Form of reference: Sex differences in letters of recommendation.

Studied the use of reference systems in letters of recommendation to determine if status and solidarity norms reflect gender inequality in academia. Patterning of form of reference (i.e., recommender's use of first name, full name, last name, or formal title when referring to the candidate) was examined in 1,049 letters for 284 psychology and sociology candidates for academic positions. Sex of recommender, academic area, and quality of doctoral institution were used as controls. Results show more frequent references by title to females and by first name to males. A 2nd study of 102 academicians' perceptions of the meaning implied by different forms of reference provided the basis for interpreting the findings. As letter readers, Ss interpreted title to mean status and first name to indicate solidarity. Sex differences emerged when Ss were treated as letter writers: Men focused on the solidarity dimension, with first name clearly indicating liking, whereas women emphasized the status norm, using first name primarily to imply low status. Findings suggest that an interpretation of the application of solidarity and/or status norms with form of reference must consider both sex of recommender and sex of applicant. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)