I'm sure you're familiar with stereotypes based on traditional gender rolls, and the effect they can have on assumption; however, leveling and sharpening happen after the fact, somewhat like selective memory, but with the ability to create additional information. Simply put, leveling occurs when you hear or remember something, and drop details which do not fit cognitive categories and/or assumptions; sharpening occurs when you hear or remember something, and emphasize details which do fit cognitive categories and/or assumptions.

This study used stories to demonstrate the effects of both on gender:

Sylvia’s Story

Gender leveling - Students forgot that Sylvia hated Terry (67%), beat pillows (83%), and went running (92%)

Gender sharpening - Fifty-four percent of students added information consistent with female stereotypes. For instance, students added that Sylvia “hugged her teddy bear,” “complained and pouted,” “shopped all day long,” and “worried about her weight.”

John’s Story

Gender leveling - Students forgot that John cried (89%), took a long bath (85%), baked cookies (67%), and talked to his best friend (89%)

Gender sharpening - Fourty-four percent of students added information consistent with male stereotypes. For instance, students added that John “played violent video games,” “became very aggressive,” “played basketball,” “worked out,” “broke things,” “beat his head against the wall,” and “drank a beer.”

So, externally, Sylvia's aggression was leveled away, while her caring was sharpened, and built upon; likewise, John's pain was leveled away, while his aggression was sharpened, and built upon. This alone speaks volumes about how we continue to handle domestic abuse, custody, sexual harassment, etc.; however, beyond hearing and remembering a story about someone else, these concepts apply to one's own memories as well, altering them; for example, take the social assumptions which surround rape, sexual agency, etc.

Given this context, a man may take the the memory of being raped, and level it into a simple bad experience; likewise, a woman may take the memory of a simple bad experience, and sharpen it into rape. Remember, male victims are more likely to resort to denial or rationalization, while consensual, but drunk and/or regretful, sex can spell rape to a woman (and those both tell).

But wait, it doesn't stop there; since these are both internal and external phenomena, there's a very powerful feedback loop, wherein things will continue to level and/or sharpen, possibly between the second party and a third party, or even amongst third parties all over the Internet.

These are why the wage gap persists as an issue, because "lazy" is male; these are why we continue to worry about women in STEM fields, because "dominant" is male; these are why we continue to fret over stay-at-home mothers, because "control" is male; these are why we continue to ignore male victims, because "vulnerable" is female; these are why we continue to ignore male bondage, because "subjugation" is female; these are why we continue to ignore the wrongly accused, because "innocent" is female; and, these are why we continue to think such things in the face of contradictory evidence.