Parents’ Pre-Pandemic Benevolent Sexism Predicted Lower Parenting Strain and Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Lockdowns

Abstract

One way that benevolent sexism contributes to gender inequality is by offering wellbeing benefits to women and men who fulfil idealised gender roles, such as taking on differentiated parenting roles and priorities. Yet, how benevolent sexism relates to parenting outcomes has received little attention. Extending a pre-pandemic study of heterosexual couples with young children (N = 175 dyads), we provide initial tests of the associations between benevolent sexism, parenting strain, and psychological distress. We assess whether benevolent sexism predicted parenting strain and psychological distress during two lockdowns at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Lockdown 2020) and 17 months later (Lockdown 2021). Accounting for pre-pandemic psychological distress, actors’ and partners’ higher pre-pandemic benevolent sexism was associated with lower psychological distress, and these associations were accounted for by lower parenting strain during lockdowns. However, the associations between mothers’ benevolent sexism and parenting outcomes dissipated at Lockdown 2021, suggesting that any protective benefits benevolent sexism offers to women are precarious. These results provide novel, preliminary evidence for the palliative function of benevolent sexism in the parenting domain, and advance understanding on why benevolent sexism is appealing and helps sustain gender inequalities.