Powerful Roles in Relationships

Power is seeked in various situations.  Relationships are a key exploitation of these differences since in most instances, it involves a man and woman, when they are open about their emotion and thought process.  Men and women perspectives may vary due to their upbringing and environment, including religious and cultural backgrounds, but in this study Overall, Sibley, and Tan tested the hostile sexism and benevolent sexism in relationships.  Based on these components, ninety-one couples were studied.

The study reviewed aspects of their expectations of one another, along with the influences that alter their perspectives.  Men and women define power in relationships differently.  One of the main ideas that caught attention was the need to change the significant other.  Gender roles in relationships may be pulled from experience, such as how our parents act together or how past relationships effect us, but Overall, Sibley, and Tan studied more sexism factors, rather than social influences.  Besides the fact that women and men "come from different planets", there is a possible balance that is encouraged through this study. 

As we have reviewed in class, the hostile sexism (HS) is a negative, usually demeaning, stereotype that is from one gender to another.  Benevolent sexism (BS) is a way that genders put down the other, such as a man saying a woman needs a man to take care of her, even though that may not be true, it's considered benevolent sexism, as it is not forceful or eccentric.  In the study, benevolent sexism actually reduces the hostile sexism.  A few exlanations were found.  In the study, Overall, Sibley, and Tan explain that men who produce more hostile sexism were less open and caused both genders to become hostile, even influencing the discussions the be less successful.  In addition, men who "expressed higher agreement with BS (benevolent sexism) were more open to their partner's influence and behaved with less hostility, and their discussions were more successful."  Women's influences in the relationship was mostly seen as resistance.  Men usually expressed with HS or BS, causing the women to react.  Both significant others feed off the other's views and emotions, hence why relationships are constant battles.

Even though the ranks of BS and HS may vary, they work off one another.  In the study it was proven that is one, let's say the man, is more evident to produce BS, the woman actually becomes more likely to be hostile.  Expectations also took a factor here, as most men and women wish to change their significant other into what there expected role.  Relationships are very difficult to understand in the first place, but given the study on benevolent and hostile sexism in relationships, this may explain where to find the balance with a significant other, rather than searching for power.

Reference:
Overall, Nickola C., Sibley, Chris G., & Tan, Rosabel (2011). The costs and benefits of sexism: Resistance to influence during relationship conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 101(2), Aug, 2011, 271-290.