In the process, all of us tend to overestimate some people and underestimate others, often women.Īddressing these biases could have a powerful economic impact. These snap judgments are formed with superficial cues, Todorov says, often painting a false picture of the person. All of the findings suggest that we make quick assumptions steeped in biases.
In three studies, Todorov and his collaborators adjusted the masculinity and femininity of both men’s and women’s faces and tested how people judge those faces on traits including dominance, competency, trustworthiness, and attractiveness.
In a series of research projects, he has found that even before people open their mouths, their faces prompt automatic judgments and impressions laden with gender stereotypes.
From the moment women arrive to introduce their ideas, forces seem to be working against them and undermining their credibility.īooth’s Alexander Todorov has documented the deep biases that shape those first impressions. “Another huge problem is women building companies that serve women and being told, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about that market, so I can’t invest in it,’ or ‘Why are you ruling out men as a market?’ or ‘I asked my wife about your business, and she wasn’t excited,’” says Deutsch, who has interviewed scores of entrepreneurs and written about their challenges in several columns for Chicago Booth Review. Chicago Booth’s Waverly Deutsch recalls when two female cofounders were promoting their idea of a consumer marketplace business and the potential investor asked if they were a couple-and indicated he would be more interested in the company if they were. Many entrepreneurs, particularly female ones, have horror stories about their pitch sessions with potential investors.