Breaking the silence: How male and female bystanders influence victims of gender prejudice.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to explore the specific psychological mechanisms of female victims coping with gender bias in bystander intervention (Study 1) and bystander neglect (Study 2), as well as the influence of bystander gender.

Methodology: Two experiments recruited 208 participants who, after watching a first-person video of their experience of gender prejudice, filled out questionnaires measuring emotions, feelings of power, evaluation of the perpetrator and willingness to confront. A moderated mediation model was set up, and the bootstrapping method were applied.

Findings: We found that the victim's feeling of power significantly mediated the relationship between anger and confrontation intention in bystander intervention. The victim's negative evaluation of the perpetrator significantly mediated between anger and confrontation intention in bystander neglect. Notably, both mediation models could be constructed only when the bystander was male rather than female.

Implications: This study has important implications for gender bias. The results reveal the psychological mechanism of victims coping with gender bias, and call for groups of all genders to join in the anti-gender bias alliance.