by stereotypically gender-incongruent than -congruent prime words. Similarly, stereotypically male words elicited a larger P300 when preceded by a gender-incongruent than congruent face. Our findings reveal robust neural asymmetries in gender stereotype processing, extending beyond language, underscoring the need to treat female- and male-related biases as distinct cognitive phenomena in both future research and intervention. • Gender stereotypes were studied using ERPs during word-face and face-word priming • Violation of female-oriented stereotypes by a male target face elicited an N400 • Violation of male-oriented stereotypes by a female face elicited a P300/LPP effect • The P300/LPP effect occurred both in word-face and face-word priming • Results suggest that male- and female-oriented stereotypes are distinct phenomena