Based on the assumption that language influences thinking, the present study investigated the effect of gender-fair language in German, a grammatically gendered language among primary school children. Specifically, in a single-study experiment, we compared 218 German third and fourth graders on the effects of the generic masculine (e.g., der Polizist; English: the policeman) and gender-fair language in terms of the feminine and masculine form (e.g., die Polizistin/der Polizist; English: the policewoman/the policeman) on the cognitive representation of women in stereotypically masculine occupations and occupational self-efficacy. General self-efficacy was examined as a moderator variable, assumed to influence the effect of gender-fair language on occupational self-efficacy. The results indicate that the gender-fair form led to a higher cognitive representation of women in stereotypically masculine occupations for girls and increased girls’ occupational self-efficacy for stereotypically masculine occupations. In contrast, the use of gender-fair language did not significantly influence boys’ cognitive representation of women and their occupational self-efficacy. General self-efficacy did not affect the effect of gender-fair language on occupational self-efficacy. Thus, even as early as in primary school, gender-fair language could help attracting girls to stereotypically masculine occupations.

基于语言影响思维的假设，本研究调查了德语中性别公平语言的影响，德语是小学生中语法性别化的语言。具体来说，在一项单一研究实验中，我们比较了 218 名德国三年级和四年级学生对通用男性（例如，der Polizist;英语：the policeman）和女性和男性形式的性别公平语言（例如，die Polizistin/der Polizist;英语：the policewoman/the policeman）关于女性在刻板印象中的男性职业和职业自我效能感的认知表征。一般自我效能感作为调节变量进行检查，假设影响性别公平语言对职业自我效能感的影响。结果表明，性别公平形式导致女性在刻板印象中的男性职业中的认知代表性更高，并且女孩在刻板印象中男性职业的职业自我效能感增加。相比之下，使用性别公平语言并没有显着影响男孩对女性的认知表征及其职业自我效能感。一般自我效能感不影响性别公平语言对职业自我效能感的影响。因此，甚至早在小学时，性别公平的语言就可以帮助吸引女孩从事刻板印象中男性化的职业。