French speaker's attitudes towards gender-inclusive language and the influence they have on text evaluation

The present study examines in a quantitative manner the relationship between the attitudes toward gender equality and those toward gender-inclusive language. It also studies how a text written with gender-inclusive language is evaluated and observes what factors can act thereupon. Firstly, statistical analyses show that women have more positive attitudes than men, and that residents in a French-speaking area outside France express more positive attitudes than the French. Secondly, the text making use of gender-inclusive language is more negatively evaluated but seems to be just as well comprehended as the same text written using masculine generics. Further analyses show a positive correlation between the attitudes toward gender-inclusive language and the evaluation of the text, but only when the text is written with this kind of language. Finally, the comments left by the respondents provide new perspectives on the use and reception of gender-inclusive writing by 377 French speakers.