Social Dominance, Sexual Double Standards, and Violence Against Women in Tight and Loose Cultures.
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Sexual double standards function as powerful social norms and “legitimizing myths” that justify gender inequality and violence against women across both tight and loose cultural contexts. Even where norms differ in strictness (e.g., Pakistan vs. U.S.), the underlying normative processes linking hierarchy, gendered expectations, and acceptance of violence are strikingly similar.
Objectives This study aimed to examine how social dominance orientation (SDO) predicts justification of violence against women through endorsement of sexual double standards (SDS), and whether these relationships operate similarly across culturally distinct contexts characterized by tight (Pakistan) versus loose (United States) sexuality norms.
Methods The study used a cross-sectional survey design with 315 participants from the United States and Pakistan. Data were collected via online surveys and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with multigroup path analysis to test theoretical relationships across both cultural contexts. Key measures included social dominance orientation, sexual double standards, justification of violence against women, and ambivalent sexism. Measurement invariance testing ensured comparability across groups.
Results Findings showed that higher social dominance orientation was significantly associated with greater justification of violence against women, and this relationship was mediated by endorsement of sexual double standards in both countries. Sexual double standards remained a strong predictor of justification of violence even after controlling for gender, ambivalent sexism, and cultural tightness/looseness. While Pakistan (a tighter culture) exhibited stronger overall endorsement of restrictive norms, the structural pathways linking norms to violence were consistent across both settings.
Conclusions The study concludes that sexual double standards are a critical mechanism through which hierarchical gender ideologies translate into support for violence against women globally. Despite differences in how strictly norms are enforced, the role of social norms in legitimizing inequality and violence appears universal. These findings highlight the importance of addressing harmful gender norms—particularly sexual double standards—as a key strategy for reducing violence against women across diverse cultural contexts.
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