Receptivity to Mediation: The Role of 'Benevolent' Sexism

18 Pages Posted: 25 Oct 2004

See all articles by Aaron S. Wallen

Aaron S. Wallen

New York University (NYU) - Department of Psychology

J.

University of Southern California - Department of Management and Organization

Date Written: February 14, 2004

Abstract

This study employed a laboratory method to examine the role of "benevolent sexism" in a negotiator's receptivity to a mediator. Benevolent sexism refers to attitudes and beliefs about women that the perceiver subjectively considers positive (Glick & Fiske, 1996; 2001). The participants were 45 female students, placed in the role of negotiator, and their opponent was a male. They were then asked to evaluate a mediator who was either male or female. Earlier, their attitudes on the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) were assessed. A correlation analysis indicated that a benevolently sexist viewpoint was positively associated with greater receptivity (satisfaction, acceptance, and trust) to the male mediator. In other words, women who held the beliefs that women ought to be protected from harm, that women ought to be put on a pedestal, etc., anticipated better treatment when the mediator was a male. Moreover, women who endorsed hostile sexist viewpoints were less receptive to a female mediator. This study represents the first demonstration that attitudes associated with benevolent sexism may have an important impact on a negotiator's receptivity to a mediator. The implication is that mediator training programs might benefit by educating mediators to be aware of resistance that simply stems from the gender context of the mediation.

Keywords: mediation, gender, sexism

JEL Classification: D74, J52

Suggested Citation

Wallen, Aaron S. and dgdg, gdgd, Receptivity to Mediation: The Role of 'Benevolent' Sexism (February 14, 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=609304 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.609304

Aaron S. Wallen (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Department of Psychology ( email )

New York, NY 10003
United States

Gdgd Dgdg

University of Southern California - Department of Management and Organization ( email )

Los Angeles, CA 90089
United States
213-740-0728 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.marshall.usc.edu

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