Hoyt's Research on Voter Behavior Focus of U.S. News Article

Research on gender and leadership by social psychologist Crystal Hoyt, assistant professor of leadership studies, is the focus of a U. S. News & World Report article. The article, “A Ghoulish Poll for Hillary Clinton,” was published Nov. 30 online.

Reporter Chris Wilson based the article on Hoyt’s forthcoming study in Leadership Quarterly on gender and leadership. Hoyt’s research in the study indicates that voters prefer leaders with masculine traits as opposed to more feminine when reminded of their mortality – but that as other research has shown, women who are perceived as having such traits are often perceived negatively.

“It’s very difficult for Hillary. She has this double bind she’s in,” Hoyt told U. S. News & World Report. “As images and thoughts of terror become prevalent, my results indicate that people are going to want a very masculine, tough leader. Hillary does a good job of that, I think. At the same time, abundant research shows that when a woman is tough, we tend not to like her much.” Article.