Jennifer Lawrence and the Psychological Dilemma of the Gender Wage Gap

Women are socially conditioned to skimp on their wage negotiations for fear of seeming ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled,’ a dilemma which Jennifer Lawrence summed up well in an widely-circulated article for Lena Dunham’s newsletter, “Lenny.” Psychologists dish on how to deal with this. (Photo: Getty Images)

During the Sony hack, leaked emails showing that Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner were all paid significantly more than their female co-stars in the 2013 film American Hustle.

The male leads each earned 9 percent of the film’s back-end profit. Five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, Academy Award-winner and arguably the most bankable young actress in Hollywood, both earned just 7 percent.

Almost a year after a leak, Lawrence finally addressed the gender pay gap, her feminist struggle, and why she didn’t demand more in Lena Dunham’s new email newsletter, Lenny. “It’s hard for me to speak about my experience as a working woman because I can safely say my problems aren’t exactly relatable,” the actress writes.

The star-studded cast of American Hustle. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

On one level, she’s right. Most women aren’t negotiating for a cut of a multi-million-dollar pie and dealing with bosses, like studio execs, that are rich and famous in their own right. On the other hand, Lawrence underlines a few key dilemmas every single working woman does face.

The “Spoiled” or “Difficult” Stigma for Women in the Workplace

After the hack, when Lawrence found out she was making a whole lot less than her male counterparts in the film, she says she kicked herself. “I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself,” the actress writes. “I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early.”

According to the Hunger Games star, she had a very good reason for throwing in the towel: “I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled,’ she explains. “At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the Internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn’t worry about being ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled.’”

Lawrence asks, “Are we socially conditioned to behave this way?” The answer is yes, according to Karla Ivankovich, PhD, an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, Springfield. Fighting gender stereotypes, women always feel their job might be threatened.

“There is still a gender-role perception that women are caretakers and nurturers, and with this in mind, they are seen as driven by emotion rather than fact,” Ivankovich tells Yahoo Health. “When a woman asserts herself, she takes on the traits that are reserved for men. This assertiveness is viewed negatively, because it threatens the male role by interjecting what is perceived to be an aversive woman into the equation.”

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Basically, strength and assertiveness can disrupt the idealistic pleasantness women are supposedly known for, something Lawrence points out in her letter. “A few weeks ago at work, I spoke my mind and gave my opinion in a clear and no-bullshit way; no aggression, just blunt,” she says. “The man I was working with (actually, he was working for me) said, ‘Whoa! We’re all on the same team here!’ As if I was yelling at him… All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have thought I had said something offensive.”

Most women instinctively know that disrupting those old gender stereotypes may pose a problem, where they’re perceived as “difficult” or demanding. “Women who assert themselves are viewed negatively, point blank,” Ivankovich insists. “What is valued as a strong male character trait is seen as whiny or ‘b—hy’ for a woman — and this isn’t just a hypothetical scenario. Many cases have been litigated across the United States, and even more cases happen on a daily basis and go unreported.”

The Fear of Fallout If You’re “The Difficult Employee”

Perhaps Lawrence has reached a level where she won’t become unemployed — whether she realizes that or not, subconsciously — but no person in any industry or profession wants to earn a reputation as “hard to work with” or put their job in jeopardy.

“In difficult economic times, the last thing you want to do is end up unemployed,” Ivankovich says. “As a result, women will remain silent for the sake of maintaining their positions of employment. As far as we have come in addressing women’s rights, we have even further to go — especially in law, healthcare, IT, finance, military and entertainment, which are predominately male-dominated sectors where women may be invited in, but are held to a glass ceiling.”

We have too few female bosses in a lot of industries, agrees Art Markman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin. “A big part of the problem is that many of the people who are making wage decisions at companies are men,” he says. “Research suggests that when social distance between people gets large, they think about those people more abstractly. Men will see themselves as socially closer to other men than to women while making these decisions.

The result is this: when assessing a man’s job performance, they think about the specifics, not not for women. “Men recognize all of the hard work that went in to that man’s achievement,” says Markman. “When thinking about women, though, they will focus abstractly on what they have accomplished without recognizing as strongly all the work that was required to get there.”

Markman says male bosses reward the hard work with more money. “Until more women reach the position in which they are also responsible for doling out the raises, the gender gap is likely to continue,” he suggests.

On top of that, women tend to be higher in the personality trait of agreeableness, which reflects just how much people are driven to be likable. These people, namely women, are less likely to stand up for themselves. This is something Lawrence acknowledges when she writes, “I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight.”

However, studies demonstrate that disagreeable people, namely men, tend to make more money than agreeable people, Markman says. “But the relationship between agreeableness and wages is stronger for men than for women,” he continues. “In part, even disagreeable women do not stand up for themselves as strongly in the workplace as disagreeable men, and so they do not push as strongly to get raises.” As a result, few women are asking for bigger paychecks.

But staying mum isn’t going to do you any favors, according to brand strategist, coach and speaker Terri Trespicio. “We always associate asking for more with inflicting pain on a company, which isn’t the case,” she tells Yahoo Health. “Companies will pay for value. Think about it like a Coach bag. Does the brand see themselves as inflicting pain on you for charging hundreds of dollars for a purse? No. They know that you know that you’re paying for value.”

And if you consider yourself valuable, an asset to a company or project, you need to act the part too. “If you don’t ask for what you’re worth, you will not only make less, but you will be valued less — and the first one cut,” Trespicio says. “Price is only an issue in the absence of value.”

How to Be Assertive and Get Your Worth

So how can you get what you’re worth, while still earning respect instead of a rep? It’s not easy, ladies, admittedly, because you cannot approach the negotiation table with the blunt attack of a man, says Trespicio.

“Do not bully, do not shame,” she warns. “Be nice. Consider the needs of the other side in your approach. You can hate that you have to be more considerate in your approach than a man might, but that’s the best way to get what you want.”

Trespicio says to always mention that you’re excited about a job or project and that you really want to give it your all — and to do that, you need a certain number. “Don’t apologize for asking for more, and don’t explain yourself,” she says. “The most assertive women say less. If a company can get you cheaper, they will. It’s human nature — so shoot for the high number. I don’t think companies are out to pay women less, but I do think they know that men argue more and women take what they get.”

Don’t allow it. In some ways, especially in those male-dominated industries, you have to be prepared shake up the “good ol’ boys’ club,” says Ivankovich. However, being respectful while standing firm is still your best option.

“Know your worth,” says Ivankovich. “And if you value your worth, do not back down from it. In researching salaries, understand that state medians are often driven by men; allow this to be the starting point for negotiations, be clear about what you want, and be willing to politely walk if they don’t meet your bottom line.” If you’re being realistic about what you bring to a job, there’s a company that will.

Lawrence writes that she doesn’t think she’s “ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves… while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share.”

As a woman, it’s wise to consider your angle, but not to discount yourself or worry about being viewed as a “brat.” Be kind, be clear, be firm — and you’re far more likely to get what you want.

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