Context Matters: Exploring the Role of Persona Gender and Stereotypes in Design Through Contextual and Dispositional Empathy

Abstract

Abstract. Although empathy is central to user-centered design, researchers often rely on dispositional empathy scales developed outside design contexts. Contextual empathy is particularly important in persona-based design, where personas may inadvertently reinforce gender stereotypes rather than foster inclusion. Yet, how dispositional and contextual empathy relate—and how contextual empathy shifts across gender-stereotypical scenarios—remains unclear. To address this gap, we employed a controlled, between-subjects factorial study design with 50 expert and quasi-expert designers. Participants were assigned to personas varying in gender and conformity to stereotypical masculine or feminine traits, and they collected data on design-specific contextual empathy and dispositional empathy measured through Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Through correlation and factorial ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) analyses, the results showed three main insights: first, designers’ dispositional empathy does not necessarily translate into perceived and self-reported contextual empathy toward the user persona, regardless of gender alignment and persona conformity to stereotypes. Second, stereotypes influenced designer self-reported and perceived contextual empathy, reflecting general gender bias where masculine personas are perceived to drive design decisions and influence design outcomes, while feminine personas were perceived to drive cognitive and creative ideations. Third, persona conformity has varying effects where women designers reported heightened contextual empathy toward nonconforming boy persona, while men designers reported the lowest. In conclusion, this study highlights the limitations of trait-based empathy measures and calls for a critical evaluation of how empathy is measured and applied in design research and user-centered design to promote inclusivity.