This Quiz Determines If You're Sexist

TL;DR

The benevolent sexism scale mislabels normal protective instincts as sexism because it assumes extra inferences never actually measured.

Key Points

• 1.The benevolent sexism quiz classifies most people as sexist. Items like 'women should be cherished and protected' and 'men are incomplete without women' were rated 'good' by the guest, triggering a full benevolent sexism score.
• 2.Researchers argue the scale fundamentally mismeasures men. The project, called 'The Mismeasurement of Men,' contends scales measuring toxic masculinity and benevolent sexism import unjustified inferences — e.g., believing women deserve protection does not imply supporting autonomy restrictions.
• 3.Some scale items test factual awareness, not attitudes. One toxic masculinity item — 'women are often attracted to muscularity and dominance' — simply asks whether you know a documented fact, with no attitudinal component added.
• 4.Women's preference for male protection is empirically strong. A poll found women rated discovering a man was unwilling to protect them as more damaging to attraction than learning he had cheated in a one-night stand.
• 5.Male physical formidability goes unseen in modern life, possibly reducing male attractiveness. Without war or hunting, women rarely witness strength displays; a viral TikTok trend of men overpowering partners in 30 seconds illustrated how surprising the male-female strength gap is to many women.