Just Think About It: Mindfulness, Sexism, and Prejudice Toward Feminists

Sarah J. Gervais, Lesa Hoffman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the relation between mindfulness, sexist motivations and beliefs, and prejudice toward women who violate traditional gender roles-namely feminists. In a preliminary study, 672 (251 men, 421 women) undergraduates from a United States Midwestern university completed a measure of mindfulness and warmth toward feminists and consistent with hypotheses, more mindfulness was associated with more warmth toward feminists. Extending this initial finding to the main study, 653 (273 men, 380 women) undergraduates from a U. S. Midwestern university completed measures of mindfulness, motivation to respond without sexism, ambivalent sexism, and warmth toward feminists. Consistent with hypotheses, compared to women participants, men participants were lower on internal motivation to respond without sexism, higher on hostile and benevolent sexism and less warm toward feminists. Also consistent with hypotheses, for men participants, more mindfulness was associated with higher internal motivation to respond without sexism, less benevolent sexism, and more warmth toward feminists. In contrast, for women participants, more mindfulness was only associated with less hostile sexism. Finally, a path analysis revealed that the positive relation between mindfulness and warmth toward feminists for men participants was partially mediated by more internal motivation to respond without sexism (i. e., a significant indirect effect), but not by less sexist beliefs. Implications for mindfulness, sexism, and prejudice more generally are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)283-295
Number of pages13
JournalSex Roles
Volume68
Issue number5-6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2013

Keywords

  • Benevolent sexism
  • Feminism
  • Gender
  • Hostile sexism
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Social Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Just Think About It: Mindfulness, Sexism, and Prejudice Toward Feminists'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this