[en] The present study investigated how benevolent (BS) and hostile sexism (HS) shift women’s self-construal and autobiographical memory. Belgian undergraduates (only women, N=45, mean age=21.8) were confronted either by BS, HS or neutral comments in the context of a job interview. After performing a cognitive task, participants reported the intrusive thoughts that came to their mind during the task. Later, autobiographical memory for self-incompetence was assessed. Performance response latencies were slower after BS than HS. Also, BS generated more disturbing mental intrusions related to the idea of being incompetent than HS. Autobiographical memory similarly indicated greater access for incompetence after BS. Although HS was more aggressive in tone, it did not shift women’s self-construal and autobiographical memories toward incompetence.
Sarlet, Marie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychologie sociale
Dardenne, Benoît ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychologie sociale
Language :
English
Title :
Be Too Kind to a Woman, She’ll Feel Incompetent: Benevolent Sexism Shifts Self-construal and Autobiographical Memories Toward Incompetence
Publication date :
2010
Journal title :
Sex Roles
ISSN :
0360-0025
eISSN :
1573-2762
Publisher :
Springer Science & Business Media B.V.
Volume :
62
Pages :
545-553
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
This research was supported by an incentive grant I-06/07 to Benoit Dardenne and by a grant SFR 2007 to Marie Sarlet, both from the University of Liège.
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