Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace Scale (BSW)

Abstract

The Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace (BSW) scale, developed by Warren et al. (2023), is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure the presence of benevolent sexism within professional environments. This construct captures attitudes toward women that appear positive or helpful but are inherently paternalistic and condescending, serving to maintain traditional gender roles. The BSW is a 19-item instrument whose development followed established psychometric guidelines. It was rigorously evaluated using employed young adults from a public university in Southern California and employed adults recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. The evaluation included comprehensive analyses of its factor structure, reliability, and various aspects of validity.

Keywords

Benevolent Sexism, Workplace, Complementary Gender Differentiation, Protective Paternalism, Employee Interaction, Sexism, Working Conditions, Organizational Measures

Authors

Warren, Catherine, Wax, Amy, Brush, Olivia T., Magalona, Joie, Galvez, Gino

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace (BSW) scale is to provide a quantitative and structured assessment of benevolent sexism specifically tailored to the workplace context. This focus addresses the nuanced manifestations of sexism that are not overtly hostile but still undermine equality and professional competence.

By effectively measuring these subtle attitudes, the BSW allows researchers and organizational practitioners to evaluate underlying paternalistic and condescending views toward women in professional settings, thereby facilitating targeted interventions and organizational change efforts.

Construct

The BSW scale measures the construct of Benevolent Sexism as it is experienced in a professional setting. This type of sexism is characterized by subjectively positive evaluations of women that actually restrict their autonomy and opportunities by placing them on a pedestal or demanding their protection.

The 19 items of the scale are organized into two distinct subdimensions, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the construct:

• Complementary Gender Differentiation: This subscale, consisting of 11 items, measures the belief that women possess unique, positive traits (e.g., warmth, nurturing) that make them different from men, often implying that these traits render them unfit for challenging or competitive roles.
• Protective Paternalism: This subscale, consisting of 8 items, measures the belief that women are delicate and require men’s protection, guidance, or support, particularly in demanding or stressful work environments.

Validity

The BSW scale underwent comprehensive evaluation to establish its psychometric validity across multiple dimensions:

Convergent and Discriminant Validity: The scale demonstrated robust evidence of convergent validity, showing a strong correlation (r = .65, p < .01) with items measuring benevolent sexism from other established instruments. Furthermore, discriminant validity was confirmed by a small, non-significant correlation (r = −.08, p < .05) with measures of feminism, indicating that the BSW assesses a distinct, separate psychological construct.

Concurrent Criterion Validity: The BSW showed significant statistical associations with relevant workplace outcomes. Specifically, it was significantly linked to system justification (R² = .10, F(1, 190) = 20.00, p < .001) and was strongly predictive of sexual harassment (R² = .29, F(1, 190) = 78.33, p < .001). These findings support the BSW’s ability to correlate with theoretically related variables in the professional sphere.

Reliability

The internal consistency and temporal stability of the BSW were found to be high across different samples, confirming its reliability as a measurement tool.

Internal Consistency: For the Amazon Mechanical Turk sample, the overall 19-item BSW exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .95; McDonald’s omega = .95). The two subscales also demonstrated strong internal consistency: complementary gender differentiation (α = .94) and protective paternalism (α = .89).

Test-Retest Reliability: The BSW demonstrated acceptable stability over time, with an overall test-retest reliability coefficient of r = .73 (p < .001). Both the complementary gender differentiation subscale (r = .70, p < .001) and the protective paternalism subscale (r = .75, p < .001) also showed acceptable temporal stability.

Factor Analysis

Both exploratory and confirmatory statistical techniques were employed to validate the underlying structure of the BSW scale, confirming its theorized two-dimensional model.

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): An EFA suggested a clear 2-factor model for the BSW, accounting for 38.90% of the variance in the data. This result strongly supported the division of the items into the two proposed subdimensions: complementary gender differentiation and protective paternalism.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): A CFA was conducted to formally test the fit of the 2-factor model. While the chi-square statistic was significant (χ²(151) = 270.33, p < .001), consistent with guidelines for handling large sample sizes, additional fit statistics confirmed the model’s appropriateness. Key indices, including the Comparative Fit Index (CFI = .95) and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA = .07), indicated that the proposed structure provided a good fit to the empirical data.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire.

Format: The BSW is a 19-item instrument divided into two subscales: 11 items for complementary gender differentiation and 8 items for protective paternalism. Responses are captured using a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree). Scoring requires calculating the average score for each subscale separately, which are then averaged to yield a final BSW score. The administration method is electronic.

Language Available: English.

Population Group: Human (Male and Female).

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older).

Population Details: The scale was developed and evaluated using samples of employed young adults affiliated with a large public university in Southern California, and a broader sample of employed adults recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. All respondents were located in the United States.

Test Methodology: The scale development utilized a rigorous psychometric approach, incorporating thorough assessments of Concurrent Validity, Convergent Validity, Criterion Validity, Discriminant Validity, Internal Consistency, and Test-Retest Reliability. Both Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis techniques were used to establish the structural integrity of the scale.

Keywords

Benevolent Sexism, Workplace, Complementary Gender Differentiation, Protective Paternalism

Contact and Affiliation Details

The scale was developed by Catherine Warren, Amy Wax, Olivia T. Brush, Joie Magalona, and Gino Galvez.

Corresponding Author Details (Catherine Warren):

• Author ORCID Identifier: 0000-0002-4960-2147

• Affiliation: Florida Institute of Technology, Institute for Culture, Collaboration, and Management

• Email Address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: Florida Institute of Technology, Institute for Culture, Collaboration, and Management, Melbourne, Florida, United States, [email protected]

Other Authors’ Affiliations:

• Amy Wax: California State University, Long Beach

• Olivia T. Brush: California State University, Long Beach

• Joie Magalona: Michigan State University

• Gino Galvez (ORCID: 0000-0002-0029-2491): California State University, Long Beach

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: To obtain permissions for the use of the Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace Scale, researchers should contact the Corresponding Author, Catherine Warren, via email at [email protected].

Fee: There is no commercial fee associated with the use of this scale.

Test Year: The Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace Scale was initially developed and evaluated in 2023.

References

The scale metadata is primarily derived from the original source reference: 2023-57382-001. Additional relevant references used during the scale development and validation include:

• Hooper, D., Coughlan, L., & Mullen, M. R. (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 53-60.

• Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

• Shultz, M. J., Rindfleisch, A., & Kingston, M. D. (2014). The Benevolent Sexism Scale: An assessment of its conceptual and empirical limitations. Sex Roles, 70(7-8), 324-338.

• Warren, C., Wax, A., Brush, O. T., Magalona, J., & Galvez, G. (2023). Benevolent sexism in the workplace: Development and validation of a new scale. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(3), 497-512.

• Worthington, R. L., & Whittaker, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis. In P. D. Spector (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 53-73). John Wiley & Sons.

Items of the Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace Scale (BSW)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The specific items of the Benevolent Sexism in the Workplace Scale (BSW) are not provided in the supplied text. However, the text indicates that the scale consists of 19 items, which are divided into two distinct subscales:

• Complementary Gender Differentiation: This subscale comprises 11 items.

• Protective Paternalism: This subscale includes 8 items.

For a detailed list of the items, interested parties should refer to the original source publication: 2023-57382-001, Appendix A, Page 502, or contact the corresponding author, Catherine Warren, at [email protected].