https://hdl.handle.net/10481/68004 2026-04-24T10:10:31Z 2026-04-24T10:10:31Z Segura-Nebot, Rocío Montañés, Pilar de Lemus, Soledad Sáinz Ibáñez, Milagros https://hdl.handle.net/10481/112979 2026-04-23T09:06:08Z

More than a toy: how play preferences influence attitudes and attributions towards professional and domestic roles in childhood Segura-Nebot, Rocío; Montañés, Pilar; de Lemus, Soledad; Sáinz Ibáñez, Milagros Gender socialization begins in early childhood. Consequently, gender stereotypes form between the ages of two and six, peaking in rigidity around five or six. Children acquire these stereotypes through imitation and environmental modeling, which influences their attitudes and preferences regarding toys, careers, and playmates. This study examined the link between gender attributions and attitudes toward toys, professions, and household tasks during two stages of childhood. Two correlational studies were conducted to assess primary school children’s attitudes toward toys, professions, and household tasks, as well as their gender attributions. Study 1 (N = 258; ages 5–6) was conducted in small groups of four using a game like assessment format. Study 2 (N = 321; ages 7–10) was administered individually. The results of both studies indicated a preference for gender-congruent items. However, individual attitudes toward gender-typed toys rather than participants’ gender predicted attitudes toward gender-typed professions and household roles. Younger children displayed stronger stereotypes regarding masculine professions, while older children showed less stereotypical rigidity. Additionally, children who made egalitarian gender attributions about toys were more likely to have counterstereotypical attitudes and be open to non-traditional toys, professions, and household task choices. These results underscore the importance of promoting counterstereotypical play as an educational tool for fostering gender equality. Encouraging egalitarian gender attributions may help children develop more positive attitudes toward non-traditional roles, thereby reducing gender stereotyping in professional and household contexts.

Estevan-Reina, Lucía Lemus Martín, Soledad De López Megías, Jesús Kutlaca, Maja Belmonte-García, Marta Becker, Julia https://hdl.handle.net/10481/111802 2026-03-02T10:47:39Z

Allies Against Sexism: The Impact of Men’s Egalitarian Versus Paternalistic Confrontation on Women’s Empowerment and Well-Being Estevan-Reina, Lucía; Lemus Martín, Soledad De; López Megías, Jesús; Kutlaca, Maja; Belmonte-García, Marta; Becker, Julia Men as advantaged group members can be involved in actions against inequality. But how do women experience men’s confrontation of sexism? We examine how women perceive men’s egalitarian versus paternalistic confrontation of sexism. We hypothesized that women would be more likely to report empowerment and well-being (i.e., more happiness and less anger) after egalitarian confrontation than after paternalistic confrontation, which should increase their future intention to confront sexism. Using hypothetical scenarios, the results of three studies conducted in Spain, Germany, and Mexico confirmed our hypotheses. They also highlighted that empowerment (but not happiness) triggered by egalitarian confrontation, as well as anger triggered by paternalistic confrontation, lead women to express greater future intention to confront sexism. Our findings suggest that male confronters motivated by egalitarian reasons are more likely perceived as allies of women because they not only make women feel better but also empower them to keep fighting. Further, women may react against men motivated by paternalistic reasons (especially if they are strongly identified as feminist or endorse low benevolent sexist beliefs). Implications for activists, policymakers, and practitioners who are interested in involving men in fighting gender inequality are discussed. The present research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the predoctoral contract granted to the first author (FPU14/0511) and through the excellence project granted to the second author (PSI2016-79971-P). Furthermore, this work received financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation; DFG BE 4648/4-2).; Data and Materials Availability: Preregistration of Studies 2 and 3 as well as supplementary materials of Studies 1−3, the data sets generated for pooled analyses of Studies 1−3 and an English translation of the main measures used in the three studies can be found in the https://osf.io/uh27n/. The raw data supporting the conclusions of Studies 1−3 and the original version of measures used in Studies 1−3 will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation, to any qualified researcher.

Lemus Martín, Soledad De Estevan-Reina, Lucía https://hdl.handle.net/10481/111800 2026-03-02T10:10:01Z

Influence of sexist language on motivation and feelings of ostracism Lemus Martín, Soledad De; Estevan-Reina, Lucía El artículo no fue publicado en open access. No obstante, la editorial permite su inclusión en un repositorio institucional

Milesi, Patrizia Süssenbach, Philipp Bohner, Gerd López Megías, Jesús https://hdl.handle.net/10481/110022 2026-01-21T10:29:19Z

The Interplay of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression and Moral Foundations in the Blaming of Rape Victims Milesi, Patrizia; Süssenbach, Philipp; Bohner, Gerd; López Megías, Jesús Moral Foundations Theory proposes five intuition-based moral concerns: Care and Fairness (“individualizing foundations”) as well as Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity (“binding foundations”). In studies carried out in Italy, Spain, and Germany, the au- thors examined how these concerns are associated with the acceptance of modern myths about sexual aggression (AMMSA), and how both jointly predict rape victim blaming. Overall, victim blaming was positively predicted by Authority and Sanctity, and negatively predicted by Care and Fairness. Although victim blaming was best predicted by AMMSA, moral concerns also contributed to its prediction, partly inde- pendently, partly mediated through AMMSA, and in the case of Sanctity in interac- tion with AMMSA. Discussion highlights how integrating moral foundations in the investigation of victim blaming and AMMSA across different cultural contexts may deepen our understanding of why, in each cultural context, victim blaming and re- lated beliefs are resistant to change.

Schwartz-Salazar, Sofía Martínez Gutiérrez, Rocío Rodríguez Bailón, Rosa María https://hdl.handle.net/10481/107714 2025-11-04T07:49:57Z

Adolescents views of an unequal world: understanding economic inequality and factors for its reduction Schwartz-Salazar, Sofía; Martínez Gutiérrez, Rocío; Rodríguez Bailón, Rosa María Economic inequality has a huge impact on well-being, also affecting adolescents, who are the future agents of our societies. Nevertheless, research often overlooks their perspectives on economic inequality, poverty, and their attitudes towards its reduction. The present research evaluates adolescents’ perceived and ideal economic inequality, causal attributions of poverty, support for collective action against economic inequality and meritocratic beliefs (in school or in general). Findings from this cross-sectional study involving Spanish adolescents (N = 942) reveal age-related differences being older teenagers who had higher ideal economic inequality, more general meritocratic beliefs and made more external causal attributions of poverty. Younger teenagers show greater endorsement of belief in school meritocracy. Beliefs in school meritocracy moderate perceived economic inequality, with stronger endorsement correlating with increased economic inequality tolerance and lesser support for collective action as perceived economic inequality rises. External causal attributions of poverty and ideal economic inequality partially mediate the relationship between perceived economic inequality and support for collective action, shaping attitudes towards economic inequality and its reduction. Our research contributes to understanding adolescents’ comprehension of inequality and their motivation to reduce it. By shedding light on the mechanisms underlying adolescent perceptions of economic inequality and their implications for collective action, our findings pave the way for interventions and policies aimed at promoting social justice and well-being among adolescents and the rest of society