Examining the Role of Ambivalent Sexism, Violations of Traditional Feminine Norms, and Provocation in Men\u27s Aggression Toward Women and Female Intimate Partners

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypotheses that men’s endorsement of hostile sexism (HS), but not benevolent sexism (BS), would be positively associated with their perpetration of laboratory physical aggression toward a female stranger who was perceived as low in her adherence to traditional feminine norms or their self-report of sexual and physical aggression toward a female intimate partner. Though these apriori hypotheses were not supported, exploratory analyses demonstrated that despite initial perceptions of a female as conforming to traditional feminine norms, receiving any provocation from that female elicited a significant increase in intensity of physical aggression following receipt of provocation from that female. These analyses similarly indicated that men’s endorsement of HS was positively associated with their perpetration of laboratory physical aggression and self-report of sexual, but not physical, intimate partner aggression. Clinical theory- and research-based implications are discussed