Women and Self-Promotion: A Test of Three Theories

Although self-promotion (communicating one’s past accomplishments and positive characteristics) is important for obtaining career and educational opportunities, women feel uncomfortable when doing it, which limits their self-promotion success. This study tested which of the three possible theoretical mechanisms explained women’s limited self-promotion success: (1) cognitive dissonance, (2) stereotype threat, and (3) backlash avoidance. In this experiment, college women (N = 123) wrote a scholarship application essay and the ownership of the essay was varied experimentally. The essays were evaluated by the authors themselves and independent judges. The results were most consistent with a backlash avoidance mechanism whereby women feel uncomfortable self-promoting due to perceived social consequences.