Abstract
Does a woman’s reputation suffer when others discover condoms in her possession? Fifty-two male and female predominantly white undergraduates from a small, private, Catholic university in the northeast USA examined the contents of a purse to formulate an impression of its owner. Unflattering inferences were drawn about the character of the target when her purse contained condoms. A follow-up study with 55 comparable participants confirmed that these inferences were indeed uncomplimentary. The results are discussed in terms of the multi-dimensional price women pay when assuming responsibility for their sexual health.
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Frankel, A., Curtis, D.A. What’s in a Purse? Maybe a Woman’s Reputation. Sex Roles 59, 615–622 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9463-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9463-x