Benevolent Sexism is typically an element of an Attitude Set

[cthulu2016]

It does not follow that Benevolent Sexism is causative of the effects of the entire attitude set.

Most benevolent sexism (worth the name) is found in men with both Hostile and Benevolent sexism.

This is to be expected. A conservative/traditionalist view of women often stratifies... like separating women into the virgin (not always literally, since one's mother is often in the virgin category) and the whore.

It does not follow, of course, that Benevolent Sexism is a coequal malignancy to Hostile Sexism. One would only say that as a rhetorical device to get attention because it ridiculous on its face.

As to whether Benevolent Sexism is an significant problem in and of itself? That is a complex and probably rather useless question, since Benevolent and Hostile sexism are most typically mutually supporting poles found within the same value system.

Any test that shows many people having very traditionalist positive views without any traditionalist negative views is probably a flawed test.

The disappearance of all hostile sexism would accomplish the disappearance of most benevolent sexism because most of hostile sexism is part of a duality. Meanwhile, the elimination of Benevolent Sexism, while leaving all Hostile Sexism in place would not be a net advance for anybody in practical terms.

As to whether men with isolated high benevolent sexism views are likelier to attribute culpability to a woman experiencing acquaintance rape only in the instance where the victim was described as married and potentially engaged in infidelity... that is a very thin reed. Most subject groups will, statistically, attribute more blame when the victim in a scenario is described as immoral in some way. (That doesn't mean it is correct to do so, but only that such results would be expected from any group. Adding "crack user" or "career shoplifter" to a victims description will color answers. It appears that what is being measured is likelier to be moral sensitivity to adultery rather than a dismissal of rape. (There is no such effect when marital status is excluded, which would be an rather challenging result if what was being measured was dismissal of rape. I will go out on a limb and guess that those test subjects are more conservative in general, and more judgmental in general. Also, since these attitudes are self-reported, so the isolated (BS) subject may well be a typical sexist who is not inclined to provide the most stereotypical Hostile Sexism answers, which would be consistent with the moralist/judgmental type—he over-developed super ego is a double-edged sword.)

( background: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1021342912248?LI )

If we conclude that men with high isolated benevolent sexist attitudes have a more traditional and severe view of propriety in marriage (not a surprising result) that does not warrant a lead to the attitude being caused by benevolent sexist views. Correlation is not causation. Fascists are sentimental. It is a thing. Fascist psychology is given to fits of emotion. I have little doubt that fascists would score quite high on a test of sentimental attachment to animals, and that the attachment is consistent with a very broad syndrome. It would not follow that sentimental devotion to animals is causative of fascism, or even of specific pathologies of fascism.

Isolated Benevolent Sexism does not correlate with committing rape, Hostile sexism does, and highly. It requires a lot of shaky steps and prejudiced assumptions to reach the stark claim, "Benevolent sexism causes rape." (Though sexism surely does, and HS and BS are correlated to each other.)