Implicit Prince-Charming beliefs predict reduced income expectations and leadership ambitions in women.

Evidence

A cultural worldview that is largely overlooked concerns romance, a putatively positive ideology for women. Traditionally, romance has idealized femininity, placing women “on a pedestal.” However, it may also teach them (e.g., through romantic fairytales) to depend on men for economic and social rewards. In particular, the romantic idealization of men as chivalric rescuers of women (e.g., Prince Charming) might encourage women to seek their fortune indirectly, through men. If so, romantic fantasies might be negatively linked to women’s interest in personal power. Consistent with this hypothesis, Rudman and Heppen (2003) found that even women who were reluctant to explicitly associate male romantic partners with chivalry (e.g., Prince Charming, White Knight, protector, hero) demonstrated this association implicitly (on the IAT). Furthermore, women who possessed implicit romantic beliefs also showed less interest in personal power, across multiple measures. For example, women with high IAT scores expected to make less income in their careers, and had lower educational goals. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 771 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Expecting a Prince Charming splits women’s energies and produces professional inferiority — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 297; Fairy tales encode gendered roles of active seeker and passive captive. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 706; Implicit romantic beliefs predict reduced career ambition in women. (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Implicit romantic beliefs predict reduced career ambition in women. #corroborates (0.98)
• Implicit chivalric romantic ideals reduce women’s career and income ambitions #corroborates (0.97) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 771