When is women’s benevolent sexism associated with support for other women’s agentic responses to gender-based threat?
Kahn, KB; van Breen, J; Barreto, M; et al.Kaiser, CR
Date: 16 January 2021
Journal
British Journal of Social Psychology
Publisher
Wiley / British Psychological Society
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Three studies examine how women’s benevolent sexism shapes support for other
women’s agentic responses to gender-based threat. In Study 1, women read vignettes about a
woman who agentically responded (vs. no response) to gender-based threat (e.g., sexism). As
hypothesized, BS predicted more positive attitudes towards the woman who ...
Three studies examine how women’s benevolent sexism shapes support for other
women’s agentic responses to gender-based threat. In Study 1, women read vignettes about a
woman who agentically responded (vs. no response) to gender-based threat (e.g., sexism). As
hypothesized, BS predicted more positive attitudes towards the woman who chose not to
challenge sexism, and more negative attitudes towards the woman who did. Studies 2 and 3
focused on whether these effects are driven by the behaviour displayed by the target (response or
not) or by the ideology it seeks to uphold (traditional or non-traditional). There may be
circumstances under which BS is associated with positive attitudes towards women’s agentic
(i.e., non-gender role conforming) behaviour, for instance when it is used to support traditional
gender roles. Studies 2 and 3 showed that when women’s agentic behaviour is used to uphold
traditional gender roles (vs. challenge them), BS is positively associated with support for such
behaviour. These findings underscore the importance of ideology underlying women’s agentic
behaviour: BS can support women’s agentic responses that violate prescribed gender roles, so
long as they reinforce the status quo.
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