Benevolent Ideology and Women's Economic Decision-Making: When Sexism Is Hurting Men's Wallet

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 12;11(2):e0148629. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148629. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Can ideology, as a widespread "expectation creator," impact economic decisions? In two studies we investigated the influence of the Benevolent Sexism (BS) ideology (which dictates that men should provide for passive and nurtured women) on women's economic decision-making. In Study 1, using a Dictator Game in which women decided how to share amounts of money with men, results of a Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis show that higher endorsement of BS and contextual expectations of benevolence were associated with more very unequal offers. Similarly, in an Ultimatum Game in which women received monetary offers from men, Study 2's Generalized Linear Mixed Model's results revealed that BS led women to reject more very unequal offers. If women's endorsement of BS ideology and expectations of benevolence prove contrary to reality, they may strike back at men. These findings show that BS ideology creates expectations that shape male-female relationships in a way that could be prejudicial to men.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Beneficence*
  • Decision Making*
  • Female
  • Games, Experimental*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Sexism / economics
  • Sexism / psychology*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The first and second authors received funding from the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (http://www.fnrs.be/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.