Professors' communication styles: How they influence male and female seminar participants

Interactions involving a single group of students and two professors were examined. Results indicated the female professor's structured style encouraged students to fill in the “slots” left open to them. She achieved gender parity by monitoring students' contributions. The male professor's confronting style encouraged students to initiate topics and challenge ideas. Although men held the floor longer, women also participated more frequently in his seminar. Three of the four top contributors in both settings were women, a proportion identical to the female/male ratio. Findings emphasized the importance of examining individual's styles rather than simply counting male and female contributions.