Side effects of gender-fair language: How feminine job titles influence the evaluation of female applicants

In many languages, feminization has been used as a strategy to make language more gender-fair, because masculine terms, even in a generic function, exhibit a male bias. Up to date, little is known about possible side effects of this language use, for example, in personnel selection. In three studies, conducted in Polish, we analyzed how a female applicant was evaluated in a recruitment process, depending on whether she was introduced with a feminine or masculine job title. To avoid influences from existing occupations and terms, we used fictitious job titles in Studies 1 and 2: diarolożka (feminine) and diarolog (masculine). In Study 3, we referred to existing occupations that varied in gender stereotypicality. In all studies, female applicants with a feminine job title were evaluated less favorably than both a male applicant (Study 1) and a female applicant with a masculine job title (Studies 1, 2, and 3). This effect was independent of the gender stereotypicality of the occupation (Study 3). Participants' political attitudes, however, moderated the effect: Conservatives devaluated female applicants with a feminine title more than liberals (Studies 2 and 3)

Keep Nice and Carry On: Effect of Niceness on Well-Being

Practicing acts of kindness is beneficial to one's well-being, but is simply being nice to others also beneficial? In a correlational Study 1 (N = 497), self-reported behavioral niceness was positively correlated with happiness, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, life meaning, and negatively correlated with depression. In two experimental studies, a one-day online intervention involving acting nicely (Study 2; N = 482) and recollecting one’s nice behavior (Study 3; N = 317) resulted in higher mood, self-satisfaction, relationships satisfaction, and life meaning. The present findings suggest that acting in a nice manner, that is, in a warm and friendly way, toward others in everyday situations can promote one’s well-being. Practicing niceness also promoted subsequent voluntary nice behavior