| dc.description.abstract | This study explores why some women endorse benevolent sexism (BS), a subtle yet
pervasive form of sexism that idealizes women as needing protection and care, even if this
may be a disadvantage to their own position in society. Specifically, the study examines the
role of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), dangerous and competitive worldviews, and
sociocultural factors such as religious and ethnic background in predicting the endorsement of
BS among American women. Using a cross-sectional design, with data from the 2024
Psychology of Political Behavior Studies (PPBS), the final analytic sample consisted of 505
participants. Findings reveal that higher levels of SDO significantly associated with higher
levels of BS endorsement, supporting the notion that hierarchical ideologies can be
internalized by those that are disadvantaged by them. Mediation analysis confirmed that both
dangerous and competitive worldview partially mediate the relationship between SDO and
BS, with competitive worldview showing a slightly stronger effect which is consistent with
the Dual Process Model. Additionally, religious background was found to moderate the effect
of SDO on BS, particularly among Muslim and Protestant participants, while there was no
significant moderation found for ethnicity. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding
of how hierarchical beliefs, worldviews, and identity-based variables intersect and sustain
gender inequality and can contribute to the development of interventions focusing on
dismantling sexism. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
This study explores why some women endorse benevolent sexism (BS), a subtle yet
pervasive form of sexism that idealizes women as needing protection and care, even if this
may be a disadvantage to their own position in society. Specifically, the study examines the
role of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), dangerous and competitive worldviews, and
sociocultural factors such as religious and ethnic background in predicting the endorsement of
BS among American women. Using a cross-sectional design, with data from the 2024
Psychology of Political Behavior Studies (PPBS), the final analytic sample consisted of 505
participants. Findings reveal that higher levels of SDO significantly associated with higher
levels of BS endorsement, supporting the notion that hierarchical ideologies can be
internalized by those that are disadvantaged by them. Mediation analysis confirmed that both
dangerous and competitive worldview partially mediate the relationship between SDO and
BS, with competitive worldview showing a slightly stronger effect which is consistent with
the Dual Process Model. Additionally, religious background was found to moderate the effect
of SDO on BS, particularly among Muslim and Protestant participants, while there was no
significant moderation found for ethnicity. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding
of how hierarchical beliefs, worldviews, and identity-based variables intersect and sustain
gender inequality and can contribute to the development of interventions focusing on
dismantling sexism. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. | |
