Psychologists find that entitlement predicts sexism, in both men and women

http://blog.case.edu/think/2014/06/04/psychologists_find_that_entitlement_predicts_sexism_in_both_men_and_women

June 4, 2014

Entitled attitudes appear to be linked to sexism—even among women, according to a personality study by psychologists from Case Western Reserve University and San Diego State University. In general, entitled men are more likely to endorse hostile views of women and entitled women are more likely to endorse views of women as frail and needing extra care.

The researchers found that, for men, entitlement was associated with hostile views of women. Entitled men were more likely to endorse views of women as manipulative, deceptive, and untrustworthy—attitudes, which past research has shown are predictors of violence toward women.

Conversely, the researchers found women who have a high sense of entitlement are likely to demand men take care of them because they are weak and frail. A large body of research shows that such demands lead to women being viewed as too weak and placed in roles where they are not allowed to advance in education and jobs.

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Consistent findings in both groups showed that entitlement related to benevolent sexism in women and hostile sexism in men. There were also relationships, to smaller degrees, in the relationships between entitlement and hostile sexism in women and benevolent sexism in men.

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This study also builds on Twenge’s findings in a 2010 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science that narcissistic attitudes in the U.S. have increased in recent years. In that prior study, Twenge found that individuals in their 20s were three times more narcissistic than those over the age of 60.

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