Abstract

ARBACH, Karin et al. Ambivalent Sexism Inventory: Factorial invariance by gender and relation with intimate partner violence. Interdisciplinaria [online]. 2019, vol.36, n.1, pp.59-76. ISSN 1668-7027.

The Ambivalent Sexism Theory proposes that sexism is a multidimensional construct composed of two types of sexist beliefs, on the one hand, hostile and, on the other hand, benevolent. The first refers to negative attitudes towards women as weak and inferior to men, and the second refers to the set of sexist attitudes towards women considering them stereotyped and limited to certain roles (i.e. mother, wife, and housewife). The main objective of this study was to analyse the factor structure and factorial invariance by gender of the instrument derived from this theory and its concurrent validity with a measure of intimate partner physical violence. Another objective of the study was to establish comparisons in ISA scores by gender and cross-culturally. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) (Glick & Fiske, 1996) was answered through an online form by 745 participants of both sexes from an Argentinean general population sample aged between 18 and 45 years old. By means of a confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis the data in this sample showed a good adjustment to the ASI structure proposed by its authors, this is a one-dimensional factor (SH) and three subfactors (protective paternalism, complementary gender differentiation and heterosexual intimacy) that make up the second-order factor SB. This factorial structure remained invariant when discriminating between men and women. The correlation between both factors was robust and significant (r = .68) both in the general sample, and differentiating by gender. The reliability of the factors and subfactors was between a moderate and high level (α = .62 to .91). No significant differences were found between men and women in the mean scores of the ASI factors and subfactors. Approximately 1 in 3 subjects reported having perpetrated or suffered intimate partner physical violence. In general terms, those who have perpetrated or have suffered violence had higher scores in SH and SB that those who did not, but this effect was only significant in the case of women. The relationships found between ASI scores and intimate partner physical violence varied by gender and violence directionality (suffered or perpetrated). The ASI scores were lower in countries close to Argentina probably due to a sample mainly composed by young women with a high education level. Our results support the idea that ambivalent sexism is an invariable transcultural construct between men and women, and that the ISA is avalid and reliable measure in the Argentine population. The limitations of results are discussed and the implications are analyses in light of previous studies using the ASI, mainly in Spanish-speaking population.

Keywords : Ambivalent sexism; Factorial invariance; Concurrent validity; Intimate partner violence; Instrumental study.

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