Gender Attitudes and Experience Influence Vocal and Conceptual Word Gender Processing

Words carry gender associations from cultural influences like gender stereotypes, and spoken words are affected by speakers’ vocal characteristics. Listeners’ experiences and attitudes may also shape their perceptions. This study examined how individual differences in listener demographics, experiences, and attitudes influence the impact of speakers’ perceived vocal gender on listeners’ word-gender associations. Participants heard 21 words said by speakers of different gender identities and rated gender associations with each word on a masculine-feminine scale. Rating patterns were compared to those of separate participants who rated the speakers’ genders or the same words in print. As predicted, listeners with transgender experience or positive attitudes were less influenced by vocal gender in rating word gender. Findings suggest exposure to diverse experiences can enable listeners to focus more on linguistic content than voice characteristics. Understanding these dynamics is important for addressing biases in individual cognition and broader societal communication.