Women are Wonderful Effect
Updated 2026-07-31
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A social psychology finding, named by Alice Eagly and Antonio Mladinic, that people evaluate women more positively than men on warmth and moral dimensions even while holding hostile attitudes toward the group. The core proposition is that this is benevolent sexism rather than an absence of bias: the same stereotype that grants warmth also assigns weakness and a need for protection. It concerns group-level evaluations rather than individual merit.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Double-standard check: notice when praise for someone emphasizes warmth but never competence. - Evaluation audit: strip names and gender cues before judging written work. - Praise filter: treat flattery about virtue as an implicit claim about that person's limits.
Anchor fast decisions
Gender stereotypes split along warmth and competence dimensions, with women rated high on warmth and men rated high on competence and status. Because warmth ratings feel positive, the bias goes unnoticed, yet the same rating carries an implication of lower agency and higher need for protection. Favorable group affect and restrictive expectations therefore operate together rather than canceling out.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women-are-wonderful_effectverified
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