Conservative ideologies and internalized misogyny in women: an exploratory examination of right-wing authoritarianism,conservative values and personal justice beliefs / Ideologías conservadoras y misoginia internalizada en las mujeres: un análisis exploratorio del autoritarismo,los valores conservadores y las creencias personales de justicia

Abstract

The current research examines the relationship between conservative ideologies, personal belief in a just world (PBJW) and internalized misogyny. Two studies in Greece assessed whether right-wing authoritarianism (RWA; Study 1) and conservative values (Study 2) predict the three subdimensions of the Internalized Misogyny Scale (IMS) — devaluing women, distrusting women and valuing men — and whether PBJW moderates these associations.

Study 1 (N = 251) found that RWA predicted all IMS dimensions, with the strongest link for distrust of women, and PBJW moderated this association. Study 2 (N = 197) showed that conservative values were most strongly associated with devaluing women (with PBJW again attenuating this relationship). These findings highlight PBJW’s role as a protective cognitive framework that buffers the ideological reinforcement of misogyny, advancing our understanding of how personal and ideological factors intersect to shape internalized gender attitudes.