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- Title
Disease avoidance: A predictor of sexist attitudes toward females.
- Authors
Fitzgerald, Holly N.; McDonald, Rachel; Thomas, Ronald; Shook, Natalie J.
- Abstract
Infectious disease poses a threat to reproductive fitness. However, the costs associated with infectious disease are often greater for females than males. Sexist attitudes toward females may have in part emerged from disease-avoidance concerns, in order to decrease infectious disease threat and promote reproductive success for females (and males indirectly). Across three studies, disease-avoidance tendencies were positively correlated with benevolent sexism (perceiving females as pure and in need of protection). Hostile sexism, or more traditional negative attitudes toward females, was inconsistently related to disease avoidance. Furthermore, right-wing authoritarianism partially accounted for the relation between disease avoidance and benevolent sexism, whereas right-wing authoritarianism fully accounted for the relation between disease avoidance and hostile sexism. By encouraging traditional sex roles and restricting female sexual behavior, benevolent sexism may reduce infectious disease threat in females, while maintaining positive relations between the sexes (unlike hostile sexism), which is important for reproduction.
- Subjects
SEXISM; EMERGING infectious diseases; HUMAN sexuality; FEMALES; BIOLOGICAL fitness
- Publication
Current Psychology, 2022, Vol 41, Issue 12, p9038
- ISSN
1046-1310
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12144-020-01343-6