Finn is the manager of a firm. He tends to give more opportunities to female employees than to male employees. He believes that women do their work more honestly than men. He also makes remarks such as "Women are highly intuitive" and "Women possess beauty with brains." In the context of prejudice, this scenario illustratesSingle choice
A
the frequency illusion.
B
ethnocentrism.
C
benevolent sexism.
D
scapegoating.

Question

Finn is the manager of a firm. He tends to give more opportunities to female employees than to male employees. He believes that women do their work more honestly than men. He also makes remarks such as "Women are highly intuitive" and "Women possess beauty with brains." In the context of prejudice, this scenario illustratesSingle choice

A

the frequency illusion.

B

ethnocentrism.

C

benevolent sexism.

D

scapegoating.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: Finn, a manager, favors female employees in opportunities, believes women do their work more honestly than men, and makes remarks like 'Women are highly intuitive' and 'Women possess beauty with brains.' Which prejudice concept does this illustrate?

Option 1: the frequency illusion. This would involve perceiving something as more common after noticing it, but the scenario is about a biased attitude toward a gender, not about a misperceived frequency of events. So this is not a fit.

Option 2: ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own group is superior to others, often with a bias in favor of one’s own culture or nation. While Finn’s attitudes are biased, they are not framed as cultural superiority of a group over others in a broader sense, but as gender-based stereotypes. Therefore this option is inaccurate.

Option 3: benevolent sexism. This captures a pattern where seemingly positive or protective attitudes toward a group (here, women) mask underlying stereotypes and justifications for unequal treatment. Finn’s remarks assign supposed positive traits (honesty, intuition, beauty with brains) and use them to justify favorable treatment, aligning with benevolent sexism.

Option 4: scapegoating. Scapegoating involves blaming a target group for broader problems to relieve frustration, often in a hostile manner. In this scenario, the language and behavior are more about positive stereotypes toward women rather than channeling blame toward them for societal issues, making this option inappropriate.

Summary: The combination of favorable treatment tied to gendered stereotypes and flattering but essentialist claims about women (honesty, intuition, beauty) exemplifies benevolent sexism rather than the other listed concepts. The incorrect options fail to capture the specific pattern of benevolent, protective-sounding biases paired with stereotypes about a gender.