Individual differences in overt and covert measures of sexism

The present research was conducted to examine individual differences in responses to overt and covert measures of sexism. First, 25 women and 16 men rated the negative content of sexist state­ments in order to create a covert and an overt measure of sexism. Next, an additional group of 35 men and-74 women responded to these measures in order to determine the relationships between sex, educational maturity, political party affiliation, participation in a gender awareness course, willingness to help a woman in the future and covert and overt sexism. Main effects for sex of respondent, and enrollment in a gender awareness course were hypothesized such that men, and students not enrolled in a gender awareness course would score higher than women, and students in a gender awareness course on both measures with scores for the covert measure being highest. Additionally, sex by political party affiliation, sex by educational maturity, and sex by willingness to help a woman in the future interactions were hypothesized such that conservative men, men with less educational maturity, and men unwilling to help a woman in the future would score higher than women in each case. Once again for each interaction men’s scores for the coven items were hy­pothesized to be highest. Results obtained partially supported the hypotheses. Main effects for sex, and willingness to help a woman in the future, and a sex by enrollment in a gender awareness course interaction occurred. Results are discussed in terms of existing research and the lack of awareness of sexism in current society.