Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Winter 3-14-2018 Benevolent Sexism and Racial Stereotypes: Targets, Functions, and Consequences Jean Marie McMahon Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Social Psychology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation McMahon, Jean Marie, "Benevolent Sexism and Racial Stereotypes: Targets, Functions, and Consequences" (2018). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4227. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.6111 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Benevolent Sexism and Racial Stereotypes: Targets, Functions, and Consequences by Jean Marie McMahon A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Psychology Dissertation Committee: Kimberly Barsamian Kahn, Chair Cynthia Mohr Eric Mankowski Kris Henning Portland State University 2018 © 2018 Jean Marie McMahon Abstract In this dissertation, I present three manuscripts in which I integrate race into an ambivalent sexism framework using experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional methods. The first paper (McMahon & Kahn, 2016; chapter II) tests whether a female’s race acts as a subtype to differentially elicit benevolent sexism (BS). Two experiments demonstrated that BS is more strongly associated with White women than Black women. The second paper (McMahon & Kahn, 2017; chapter III) explores the relationship between protective paternalism (a subcomponent of BS), anti-minority attitudes, and threat. Threat was associated with stronger endorsement of protective paternalism and a corresponding increase in anti-minority attitudes, particularly for White men, implicating BS in the maintenance of racial inequality. Finally, my third study (chapter IV) investigated potential real-world consequences of the differential application of BS to Black and White women in the context of police responses to intimate partner violence (IPV). Officers were more likely to file supplemental paperwork for White victims than Black victims, and were most likely to do so when encountering a White victim and a Black suspect. White victims were also written about with a greater “risk focus”, consistent with BS. In sum, chapter II (McMahon & Kahn, 2016) establishes racial differences in who receives BS, chapter III (McMahon & Kahn, 2017) demonstrates how paternalistic protections of White women are racialized, and chapter IV reveals how the intersection of BS with racial stereotypes may impact women seeking help from police. This dissertation is the first investigation in the social psychological literature of how race informs the targets, function, and consequences of BS. i Acknowledgements I want to extend my appreciation to my dissertation committee for their expertise and enthusiasm throughout this process. I’m also grateful to Sgt. Greg Stewart for his unwavering generosity and interest, which made my third study possible. Kim – six years ago you picked your first graduate student and I am so gratified that you picked me. Thank you for your unfailing patience, guidance, and encouragement during our many meetings and collaborations. I have watched your career take off, and I’m excited to see what comes next for the both of us. I also wish to thank my past psychology instructors for setting me on this course, especially Dr. Joseph “it’s a great day to be alive!” Bogan at Paschal High School and Kathy Oleson, Jennifer Henderlong Corpus, and Kris Anderson at Reed College. And special thanks to my very first teacher, Gracie, who called me her “little scientist.” I’m grateful to my friends and peers for their encouragement throughout graduate school, including the past and present members of the GRASP lab, my Reed family, the PSU social track, and my 2012 cohort. And thank you, Stephanie and Jonathan, my oldest and dearest friends. And finally, to Dr. Edward J. McMahon II and Dr. Nadia M. Lahutsky, my wonderful parents: I could never have done any of this without you. Thank you. ii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. ii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................1 Ambivalent Sexism ..................................................................................................2 The Need for Intersectionality ...............................................................................11 Present Investigation ..............................................................................................15 Chapter II Overview: Benevolent racism? The impact of target race on ambivalent sexism ..................................................................................................16 Chapter III Overview: When sexism leads to racism: Experiencing threat, protecting women, and racial bias ........................................................................17 Chapter IV Overview: To protect and serve: Police responses to Black and White female victims of intimate partner violence ................................................19 Summary ................................................................................................................21 CHAPTER II. MANUSCRIPT I. BENEVOLENT RACISM? THE IMPACT OF TARGET RACE ON AMBIVALENT SEXISM ..............................................................23 Abstract ..................................................................................................................23 Introduction ............................................................................................................24 Study 1 ...................................................................................................................29 Methods......................................................................................................30 Results ........................................................................................................32 Discussion ..................................................................................................33 Study 2 ...................................................................................................................34 Methods......................................................................................................38 Results ........................................................................................................39 Discussion ..................................................................................................42 General Discussion ................................................................................................43 CHAPTER III. MANUSCRIPT II. WHEN SEXISM LEADS TO RACISM: EXPERIENCING THREAT, PROTECTING WOMEN, AND RACIAL BIAS ..............51 Abstract ..................................................................................................................51 Introduction ............................................................................................................52 Study 1 ...................................................................................................................58 Methods......................................................................................................59 Results ........................................................................................................62 Discussion ..................................................................................................63 Study 2 ...................................................................................................................64 Methods......................................................................................................68 Results ........................................................................................................71 Discussion ..................................................................................................74 iii General Discussion ................................................................................................77 Limitations and Future Research Directions ..............................................79 Practice Implications ..................................................................................80 Conclusion .................................................................................................81 CHAPTER IV. MANUSCRIPT III. TO PROTECT AND SERVE: POLICE RESPONSES TO BLACK AND WHITE FEMALE VICTIMS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE ....................................................................................................87 Abstract ..................................................................................................................87