A Tool to Predict Sex Discrimination

Overview

Despite sex discrimination laws, this serious problem persists. Last year, I created a new construct called Sex Perspective (SP) Taking. This is the ability to see oneself as being the opposite sex. SP rigid people cannot or refuse to do this, whereas SP flexible people can. I created the Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ) to identify people as either rigid or flexible. This year, I set out to further validate the FRQ as a tool that might help to predict sex discrimination. I tested 497 undergraduate students by giving them the FRQ, the Implicit Association Test (IAT, a published test of sex role stereotypes), the Macho Scale (a published test of descriptive and prescriptive sex stereotypes), and the Open Sex Role Inventory (OSRI, a published test of masculine/feminine/androgynous traits). The FRQ and the Macho Scale were completed online. The OSRI and the IAT were administered in person. The results of the Macho Scale showed that i. men stereotyped more than women, and ii. on a specific question addressing a descriptive stereotype, rigid participants stereotyped less than flexible participants. On the IAT, men stereotyped less than women, and rigid participants stereotyped less than flexible. No significant effects were found on the OSRI. Although some results are opposite to what was predicted, they can be reconciled using the Moral Licensing Theory, where good deeds are used to excuse bad deeds. Men and SP rigid participants may have made a conscious effort to appear less sexist to compensate for actual sexist attitudes and behaviors.

Competition history

• ISEF 2019 Behavioral and Social Sciences · Entry BEHA040

Resources

• ISEF abstract page ↗

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