Research has shown that perceiving sexism in one’s life can have a multitude of negative effects. One theory of sexism, ambivalent sexism, suggests that sexism may come in two forms: hostile and benevolent. Hostile sexism is expressed when women do not fit into traditional female gender roles, while benevolent sexism is expressed as chivalry, or romanticism towards women. Because benevolently sexist behaviors may be less violent or seemingly more positive, it is thought to be more subtle in nature, allowing it to more often pass undetected as sexism. However, not much research has investigated how women perceive these two forms of sexism. Are there any differences in the appraisal of sexist behaviors based on whether the situation is hostile or benevolent? What types of behaviors associated with benevolent and hostile sexism do people appraise as sexist? Undergraduate women (N=104) completed online surveys that asked about experiences that could be appraised as sexist. We expect that behaviors associated with benevolent sexism will be less often appraised as sexist than behaviors associated with hostile sexism. Measuring these variables is important because it could help to determine how the aspects of benevolent and hostile sexism are perceived as sexism.
