Extending Role Congruity Theory of Prejudice to Men and Women With Sex-Typed Mental Illnesses

We tested role congruity theory, which states that prejudice arises from an incongruity between group stereotypes and role characteristics, by assessing prejudice toward men and women with a masculine or feminine mental illness. Across two studies, participants acting as a vocational counselor rated the suitability of each target individual in each role. Men and individuals with a masculine sex-typed illness were more suitable for agentic roles, whereas women and individuals with a feminine sex-typed illness were more suitable for communal roles. In addition, sex and mental illness sex-type were better predictors of prejudice than evaluations of the group.