Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2016, 110(2), 214-238

This research, conducted in North America and New Zealand, demonstrated that women’s adoption of benevolent sexism is influenced by their perceptions of their intimate partners’ agreement with benevolent sexism. In 2 dyadic longitudinal studies, committed heterosexual couples reported on their own sexism and perceptions of their partner’s sexism twice across 9 months (Study 1) and 5 times across 1 year (Study 2). Women who perceived that their male partner more strongly endorsed benevolent sexism held greater and more stable benevolent sexism across time, whereas lower perceptions of partners’ benevolent sexism predicted declines in women’s benevolent sexism across time. Changes in men’s endorsement of sexism were unrelated to perceptions of their partner’s sexist attitudes. (From the abstract). An article based on this research appeared in the Herald on Sunday, 28 February 2016 - follow the link. Find related research on the r.e.a.c.h website - follow the link. Record #4941