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The Effects of Mansplaining

Research from Erik Santoro and Co-Director Markus examines how unsolicited, prescriptive advice can make women feel less respected, powerful, and trusting.

“Mansplaining”—receiving unsolicited advice or instruction from men—is a common experience for women that has recently been in the cultural spotlight. New research from Erik Santoro and Co-Director Hazel Markus shows that when women receive unsolicited, prescriptive advice from either men or women, they feel less respected, powerful, and trusting. They also find that this kind of advice from men in particular can make women more concerned about their gender and how they are treated. This demonstrates the importance of offering validating responses for productive conversations, especially across gender divides.

A Man Talking to a Woman with Documents on a Desk
Credit: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

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Is Mansplaining Gendered? The Effects of Unsolicited, Generic, and Prescriptive Advice on U.S. Women | Psychological Science

How It Feels to Be Mansplained to by a Man (or a Woman) | Society for Personality and Social Psychology

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