Reciprocal Longitudinal Associations Between Psychological Entitlement and Women’s Benevolent Sexism and Men’s Hostile Sexism: Evidence From a 13-Year RI-CLPM

Abstract

Prior research suggests that psychological entitlement differentially predicts women’s benevolent sexism and men’s hostile sexism. However, few studies examine these associations longitudinally, and none have tested whether sexism similarly predicts psychological entitlement over time. Our pre-registered study used random intercept cross-lagged panel modelling to test reciprocal longitudinal associations between psychological entitlement and sexism using 14 waves of a large nationwide panel sample ( N = 72,039; women = 62.8%). For women, within-person increases in psychological entitlement predicted within-person increases in both benevolent and hostile sexism. For men, within-person increases in psychological entitlement predicted within-person increases in hostile sexism but not benevolent sexism over time. Critically, these associations were bidirectional among both women and men. The results highlight the potential psychological allure of benevolent and hostile sexism for women and men and illustrate that endorsing sexism may contribute to the status insecurities that sexism promises to resolve.