Perception and Attribution of Benevolent and Hostile Sexism in Intimate Partnerships

Abstract

It is never the intention to dismiss a thoughtful gesture from a romantic partner, but what if those gestures have sexist roots? We explored how hostile and benevolent sexism were perceived in heterosexual, romantic partnerships and whether the women attributed them sexist or harmful. We found that women perceive and attribute different forms of sexism differently. Perceived harm and perceived intent are important predictors of whether women attribute partner sexism