Document Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Shannon McCoy

Committee Members

Kathryn Roderick, Jordan LaBouff, Melissa Ladenheim, Patricia Goodhines

Graduation Year

May 2024

Publication Date

Spring 5-2024

Abstract

Social media platforms enable users to perpetuate discriminatory rhetoric and oppressive structures, including sexism. While previous research on sexism confrontations has mainly focused on face-to-face interactions, there is little information available on how confrontations operate within the context of social media. This thesis examines the influence of confronter approach (HATE or CARE) and identity (man or woman) on TikTok sexism confrontations. Female participants, acting as bystanders (N = 57), were surveyed on their perceptions of four TikTok confrontations: HATE Woman, CARE Woman, HATE Man, and CARE Man. Regardless of confronter gender, participants viewed CARE confrontations as more likable than HATE confrontations. Consistent with predictions, the HATE Woman confronter was viewed as the biggest complainer. There were no significant effects of confrontation condition on reducing inferred perpetrator bias or actual bystander bias. Additionally, participants’ identification with feminism correlated positively with how much they reported liking the CARE Woman confronter. These findings reflect an interconnected system of gender stereotypes that leverage outcomes of confronting sexism. It is concluded that individuals should continue confronting sexism online, and future studies should observe the effectiveness of video-based social media confrontations in establishing anti-bias norms.

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