The development of gendered leadership cognitions in four societies

Most societies perpetuate social disparities based on categories like gender and age. One of the earliest known forms is the control by male individuals of a disproportionately large share of leadership positions. The present study finds striking similarities in the development of leadership predictions (leader = male), personal aspirations, and essentialist thinking of 3- to 12-year-old boys and girls (N = 699; majority White, Asian) across Japan, Italy, USA, and Norway-four societies with contrasting percentages of women in leadership roles. These findings of unity across contexts fail to support prevailing assumptions about the role that cultural features play in differentially forming group-based beliefs and aspirations. Instead, they suggest that gendered leadership cognitions likely follow generalized developmental patterns during childhood.