How Moral Beliefs are Associated with Women’s Internalization of Misogyny
Start Date
April 2026
Location
2nd floor - Library
Abstract
Misogyny is an ideology reflecting the contempt for, and prejudice against, women (Findlay & Piggott, 2005). Misogyny is problematic because it keeps women in lower social and economic positions compared to men, perpetuating systemic inequalities. Internalized misogyny occurs when women learn and apply the sexist beliefs to themselves and other women (Bearman et al., 2009). Because internalized misogyny contributes to perpetuating an unequal society where women contribute to their own oppression, it is important to understand the moral origins that support and sustain it. Consequently, the current study examines the associations among women’s internalized misogyny and their moral values—as measured by five moral foundations (i.e., Harm/Care, Fairness/Reciprocity, Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity; Graham et al., 2011). If women’s internalization of misogyny is linked to their foundational moral values, it may be possible for future research to use their moral values to challenge their sexist beliefs (Sousa & O’Dwyer, 2022; Voelkel & Feinberg, 2018). Data collection for this study is in process, with approximately 150 college-aged women being recruited to participate (90% complete). After providing informed consent, participants are asked to complete a measure assessing their foundational moral values (i.e., Moral Foundations Questionnaire; Graham et al., 2011) as well as a measure assessing the extent to which they internalize contempt for, and prejudice against, women (i.e., Internalized Misogyny; Szymanski et al., 2009). Analyses will include bivariate and simple regression analyses to examine the associations among women’s internalized misogyny and their moral values. Results revealed significant positive correlations between internalized misogyny and women’s endorsement of the moral foundations of Harm/Care, Authority/Respect, and Ingroup/Loyalty (i.e., the binding foundations). The study will inform a future project seeking to utilize individuals’ moral values to challenge women’s sexist beliefs (see literature on reframing moral messages; Sousa & O’Dwyer, 2022; Voelkel & Feinberg, 2018).
How Moral Beliefs are Associated with Women’s Internalization of Misogyny
2nd floor - Library
Misogyny is an ideology reflecting the contempt for, and prejudice against, women (Findlay & Piggott, 2005). Misogyny is problematic because it keeps women in lower social and economic positions compared to men, perpetuating systemic inequalities. Internalized misogyny occurs when women learn and apply the sexist beliefs to themselves and other women (Bearman et al., 2009). Because internalized misogyny contributes to perpetuating an unequal society where women contribute to their own oppression, it is important to understand the moral origins that support and sustain it. Consequently, the current study examines the associations among women’s internalized misogyny and their moral values—as measured by five moral foundations (i.e., Harm/Care, Fairness/Reciprocity, Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity; Graham et al., 2011). If women’s internalization of misogyny is linked to their foundational moral values, it may be possible for future research to use their moral values to challenge their sexist beliefs (Sousa & O’Dwyer, 2022; Voelkel & Feinberg, 2018). Data collection for this study is in process, with approximately 150 college-aged women being recruited to participate (90% complete). After providing informed consent, participants are asked to complete a measure assessing their foundational moral values (i.e., Moral Foundations Questionnaire; Graham et al., 2011) as well as a measure assessing the extent to which they internalize contempt for, and prejudice against, women (i.e., Internalized Misogyny; Szymanski et al., 2009). Analyses will include bivariate and simple regression analyses to examine the associations among women’s internalized misogyny and their moral values. Results revealed significant positive correlations between internalized misogyny and women’s endorsement of the moral foundations of Harm/Care, Authority/Respect, and Ingroup/Loyalty (i.e., the binding foundations). The study will inform a future project seeking to utilize individuals’ moral values to challenge women’s sexist beliefs (see literature on reframing moral messages; Sousa & O’Dwyer, 2022; Voelkel & Feinberg, 2018).
