What's in a shape? Evidence of gender category associations with basic forms

Five experiments tested the possibility that basic shapes – squares, circles, and equilateral triangles – are gendered. Based on morphological, evolutionary, and socialization considerations, we hypothesized that square shapes would be associated with the male gender category and circles with the female gender category. Results on both direct (self-report) and indirect (IAT, priming) measures were consistent with the hypothesized associations. Squares and circles were strongly and consistently associated with gender concepts including masculinity/femininity, gendered terms, and traits. When these shapes appeared in a naturalistic environment, their presence served as a belongingness cue for both men and women. These results attest to the existence of gender associations in responses to some basic shapes and, more broadly, raise the possibility that social cognitive processes might play a central role in perception and judgment of social and non-social entities alike.