DePaulo (2007) coined the term singlism to refer to the stigmatization of single adults and provided evidence of pervasive negative stereotypes and discriminatory behaviors against singles which are widely perceived as legitimate. More recent research has focused on the ways in which traditional gender roles and heterosexist attitudes influence the perception of single vs. partnered women. Although most studies have failed to find a consistent difference in evaluations of single men and women, past research has not examined the gender and relationship status of the perceiver in these judgments. Using an impression formation task, we examined how the gender and relationship status of participants (N=424) would moderate reactions to targets presented as male or female peers who were currently single or partnered. Men were significantly more likely to rate single women negatively and to positively evaluate women in a relationship. The ways in which women evaluated impression targets did not differ based on gender or relationship status. Results are explained in relation to the heightened support for social dominance and endorsement of the status quo (Jost & Kay, 2005).
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