title: Help to perpetuate traditional gender roles: Benevolent sexism increases engagement in dependency-oriented cross-gender helping.
abstract: Based on theorizing that helping relations may serve as a subtle mechanism to reinforce intergroup inequality, the present research (N = 1,315) examined the relation between benevolent sexism (i.e., a chivalrous yet subtly oppressive view of women) and helping. In cross-gender interactions, the endorsement of (Studies 1, 3, and 4) or exposure to (Study 2) benevolent sexism predicted (a) men's preference to provide women with dependency-oriented help (i.e., direct assistance) rather than tools for autonomous coping, and (b) women's preference to seek dependency-oriented help rather than tools for autonomous coping. Benevolent sexism did not predict men's and women's engagement in dependency-oriented helping relations in same-gender interactions. Studies 1 and 2 examined behavioral intentions in response to a series of hypothetical scenarios; Studies 3 and 4 examined actual behavior in tests of mathematical and logical ability, and pointed to assumed partner's expectations as a potential mediator. The converging evidence supports the hypothesis that benevolent sexism encourages engagement in cross-gender helping relations that perpetuate traditional gender roles.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University.
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shnabel
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bar-Anan
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kende
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bareket
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lazar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D026686:Beneficence; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D008875:Middle Aged; D063507:Sexism / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult