What the study found
Gender-inclusive pronouns such as the Swedish hen and the English they were less likely to evoke mental representations of stereotypical gender-nonconforming appearances among participants with a right-wing political orientation. The study also found that binary gender beliefs helped explain this relationship.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the ability of gender-inclusive pronouns to support mental representation of nonbinary individuals depends partly on the recipient's political orientation and preexisting beliefs about gender. They also suggest that the findings help explain how political orientation influences social categorization related to gender.
What the researchers tested
Across four studies with 2,847 participants in total, the researchers tested whether hen and they evoked mental representations of people with stereotypical gender-nonconforming versus gender-conforming appearances. They examined whether this depended on participants' political orientation and whether the pronouns were used to anonymize a referent or to refer to a nonbinary individual.
What worked and what didn't
Studies 1a and 1b found that right-wing political orientation was linked to a lower likelihood of associating gender-inclusive pronouns with stereotypical gender-nonconforming appearances. Studies 2a and 2b found that this pattern was robust both when the pronoun anonymized the referent and when it referred to a nonbinary individual. Study 2b further found that binary gender beliefs contributed to this relationship.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the fact that the results were observed across the tested studies and conditions. The findings are limited to the pronouns, participant sample, and settings described in the abstract.
Key points
- Right-wing political orientation was linked to a lower likelihood of associating gender-inclusive pronouns with gender-nonconforming appearances.
- This pattern was found across four studies with 2,847 participants.
- The result held whether the pronoun was used to anonymize a referent or to refer to a nonbinary individual.
- Binary gender beliefs contributed to the relationship in Study 2b.
- The authors conclude that political orientation and beliefs about gender partly shape how gender-inclusive pronouns are mentally represented.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Political orientation shapes responses to gender-inclusive pronouns
- Authors:
- Amanda Remsö, Hanna Bäck, Emma A. Renström
- Institutions:
- Kristianstad University, University of Gothenburg, Lund University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-08
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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