Supplemental Materials
Help to Perpetuate Traditional Gender Roles: Benevolent Sexism Increases Engagement in Dependency-Oriented Cross-Gender Helping
by N. Shnabel et al., 2015, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000037
[Introduction and Consent Form]
Dear participant,
In modern society, virtual interactions online are geting increasingly common. The Internet helps to eliminate distance between people living in different geographical areas. Internet culture is dynamic and constantly changing. Due to technological development and the increase in Internet users, more and more people from various organizations are working together to solve problems, transfer information, organize conferences, etc. via the Internet.
The research in which you are about to participate has three parts:
1. The first part concerns internet dating.
2. The second part concerns customer service online.
3. The third part concerns online interpersonal interaction in which you will experience real-time problem solving with a partner.
Completing the questionnaire takes approximately 25 minutes; please make sure to fill out the questionnaire to the end. The study is intended for research purposes only and anonymity will be maintained. If you are not sure that you can finish the whole study now please postpone your participation to a different time.
I hereby declare that I agree to participate in this research project and have read and understood the above description of the study. I have to be at least 18 years old in order to participate. I know that I am free to choose not to participate in the study. I understand that I may withdraw my participation on this project at any time without penalty of any kind.
Thanks for your cooperation!
[Demographic Questionnaire]
First, please provide general demographic information that characterizes you.
1. Gender:
1. Women
2. Men
2. Age (in whole numbers):
3. Education:
a. 8 years of education
b. 12 years of education
c. BA
d. MA
e. PHD
4. Average high school grade:
5. Average math grade in high school:
6. If you have an academic education - in which field?
a. Social science
b. Exact Science
c. Other: ______
You are being transferred to the first part of the study.
[Ambivalent Sexism Inventory]
Dear participant,
Below is a series of statements about men, women and online dating. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the statements.
1 Stronglydisagree / 2
Disagree / 3 Somewhat disagree / 4 Somewhat agree / 5
Agree / 6 Stronglyagree
Women have a quality of purity few men possess.
Women should be cherished and protected by men.
Women seek power by gaining control over men.
Every man ought to have a woman he adores.
Men areincompletewithout women.
Women exaggerate problems at work.
Once a man commits to a woman, she puts him on a tight leash.
When women lose to men in a fair competition, they typically complain about being discriminated against.
There are many women who get a kick out of teasing men by seeming sexually available and then refusing male advances.
Women have a superior moral sensibility.
Men should sacrifice to provide for women.
Feminists’ demandsare totally exaggerated.
Online dating is an effective tool for finding a partner. (filler question)
Online dating is relevant to women of any age. (filler question)
Online dating is not effective because both sides convey a lot of false information. (filler question)
Online dating is mainly effective for short-term dating. (filler question)
Thank you!
You are redirected to the second part of the study.
[Internet Customer Service Questionnaire – Filler Questions]
Below is a series of statements about customer service online, please indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the statements. Please answer the questions based on your personal experience. If you have no such experience, try to speculate about it.
1. Online customer service is an efficient way of service (i.e., it usually successfully solves the problem)
2. Online customer service is not as effective as a phone call
3. Online customer service is usually inconvenient
4. Online customer service is more effective than face to face meetings with customer service representatives
5. In times when I contacted online service representatives, they were proficient and had the necessary knowledge to solve the problem
6. Online customer service is time consuming
Please list the names of organizations / companies (banks, communication companies, etc.) from which you received online customer service:
______
Thank you!
You are directed to the third part of the study, which involves real time online interactions during problem solving.
[Virtual Consent – intended to highlight the fact that this part is conducted in pairs]
This part of the study is performed in pairs – computer software that runs on this website allows the communication and exchange of information between you and another participant that is currently participating in this study.
Because this part of the study requires working with another person, your special agreement is needed.
If you disagree, you can quit the study now. If you wish to continue, please check the appropriate place:
I agree to participate in an online study that involves interacting with other participant
I want to quit the study at this time
[Partner Information]
Here is the information of your partner for the study:
Name: Adrienn / Péter
Gender: Female / Male [constituting the experimental manipulation of instructor's gender]
Age: 22
[Role Instructions]
Now, you and your partner will be asked to solve several questions, taken from a psychotechnic test, which will be presented to both of you. Psychotechnic tests are a common tool used in the process of employees selection, and therefore it is likely that in the future, when you apply to different jobs within your career track, you will be required to solve similar questions to the ones you are about to solve now.
You and your partner will be randomly assigned into one of two roles:
"A Participant" - who will be required to solve the questions and his/her answers will be reviewed,
Or
"An Instructor" - who will get the same questions plus their final answers as well as explanations on how to solve them (i.e., technique for solutions). The role of the instructor it to help the Participant to solve the questions when the latter is interested in it. The Instructor's answers will not be checked, but s/he will be asked to solve the questions so that s/he could respond to any requests made by the Participant.
Proceed to role assignment….
[Role Assignment]
Based on a random assignment you were assigned to the "Participant" role. As a participant, your answers will be checked for correctness; you can ask the "Instructor" for help in answering the questions.
[Manipulation Check]
In order for us to make sure that you correctly understood the information provided above, please indicate:
The role assigned to you is: ______
What is the information that you received about your partner?
Name: ______
Gender: ______
Age:
1. Younger than 20
2. 20-29
3. 30-39
4. Over 40
You are transferred to the psychotechnic test.
[Psychometric Questions]
You are allowed to use only a paper and pen/pencil.
1. A book is related to the paper, like a dress to a….
- Coat
- Textile
- Hat
- Button
2. “To base” relates to “start”, like “pull down” to….
- Break down
- Finish
- Lay off
- Destroy
3. Gabor has 12 chickens. Each chicken lays two or three eggs per day.
On a certain day all the chickens together laid 28 eggs.
What could be the number chickens that laid exactly 2 eggs?
- 9
- 8
- 7
- 6
4. All the buttons of a calculator has broke down except from the multiplication button, numeric buttons 3 and 5, and equal button.
Which of the following numbers is impossible to get following a series of actions in this calculator?
- 25
- 27
- 50
- 75
5. Data: a and b are integers.
(a +1) (2b + a) is necessarily –
- Positive
- Even
- Different from 0
- Divided by a
6. It is known that all peacocks are frustrated, and that there are no frustrated cheaters. Therefore –
- Only the peacocks are not cheaters
- There are no cheater peacocks
- All cheaters who are not peacocks are frustrated
- All cheaters who are not frustrated are peacocks
7. Data:
All parrots are green
All predatory birds are not green
All long beak birds are not green and are not predatory
Which of the following birds can live according to the data?
- Long beak predatory bird, that is not green and not a parrot
- Short beak parrot and a predator
- Short beak green bird, which is not a predatory and is not a parrot
- Long beak parrot that is not a predator
The system is checking your answers…
[Options for Help Request]
You were wrong on three questions out of the seven you have solved. Questions 2, 5 and 7.
You can ask for help from [instructor's name] in solving the questions.
You can ask for help in any of the three questions:
As a reminder Question 2 is:
“To base” relates to “start”, like “pull down” to….
- Break down
- Finish
- Lay off
- Destroy
You can choose one of two options:
1. I want to receive from [instructor's name] a hint to help me solve the question on my own.
2. I want to receive from [instructor's name] the final answer to the question.
As a reminder Question 5 is:
Data: a and b are integers.
(a +1) (2b + a) is necessarily –
- Positive
- Even
- Different from 0
- Divided by a
You can choose one of two options:
1. I want to receive from [instructor's name] a hint to help me solve the question on my own.
2. I want to receive from [instructor's name] the final answer to the question.
As a reminder Question 7 is:
Data:
All parrots are green
All predatory birds are not green
All long beak birds are not green and are not predatory
Which of the following birds can live according to the data?
- Long beak predatory bird, that is not green and not a parrot
- Short beak parrot and a predator
- Short beak green bird, which is not a predatory and is not a parrot
- Long beak parrot that is not a predator
You can choose one of two options:
1. I want to receive from [instructor's name] a hint to help me solve the question on my own.
2. I want to receive from [instructor's name] the final answer to the question.
The interactive test is completed. The system disconnects the communication with [instructor's name].
Please proceed to the last part of the study, feedback questions.
[Potential Mediators]
Strongly disagree / Disagree / Somewhat disagree / Neither agree nor disagree / Somewhat agree / Agree / Strongly agree1.[motivation and competence-R] It was hard for me to answer the psycho-technical questions
2. [motivation and competence-R] When I made a mistake in the psycho-technical questions I felt that my chances of reaching the right answer in the second try were low.
(*if you didn’t make any mistakes you can skip this question)
3. [ motivation and competence] I am good in solving questions similar to the ones in this test
4. [ motivation and competence] It was very important to me to succeed in answering the psycho-technical questions
5. [ motivation and competence] I was highly willing to invest effort in this task
6. [ motivation and competence] It is highly important to me to succeed academically and professionally
7. [ motivation and competence] In general, it is highly important for me to prove myself in tasks that measure intellectual abilities
8. [impression management concerns] I felt that asking for the final answer might put me in an inferior position compared to instructor
9. [effectiveness of help] I felt that asking for hints will lead to positive results
10. [ effectiveness of help] I felt that asking for hints contributes to meeting the challenge of the test
11. [effectiveness of help] I believed that the instructor would provide me clear hints that would allow me to solve the questions
12.[effectiveness of help] I believed that the instructor would convey me the information in an effective manner
13.[impression management concerns] I was afraid that asking for hints would bother my instructor
14.[impression management concerns]It was important for me to prove to my instructor that I have the ability to cope independently
15.[viewing test as a challenge] When I answered the questions it was important to me to learn how to solve such questions in the future
16. [instructor's expectations] I believe the instructor expected me to ask primarily for the final answers
17. [belief in stereotype] Most people believe that women are less good than men in solving psych-technical questions
18. [belief in stereotype] I believe that women are generally less good in solving psycho-technical questions compared to men
For feedback purposes, please select the answer which reflects your opinion in the best way. We remind you that your participation in this study is anonymous and that your answer will not be delivered to [instructor's name].
[End Message]
Dear participant, you just finished your participation in the study.
Please note that some of the questions that were presented to you are highly difficult and only a minute percentage of the population answers them correctly.
Thank you very much for participating in the study!
Please do not talk with your student friends about this study, in order to avoid any influence on future participants.
For any question regarding the study, you can contact Yael Lazar by e-mail:
IMPORTANT! In order that your information will be received by the system, please click the ">"