Popular stereotypes suggest there are big differences in how men and women communicate. According to these, men are unemotional, dominant, and achievement oriented, whereas women are nurturing, caring, and emotional. However, men and women actually communicate similarly in many ways, including levels of talkativeness, assertive speech, and self-disclosure (Cameron, 2009; Hyde, 2005).

So what does this mean for communication within a small group? You need to be aware of these stereotypes when interpreting your teammates’ communication behaviors. People have a tendency to negatively judge men and women who communicate in ways that defy gender stereotypes (Hyde, 2005). For example, you might dismiss an overly emotional male teammate during a heated debate if you think he’s not acting the way a man “should” act. Conversely, you may decide that a female team member who doesn’t smile often or talk much is cold, because women are supposed to be warm and open with their feelings. If you think gender-based stereotypes are affecting your perception of team members, use perception-checking to form more accurate impressions. As Chapter 2 discusses, you can do this by reviewing your knowledge about the other person, assessing any attributions you’ve made about the individual, and questioning your impression to make sure you’re not basing it solely on a stereotype.