Women are attracted to men with 'benevolent sexism' attitudes, according to study

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Women are more attracted to potential mates who have a “benevolent sexism” trait - despite the “detrimental effects” of these attitudes on women, a new study says.

The study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Pelin Gul from Iowa State University and Tom Kupfer from the University of Kent, built on previous definitions that psychologists have used to categorise sexism into two categories - hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS).

According to the definitions, hostile sexism refers to the sexism that is negative in nature and fits the “classic definition of prejudice.”

Benevolent sexism, however, is sexism which views women in a stereotypical way with restricted roles which tends to “elicit behaviours typically categorised as prosocial,” according to psychologists.

Examples of BS include thinking of women as homemakers, or being gentle and nurturing.

In the new study, researchers concluded that women are actually attracted to mates with benevolent sexism attitudes as the behaviours signal that a man is “willing to invest.”

The research was conducted by asking more than 200 female students to read the profile of a man that represented either BS or non-BS attitudes, and rate the men in numerous categories including perceived willingness to provide, willingness to protect, and how attractive they found him.

According to the authors, the women preferred men with BS attitudes because they were “willing to invest by being protective, providing, and committed.”

However, from a feminist standpoint, the study itself raises many concerns; Harriet Minter, a broadcaster, women’s rights journalist, and host of Badass Women’s Hour told The Independent: “The reality is that there’s nothing ‘benevolent’ about sexism. Sexism, like every other -ism, is based on power and reinforcing the dominant partner’s status. So ‘benevolent sexism’ is, to me, a contradiction in terms."

She said that the attributes that are attractive in modern dating are in flux, and that the study was an attempt to try to understand rules of the dating game in the 21st century.

“I do think the question of how to act in order to best attract a woman is a confusing question for men right now. They've been brought up in families that for the most part will have adhered to the standard ‘man as provider, woman as caretaker’ role and yet now they're dating women who claim to not want that model - yet still appreciate being bought dinner or who want to take care of their children.

“The reality is that this is new territory for both men and women so I would have to assume that the authors were trying to establish the rules of the dating game in the 21st century."

She added: “What would be interesting would be to research what men think of being bought dinner or thought strong and capable by a woman. Would they think it was benevolent feminism?”

Despite the findings of the authors - that benevolent sexism attitudes make men appear capable of providing and protecting - Minter does not believe referring to such actions as “benevolent sexism” justifies the behaviour.

“If anything it just adds to the patronising, patriarchal narrative that still exists around men and women's interactions,” she told us. “You don't buy someone dinner because you're being benevolent, you do it because you care about them and want to treat them, regardless of their gender, regardless of whether you're in a romantic relationship and, most importantly, with no assumption as to what this means about your status in comparison to each other.

“Sexism exists when one party assumes their gender gives them a higher or more special status than the other person, if you're acting in a certain way towards a woman because you think it is your duty as a man rather than simply your duty as a human, then there is a level of sexism there.”

Rather than being attracted to “sexism,” Minter believes that women are attracted to “kindness, to thoughtfulness, and to good manners.”

“There is nothing stopping a man from buying a woman dinner, that isn’t sexism. Sexism is a man buying a woman dinner and then assuming she owes him something. And nobody is attracted to that,” she said.