From serial reproduction to serial communication: transmission of the focus of comparison in lay communication about gender inequality

Abstract

We introduce and explore the potential of the serial communication method, a modification of the serial reproduction paradigm in which participants communicate their own thoughts. It affords participants more agency, more closely simulating real communication. We specifically examined the transmission of the focus of comparison in explanations of gender inequality, a consequential form of equivalency framing. Participants in Wave 1 (n = 86) read about women being underrepresented (focus on women) or men being overrepresented in leadership (focus on men), then explained this difference. Participants in Wave 2 (n = 208) and Wave 3 (n = 199) then read randomly selected explanations from the preceding wave before giving their own explanations. The initial focus affected subsequent communication and was partially transmitted to Wave 2, but not Wave 3. We discuss implications and the value of the method for research on the framing of inequality, cultural transmission, and competing frames.