WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A paper in the current issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly says women benefit more than men from having same-gender role models.
The findings suggest that a woman's self-esteem could be enhanced by a female role model with a similar career path.
The findings say a man's feelings about himself were unaffected by a role model of either gender.
In the study, more than 63 percent of women asked selected a woman as their academic or occupational model. The women said it was important to see someone who illustrates having overcome gender barriers and stereotypes.
"Female role models may not only be a useful example for women who are attempting to determine their potential for future achievement, they also may provide a means of undermining stereotypes that might otherwise threaten their career performance," says author Dr. Penelope Lockwood.
