Sex Roles最新文献

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) often disseminate risk reduction strategies intended to reduce sexual assault victimization and/or perpetration. This research examined the content and context of publicly available risk reduction strategies offered by a nationally representative sample of 4-year IHEs in the United States (N = 242; public and private not-for-profit institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal institutions). We identified strategies for 102 (42%) IHEs. Using a sociocognitive approach to critical discourse analysis, we examined the specific messages conveyed via IHE risk reduction strategies, how larger sociocultural discourses and power structures were reproduced or reinforced, and the potential implications for readers (i.e., university students). Nearly all IHEs directed their strategies toward potential victims. These strategies were broad in scope, imploring behavioral modification and restriction (e.g., never be alone), and requiring specific responses to sexual assault (e.g., physical resistance). Fewer IHEs directed their strategies toward potential perpetrators; these strategies were narrower in scope, focusing on sexual consent. Overall, strategies reproduced rape myths (e.g., stranger-perpetrated assault is common) and positioned potential victims as uniquely responsible for preventing sexual assault—messaging that may be particularly harmful when disseminated by powerful institutions responsible for sexual assault prevention and response. IHEs should assess the utility of risk reduction strategies and, if retained, revise their strategies to counter harmful sexual assault messaging.

Media representations of sexuality can play a relevant role in the development of gender stereotypes and sexual learning processes. In the current pre-registered study, we examined the representation of sexuality in content on Netflix, a dominant force in global mass media consumption. We coded 271 mixed-gender sexual scenes across seven highly popular Netflix series for orgasm portrayal, depiction of sexual behaviors, including clitoral stimulation, and gendered sexual scripts (i.e., initiation, control, and expression of desires). Our results revealed a nuanced picture of women’s sexual pleasure representation. Women’s orgasms were depicted less frequently than men’s, although orgasm portrayal was generally rare. Sexual behaviors were mostly limited to penile-vaginal intercourse, though cunnilingus was depicted more frequently than fellatio. Regarding gendered sexual scripts, women were portrayed as equally sexually agentic as men, initiating sexual encounters, taking control, and expressing their needs and desires. Our findings indicate that this content simultaneously reinforces and challenges gender stereotypes related to sexual experiences, highlighting the need for sexual educators to critically address the realism of mainstream media portrayals to foster a nuanced understanding of sexuality and pleasure.

Over the last few years there has been an increase in anti-trans rhetoric and violence towards transgender individuals, the consequences of which continue to adversely affect transgender people’s lives. Given these societal ramifications, it is crucial to explore how transprejudice (prejudice against transgender people) might be ameliorated. Research within social psychology has repeatedly shown intergroup contact to reduce various forms of outgroup prejudice, but little extant research has tested this association for prejudice related to transgender identity. We conducted three cross-sectional studies which tested the relation between contact (quantity and quality) with transgender people, trans-related knowledge (i.e., participants’ self-reported level of knowledge about experiences of transgender people), and transprejudice (cognitive and affective). Across the three studies, we found that contact quantity and contact quality significantly mediated the negative relationship between knowledge and transprejudice (although contact quality was a more consistent mediator). Those with more trans-related knowledge had more frequent and better-quality contact with trans people, and in turn showed less prejudice towards transgender people. We found less consistent support for an alternative mediation model with prior knowledge mediating the contact to transprejudice link. These findings demonstrate the importance of the role of both knowledge about and contact with transgender people as a means of transprejudice reduction, with wide-reaching implications for creating environments that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

The current study examined whether congruence with gender stereotypes is associated with support for online feminist campaigns. In Study 1 (N_tweets = 510,000), we investigated how two real-world movements (i.e., #metoo and #sexstrike) were viewed in terms of adhering to the traditional feminine stereotype of high warmth/communion and low competence/agency, as per language used in the tweets posted within each campaign. We found that the #metoo movement was characterised by more communal and less agentic content than #sexstrike. In Study 2 (N = 195), when presented with descriptions of the movements modelled after #metoo and #sexstrike, participants associated the #metoo-like campaign with more feminine (e.g., community orientation) and less masculine concepts (e.g., rebelliousness), which, in turn, translated to greater declared support for the campaign. In Study 3 (N = 446), conducted in a more controlled and context-independent setting, we once again observed the link between the gender stereotypes attached to feminist movements and the support they received. We also found that this effect was independent of the effect of perceiving movements as violating social norms. Controlling for feminist identification, political conservatism, and gender system justification did not affect the pattern of results. Uncovering these stereotype-related effects on support for feminist movements furthers understanding of the strategies that might be used in the fight for gender equality.

The #MeToo movement and social media have increased public awareness of sexual violence, particularly when committed by high-profile celebrities. Presently, we are within a unique sociocultural space, often referred to as “cancel culture,” in which perpetrators of sexual violence may face increased accountability. However, “cancelation” is not equally applied to all perpetrators. The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of perpetrator likeability and tactic (i.e., force and coercion) on the degree to which perpetrators are “canceled” (i.e., held accountable through personal, professional, and legal repercussions) for sexual assault. Among a sample of 238 participants, results of this experimental vignette study revealed that perpetrators viewed as unlikeable received more blame than those who were likeable or described in a neutral manner, with the survivors in the likeable perpetrator and neutral scenarios receiving greater blame. Moreover, perpetrators who used coercion were less likely to be blamed and be held accountable than those who used force, with the survivors in the coercive scenarios receiving greater blame. No interaction effects emerged between likeability and tactic, suggesting that the main effects operate independently of one another. Though the #MeToo movement and cancel culture have created cultural change in the United States, the findings from this study suggest that perpetrators continue to be held less accountable, so long as they are not unlikeable and do not use force.

The current study examines whether a pivotal event central to gender relations—marriage—is associated with changes in sexism. Drawing upon a nationally representative study assessing sexist attitudes across 14 years, event-aligned piecewise latent growth models examined change in hostile and benevolent sexism (1) across the years prior to marriage, (2) within the year immediately post marriage, and (3) across the years following marriage (N = 1,615). Matching average trajectories established in prior research, hostile sexism and women’s benevolent sexism showed small declines across the years prior to marriage. Immediately post marriage, however, men’s hostile sexism and women’s hostile and benevolent sexism significantly increased from pre-marriage levels, before returning to declining trajectories across the following years. By contrast, men’s benevolent sexism was stable prior to marriage, did not change within the year immediately post marriage, but then significantly departed from the pre-marriage trajectory by declining across the years following marriage. These novel findings reveal that investigating meaningful life events provides new insight into the factors that may be associated with changes in sexism. The results also open new avenues to advance understanding of the relationship experiences and motivations that may reinforce and reduce sexist attitudes.

The present study examined changes in the rates of vegetarianism among a sample of young American adults. Over 15 years, students at an American university (N = 12,704) described their dietary habits. Multilevel modeling analyses (participants nested within semesters) found that overall, the percentage of vegetarians increased over time, whereas the percentage of omnivores decreased over time; however, these changes occurred only for women. The dietary habits of men did not change over time. In a second study, in a sample of 363 adult vegetarians from the US, we found that women were more likely than men to become vegetarians due to concerns about the ethics of raising animals for food and eating them, suggesting that increased societal concern about animal rights may be responsible in part for the gender differences over time in vegetarianism. These results extend existing research on gender differences and suggest that if current trends continue, gender differences in vegetarianism may be more pronounced in the future.

In three studies we examined whether four social identity characteristics (gender, race, age, and socioeconomic status) affect perceived risk of disorder development for eating and mood relevant behaviors. Women and girls are at greater risk of developing an eating disorder than men and boys. However, because the race of Black women and girls does not fit the prototypical image of a person with an eating disorder (ED), we hypothesized ED-related behaviors would be perceived as less concerning for them. Study 1 demonstrated robust stereotypes along all four identity dimensions (gender, race, age, and socioeconomic status) for perceived ED prevalence, and weaker stereotypes for depressive and anxiety disorders. In Study 2, identical ED-related behaviors were interpreted as riskier and less healthy when performed by a female or White target, relative to a male or Black target. Identity dimensions did not affect risk judgments for mood disorder behaviors. Study 3 replicated and extended these results. These findings suggest Black women and girls are at a disadvantage in the early identification of risk factors associated with ED development. This work responds to the call for culturally sensitive research on the effects of diverse identities on detecting and addressing body image problems and eating disorders.

Identifying as a feminist and endorsing liberal feminist values are associated with positive attitudes toward trans* people and their rights. However, since the late 1970s, one branch of radical feminism has argued for a biological essentialist definition of binary gender categories. More recently gender-critical feminism has appealed to radical feminism when describing trans* rights as a threat to biologically-defined women’s politics and safety. To understand debates around the evolution of trans* rights, three studies (N = 502), examined the associations between diverse feminist perspectives and identifications, gender binary beliefs, and attitudes toward trans* people and their rights. Study 1 updated an existing measure of different feminist perspectives. Study 2 showed that endorsements of intersectional, and radical feminist perspectives were associated with positive attitudes toward trans* people and their rights. Study 3 revealed that both intersectional and radical feminist identifications were also associated with positive attitudes, whilst endorsing gender binary beliefs was associated with negative attitudes. These results challenge the assumption that support for trans* rights is inconsistent with either general feminist or specifically radical feminist positions and inform both debates around the evolution of trans* rights and existing tensions within feminist movements.

Although women drivers engage in fewer risky behaviors and have a lower involvement in traffic accidents than men, there is a commonly held stereotype that they are bad drivers. To understand this perception, various psychosocial factors related to sexism have been studied. However, very little is known about sexist attitudes towards women drivers, especially when studied through implicit attitude models. The aim of this study was to understand implicit and explicit sexist attitudes towards women drivers. A sample of N = 104 participants from Mar del Plata, Argentina, completed a stimulus classification task using response times to measure implicit attitudes, and three self-reporting measures of explicit attitudes, ambivalent sexism, and control of prejudices. The results indicated more positive implicit attitudes and low explicit antipathy towards women drivers. No age differences were found, but gender differences were observed (i.e., women showed more positive implicit and explicit attitudes towards their own group). Implicit and explicit attitudes showed a moderate correlation with each other and were not associated with a concern with acting prejudiced scale. Hostile sexism was a predictor of sexist driving attitudes. The results are discussed in the context of previous evidence on sexism in driving and implicit attitude models.