An Iowa State University study finds if a man opens the door for a woman while on their first date or offers to pay for dinner, some women admire that behavior, while others find it insulting. Pelin Gul, a social psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at I-S-U, is the study’s lead author. Gul says some women find men who make those gestures more attractive, even though their actions may also be seen as “benevolent sexism.”
The results of the study may appear contradictory, Gul admits, and it sends a very mixed message to men about how they should behave.
Much of the research was done while Gul was studying at the University of Kent in England.
She says other studies have found that women tend to prefer men who make these gestures, and note that women aren’t aware of any negative consequences of men’s attempts at kindness.
