Recently we explored the implications of the Women Are Wonderful Fallacy, from a broad perspective, considering how this bias impacts across society in various ways. In this follow-up article we will consider this interesting phenomenon from a more specific perspective: the perspective of in-group bias.
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Human beings are tribal creatures. We are hardwired to favour our own—whether defined by sports teams, nationality, or ethnicity. For decades, social psychology has mapped these ingroup preferences, assuming a neat and predictable tribalism: us versus them.
However, when it comes to gender, the neat lines of tribal favouritism blur in a way that consistently surprises researchers. If you assume that men and women march in lockstep to favour members of their own sex, the data will prove you wrong. In fact, psychological research reveals a fascinating asymmetry: while women display a clear and consistent in-group bias toward other women, men do not. Instead, men often display an out-group bias, favouring women just as much—if not more—than their own gender.
Welcome to the complex, counterintuitive world of gender bias.
The “Women Are Wonderful” Effect
To understand why men might favour women, we have to look back to a landmark 2004 study by psychologists Alice Eagly and Antonio Mladinic. They coined the phrase the “Women Are Wonderful” effect after discovering a pervasive psychological phenomenon: both men and women hold significantly more positive implicit and explicit associations toward women than they do toward men.
In tests measuring warmth, niceness, and social value, women are overwhelmingly viewed as the more benevolent, likable gender. This isn’t just a female self-perception; it is held strongly by men.
When researchers test for in-group bias—the tendency to give preferential treatment, higher ratings, or greater empathy to members of one’s own demographic—the results break down along unexpected gender lines:
Women choose women: Women generally show moderate to strong in-group favouritism. They rate women more favourably, express greater solidarity with women, and often display more empathy toward female struggles.
Men choose… women too: Men, by and large, fail to show male in-group bias. On many standard psychological measures, men evaluate women more favourably than they evaluate other men.
In short, women are loyal to their own tribe, while men frequently cross the aisle to cheer for the opposing team.
What’s more, Wikipedia states that: “Those who exhibit the women-are-wonderful effect tend to react negatively to research that “[puts] men in a better light than women.” This means that there is a clear bias amongst some to facts that present men in a positive light compared to women.
Why Do Women Exhibit In-Group Bias?
For women, in-group bias makes evolutionary and sociological sense. Historically, and still largely in the modern day, women have occupied a position of lower systemic power compared to men. In-group favouritism among marginalised or historically underrepresented groups is a well-documented survival and advancement strategy.
By supporting one another, women build social capital, mentor each other in male-dominated industries, and create safety nets in patriarchal structures. “Sisterhood” isn’t just a cultural slogan; psychologically, it functions as a coalition. When women champion other women, they are reinforcing a collective strength necessary to navigate societal hurdles.
The Male Conundrum: Benevolent Sexism and Chivalry
So, what is going on with men? Why don’t men rally around brotherhood the way women rally around sisterhood? Why do men consistently rate women higher in warmth and competence-adjacent traits?
The answer is multifaceted, rooted in a mix of evolutionary biology, social conditioning, and what psychologists call benevolent sexism.
First, there is the lingering cultural script of chivalry. From a young age, boys are taught to protect, defer to, and value women. Phrases like “women and children first” or the societal stricture that “you never hit a woman” ingrain a deep-seated protective instinct. This isn’t necessarily about equality; rather, benevolent sexism frames women as pure, vulnerable creatures who need to be cherished and protected. Ironically, this form of sexism results in a very real, positive bias toward women in terms of affection and favourable treatment.
Second, men are subject to the same “Women Are Wonderful” cultural conditioning as everyone else. Because society associates femininity with domesticity, nurturing, and morality, men internalise the belief that women are simply “better” people in a moral or social sense.
Finally, there is an evolutionary lens: heterosexual men are naturally oriented toward women. This romantic and sexual attraction can bleed over into general social evaluations, leading men to subconsciously afford women the benefit of the doubt, greater patience, and higher likability ratings.
The Real-World Implications
This asymmetry in gender bias has massive implications for how the world operates—from the courtroom to the corporate boardroom.
In legal settings, studies frequently show a “leniency bias” toward female defendants, where both male and female judges/juries hand down lighter sentences to women committing the same crimes as men. Here, both female in-group bias and male chivalry converge to create a protective buffer for women.
In the workplace, the dynamic becomes more nuanced. While men may express high explicit warmth toward women (the “Women Are Wonderful” effect), this doesn’t always translate into professional advancement, where competence is strictly evaluated. However, it does mean that men rarely harbour a malicious, foundational animus toward women as a group. Instead, men’s bias toward women is often paternalistic.
Meanwhile, women’s in-group bias acts as a powerful engine for female empowerment. Initiatives like women-only professional networks, mentorship circles, and targeted advocacy groups are fuelled by this natural inclination toward female solidarity.
Beyond Us vs. Them
The research on gender bias forces us to abandon simplistic tribal models. Human psychology is rarely a mirror image where men and women act as opposing forces playing by the same rules.
Women, navigating a complex social landscape, have forged a protective and promotional in-group loyalty. Men, influenced by centuries of chivalry, biology, and benevolent sexism, continue to look outward, holding women in uniquely high regard.
Ultimately, these biases shape our culture in profound ways. Recognising them doesn’t just solve a puzzle in a psychology textbook—it helps us understand the invisible currents of affection, protection, and solidarity that move between the sexes every single day.
