{"id":36999,"date":"2021-05-22T07:53:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-22T11:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=36999"},"modified":"2021-06-02T10:09:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T14:09:33","slug":"heidi-howard-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/heidi-howard-study\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heidi\/Howard Study: Success vs. Likeability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the Heidi\/Howard study? What do the findings say about the gender double standard<\/a> in modern workplaces?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2003 \u201cHeidi\/Howard\u201d study tested perceptions of women and men in the workforce. The study demonstrates the difference between likeability<\/a> and success for men and women. The more successful a man is, the greater his likeability. The more successful a woman is, the worse her likeability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about the Heidi\/Howard study and its implications for women’s achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Heidi\/Howard Case Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the Heidi\/Howard case study, the researchers split the participants (business students at Columbia Business School) into two groups. Participants in one group got a case study of an entrepreneur named Heidi, detailing her \u201coutgoing personality\u201d and powerful network. A second group got the same profile, but with \u201cHeidi\u201d renamed \u201cHoward.\u201d Both groups were asked to give their impression of the entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students respected <\/em>Heidi and Howard equally, but gave Howard greater likeability <\/em>scores. They found Howard more appealing than Heidi, though it was the same story. The same data created different impressions depending on which gender it cited.<\/strong> Heidi was seen as selfish; Howard was seen as appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The More Successful a Woman Is, the Less Likeable She Is<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Heidi\/Howard study demonstrates the difference between likeability and success for men and women. The more successful a man is, the greater his likeability. The more successful a woman is, the worse her likeability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this? Professional achievement is considered a \u201cmale\u201d attribute. If a man is high-achieving, it\u2019s normal. If a woman is highly successful, she is seen as pushy, unlikeable and unfeminine. This reflects traditional gender stereotypes: males are providers, decisive and driven. They\u2019re given positive reinforcement for these traits. Women are seen as caregivers, nurturing and communal. They\u2019re given positive reinforcement for these<\/em> traits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When women break traditional gender stereotypes<\/strong> by displaying traits of professional achievement, such as being decisive and driven, they’re deemed \u201ctoo aggressive,\u201d<\/strong> \u201cnot a team player,\u201d and \u201cdifficult.\u201d If a woman focuses on getting the job done instead of pleasing others, she\u2019s acting like a man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider these examples of women leaders who had unsavory nicknames:<\/p>\n\n\n\n