Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Mindy Erchull will be featured on the radio program With Good Reason Dec. 3-9.
Titled “The Glass Ceiling and the Ivory Tower” http://withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/the-glass-ceiling-in-the-ivory-tower/, the show takes a look at tough issues facing women in the 21st century.
A new study from Erchull proves that sexual self-empowerment may be harder than we think, and that dressing provocatively may negatively impact perceptions of a woman’s qualifications.
“While men have suits as a clearly defined work ‘uniform,’ women have no such uniformity in what they can wear in professional contexts,” said Erchull. “This means women face complex choices related to how to dress. They have to navigate unclear boundaries related to looking attractive, but not too attractive. Unfortunately, women publicly embracing their sexuality, at least in terms of clothing choices, can backfire when it comes to how others perceive them.”
Erchull’s research interests include objectification and sexualization of women, feminism and feminist identity, psychological aspects of reproductive health and attitudes about menstruation. She also has broad training in social psychology, health psychology, psychology of women, women’s health, social influence and statistics and research methods. In addition to research and academic training in these areas, Erchull serves as a consulting editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly, Women’s Reproductive Health and Gender Issues.
With Good Reason is a program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The show airs weekly in Fredericksburg on Sundays from 1-2 p.m. on Radio IQ 88.3 Digital. To listen from outside the Fredericksburg area, a complete list of air times and links to corresponding radio stations can be found at http://www.withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen/.
Audio files of the full program and its companion news feature will be posted the week of the show on the radio show’s website: http://withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/the-glass-ceiling-in-the-ivory-tower/.