Pessimism about their earning potential could be preventing women from pushing for higher wages or a promotion, according to a new study.
一项最新研究显示，对自己收入潜力的悲观态度可能会阻止女性升职和加薪。
In turn, this could be helping to sustain the gender pay gap.
反过来，这又会导致性别收入差距继续存在。
The study found that women tend to underestimate their earning prospects, while men often do the opposite, and researchers say it could help to explain why women are more often satisfied at work than men despite unequal pay.
该研究发现，女性倾向于低估自己的收入前景，而男性则往往相反。研究人员表示，这有助于解释为什么薪酬不平等，但是女性通常比男性对自己的工作感到更满意。

The researchers analyzed the British household Panel Survey, a major longitudinal study, to track individuals' expectations of salaries ranging from unemployment to paid employment.
研究人员们对英国家庭小组调查（一项大型纵向研究）进行了分析，追踪从失业人口到有偿工作的人们对工资的期望。
While women tended to have lower expectations, men were more likely to feel dissatisfied when the reality didn't match their outlooks, and consequently pursue better pay or change jobs.
他们发现女性的期望往往较低，而男性在现实不符合自己预期时更容易感到不满，从而追求加薪或者换工作。
'If low female expectations in terms of pay is fuelled by a pessimistic outlook, then even without discrimination and progression-related issues, women will continue to underestimate themselves and continue to inadvertently accept pay inequality,' said Dr Chris Dawson, Senior Lecturer in Business Economics.
商业经济学高级讲师克里斯·道森博士表示：“如果悲观态度降低了女性对工资的预期，那么即使没有歧视和发展相关等问题，女性也将继续低估她们自己，并在不知不觉间接受工资不平等。”
'It has serious implications for policy that is trying to address the gender pay gap and suggests more needs to be done to actively advance women at work, without relying on them to self-select for promotion and senior opportunities.'
“这对试图解决性别工资差距的政策有着严重的影响，并且表明需要更加积极地在工作中提拔女性，而不是依靠她们自己选择晋升机会。”
‘The takeaway message of this research is not about putting the responsibility on women, but recognising that without policy measures to address this, we run the risk of never closing the gender pay gap.'
“这项研究所传达的意思并不是要把责任归咎于女人身上，而是认识到如果没有政策措施来解决这个问题，我们就有可能永远不能消除性别收入差距。”