Constraints, Competencies, or Choices? How Lay Theories of the Gender Gap Impact Diversity Support

Resistance to diversity initiatives can undermine their effectiveness. I advance insight into diversity support by identifying lay theories about why the gender gap persists. I identify three gender gap lay theories, which differ in the implied locus and control women have over the gap. These attributions shape women’s perceived responsibility, which, in turn, undermines diversity initiative support. Attributing the gap to organizational barriers is positively associated with diversity support because it implies the causes are external and uncontrollable by women. Attributing the gap to dispositional factors (e.g., traits) is negatively associated with diversity support because it implies the causes are internal to women (but not necessarily controllable). Finally, attributing the gap to women’s personal choices is negatively associated with diversity support because it implies the causes are both internal to and controllable by women; thus, it is most undermining overall. I test these ideas in five multimethod studies, which generally support my theory. I also find gender gaps are attributed to personal choice more than racial gaps are. Overall, this project suggests that, beyond demographics and ideology, sensemaking about the causes of gender inequality and, in particular, the belief that it is due to personal choice, significantly undermines diversity support.