mtv gender bias survey final results

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MTV Gender Bias Survey Final Results Conducted July 8, 2015 N = 923 Young People 14 – 24 years old Data weighted to Census to ensure representativeness on the basis of age, gender, and race/ethnicity

Objectives/ Background As a part of its multi-year public affairs Look Different campaign (www.lookdifferent.org) to address bias, MTV Insights partnered with Lightspeed GMI, Chadwick Martin Bailey and Scorpio Research, Inc. in 2015 on a study that provides an in-depth look at young people and gender bias. This research was designed to understand and measure how young people are experiencing, affected by and responding to issues associated with gender bias in today’s society.

SECTION 1. SCREENING

1. Please enter your age below.

14 4 15 12 16 9 17 12 18 10 19 7 20 9 21 9 22 9 23 10 24 9

2. Are you… Male 44 Female 56

3. What is your zip code?

Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA) 18 Midwest (WI, IL, MI, IN, OH, ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO) 22 South (KY, TN, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, WV, DC, MD, DE, TX, 37

2

OK, AR, LA) West (MT, ID, WY, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM, WA, OR, CA, AK, HI) 23

4. Are you Hispanic or Latino?

Yes 22 No 78

5. Would you describe yourself as…

American Indian or Alaska Native 4 Black or African American 16 Chinese or other East Asian American 4

Indian or other South Asian American 2

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 1

White or Caucasian 71 Other 8

6. Which statement best describes your relationship with the following topics?

I think about it a lot, because it affects me or

someone I know

personally

I think about it, but it

doesn’t affect me personally

I don’t think much about

it

I don’t ever give this any

thought

The environment 49 35 14 2

Poverty 37 49 13 1

Racism 42 46 10 1

Gender equality 52 34 14 0

Politics 35 31 28 6

International human rights 34 44 17 4

3

Access to education 53 34 11 2

Terrorism 24 54 20 3

Religious rights 34 35 22 8

Sexual orientation 36 38 21 5

Income inequality 43 31 20 5

(Survey excluded and terminated those who “do not give gender bias/equality” any thought, resulting in a nearly nationally representative sample that excluded 7% of the general population)

7. Of the following topics you just chose from, which of the following is true for you?

I take a lot of action on this

topic

(E.g., talking to my friends

about it, sharing info on social

media, going to meetings/events that support the

topic)

I have taken some sort of action on this

topic in the past

(E.g., talking to my friends about it, sharing info on

social media, going to meetings/events

that support the topic)

I don’t take any action on the topic

The environment 26 45 30

Poverty 17 44 39

Racism 27 46 26

Gender equality 31 37 32

Politics 16 41 43

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International human rights 17 39 44

Access to education 25 41 34

Terrorism 10 32 57

Religious Rights 16 35 49

Sexual Orientation 29 33 38

Income inequality 17 38 46

SECTION 2. EXPERIENCE WITH BIAS

This survey uses the word bias in some of its questions. For these questions, bias is used to mean treating someone differently – and often unfairly – because they are a member of a particular group.

8. Please indicate how often you have seen bias against each of the following groups.

Often Sometimes Rarely Never Not Sure Gay or lesbian people 53 26 10 8 3 African Americans 46 31 12 9 2 Poor people 35 36 15 11 3 Immigrants 42 32 13 10 3 Muslims 44 28 14 10 5 Transgender people 49 24 12 11 4 Latinos 25 36 22 13 3 Women 37 35 16 10 2 Chinese or other East Asian Americans 17 34 30 15 3

Jews 17 32 26 20 5 Rich people 22 26 22 27 3 Indian or other South Asian Americans 17 31 29 16 6

Christians 19 25 30 23 3

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9. Where have you seen examples of any of these types of bias? Please check all that apply.

At school 72 In public 81 Online 85 In pop culture 67 At work 28 In text messages 20 At home 27 I haven’t seen bias 1

Not sure 3

The next set of questions on bias in this survey focus specifically on bias based on gender, class or income, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or preference, and religion. 10. Which of the following have you experienced bias based on? Check all that apply.

Race or Ethnicity 46 Class or Income 40 Gender identity 22

Gender equality 44

Religion 37 Sexual Orientation or Sexual Preference 35

None of these 11

Not sure 6

11. Which of the following types of bias have you ever seen exhibited by your friends? Please check all that apply.

Race or ethnicity 55

White people 18 22 27 31 3 Men 12 19 34 32 3 Straight people 10 15 28 43 4

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Sexual orientation or sexual preference 47

Class or income 33 Religion 40 Gender identity 32

Gender equality 35

None of these 16

Not sure 7

Refuse to say 1 12. Which of the following types of bias have you ever seen exhibited by your family? Please check all that

apply.

Race or ethnicity 47 Sexual orientation or sexual preference 42

Class or income 24 Religion 34 Gender identity 30

Gender equality 24

None of these 22

Not sure 8

Refuse to say 2

13. Which of the following types of bias have you ever seen exhibited by other people you know? Please

check all that apply.


Religion 55 Class or income 48 Gender identity 47 Gender equality 49

7

None of these 8

Not sure 10

Refuse to say 1

14. Which of the following types of bias do you think you have? Please check all that apply.

Race or ethnicity 20 Class or income 18 Religion 18 Sexual orientation or sexual preference 13

Gender identity 10

Gender equality 9

None of these 38

Not sure 16

Refuse to say 1

15. Which of the following types of bias do you think you have had in the past? Please check all that apply.


Class or income 23

Religion 26 Gender identity 20

Gender equality 14

None of these 24

Not sure 14

Refuse to say 1

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16. Have you ever experienced gender bias that was aimed towards you personally?

Yes 43 No 44 Not sure 14

SECTION 3. IMPORTANCE OF BIAS

17. How concerning is bias for you personally?

Very concerning 38 Somewhat concerning 34 Just slightly concerning 17 Not at all concerning 8 Not sure 2

18. Which of the following best describes your thoughts on the issue of bias?

Bias is a serious problem but it is mostly hidden 40 Bias is a serious problem and it is out in the open 49 Bias is not a serious problem 6 Not sure 5

19. What level of equality do you think exists between males and females in the U.S. today? Totally unequal 5 Mostly unequal 30 In between unequal and equal 42 Mostly equal 21 Totally equal 2

20. Where do you want equality between males and females to be in the U.S. today?

Totally unequal 1 Mostly unequal 2 In between unequal and equal 7 Mostly equal 24 Totally equal 66

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21. Below is a list of statements. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with each.

AGREE Neither

Agree Nor

Disagree

DISAGREE Not Sure

Strongly Some-what

Some-what Strongly

I believe everyone should be treated equally based on gender

72 16 5 2 3 2

No one should be treated differently because of their gender

79 14 2 3 1 1

Small examples of gender inequality can add up to major problems for society

61 26 8 3 1 1

Gender inequality is at the root of a lot of the problems facing the world today

28 35 17 13 6 1

Everyone has a responsibility to help tackle gender inequality

49 30 14 4 2 1

It’s not worth the effort to address gender inequality because it’s always going to exist

10 14 14 19 40 3

SECTION 4. ATTITUDES TOWARDS GENDER BIAS

22. Please indicate your answer to the following questions about males and females.

Males

Females

Males and

Females are

equal

Who is physically stronger? 69 1 30

Who is more focused on appearance and looks? 5 52 43

Who is smarter? 5 14 81 Who has higher standards to meet for appearance and looks?

4 62 33

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Who has a stronger sex drive? 35 6 60

Who is more emotional? 2 55 43

Who are better athletes? 28 2 70

Who overthinks things more? 6 42 52

Who make better leaders? 17 8 75

Who is more nurturing? 2 63 36

Whose role is it to be the breadwinner in a family? 28 4 69

Who makes more money? 58 1 41

Who is more assertive? 30 8 62

23. Who do you think has more opportunities today, men or women?

Men 66 Women 5 Men and women have equal opportunities today 23 I don’t know 5

24. In which of the following areas do you feel males and females have more advantages?

Men have more

advantages

Women have more advantages

Men and women

have equal advantages

Home 18 28 54

Everyday treatment in the workplace 65 6 29

Growth in business leadership 65 3 32

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School/college campuses 32 12 56

The media 34 20 46

Politics 72 2 26

Healthcare 21 14 65

Sexual behavior 45 12 42

The justice system 40 17 43

Sports 70 2 29

Video Gaming 64 2 34

Relationships (e.g., dating, partnership, marriage) 22 22 56

Other: (Please specify)_______ 33 8 59

25. Below is a list of statements. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with each of them.

AGREE Neither

Agree Nor

Disagree

DISAGREE Not

Sure Strongly Some-what

Some-what Strongly

Today, discrimination against men has become as big a problem as discrimination against women

11 21 20 22 21 5

The government pays too much attention to the problems of gender inequality

6 10 22 23 35 4

The gains that women have made in recent years have come at the expense of men

5 12 24 20 32 6

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26. How much do you think that each of the following topics is associated with gender equality?

[RANDOMIZE]

Totally associated

with gender equality

Somewhat associated

with gender equality

Not really associated with gender

equality

Not at all associated with gender

equality

Domestic violence 41 36 15 9

Sexual Harassment/Assault (not including rape)

55 30 10 5

Rape/Rape Culture 55 29 10 6

Equal pay in the workplace 60 25 11 4

Parental leave from work upon birth/adoption of new baby

40 31 20 9

Workplace opportunities for professional development or advancement/promotions

44 38 13 5

Access to education 27 30 30 13

Dress codes 48 29 16 7

Shaming for sexual activity, real or perceived (E.g., “Slut shaming)

57 26 11 7

Gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans-gender rights 45 30 16 9

Women in politics 48 35 11 5

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Sex trafficking 44 32 15 9

Shared household responsibilities/chores 40 36 17 7

Pressure to be masculine/feminine 49 31 12 7

Feminism 61 27 7 5

Custody rights 37 36 19 7

Street harassment 47 34 13 7

Access to healthcare 23 28 32 18

Misandry (dislike or prejudice against men) 44 30 18 9

Reproductive rights 46 31 16 7

27. Thinking about these issues, how important it is that each issue be addressed immediately—where 1 is

“Not at all important” and 5 is “Extremely Important”?

Not at all Important

Extremely Important

Domestic violence 1 3 14 22 59

Sexual Harassment/Assault (not including rape)

1 4 14 22 59

Rape/Rape Culture 1 3 14 17 65

Equal pay in the workplace 2 5 13 24 57

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Parental leave from work upon birth/adoption of new baby

3 15 26 27 29

Workplace opportunities for professional development or advancement/promotions

2 8 23 28 40

Access to education 3 8 18 21 51

Dress codes 8 21 28 22 21

Shaming for sexual activity, real or perceived (E.g., “Slut Shaming)

4 11 23 25 38

Gay/Lesbian/bisexual/trans-gender rights 5 11 18 20 46

Women in politics 4 12 27 28 30

Sex trafficking 1 5 16 20 57

Shared household responsibilities/chores 6 19 32 21 22

Pressure to be masculine/feminine 7 19 29 23 22

Feminism 6 15 24 21 34

Custody rights 2 10 29 31 29

Street harassment 2 10 22 27 38

Access to healthcare 4 11 22 22 41

Misandry (dislike or prejudice against men) 8 19 27 23 23

Reproductive rights 2 13 24 23 38

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28. How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

Totally Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Totally Disagree

Racism is more relevant than gender equality to me personally

22 35 32 11

LGBT equality is more relevant than gender equality to me personally

16 30 36 18

There are other issues that are more important in society today than gender equality

23 51 21 5

Gender equality is an equally important issue for males and females

52 35 11 2

I am passionate about gender equality and its related issues

34 41 19 6

Gender equality is more relevant to people living in countries outside of the U.S.

21 38 28 12

Gender equality isn’t just about respect for females versus males; it’s about respect for all people

65 26 7 1

29. Would you consider yourself a feminist?

Yes 37 No 46 I don’t know 17

30. Can men be considered feminists?

Yes 74 No 9 I don’t know 16

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31. Thinking about gender, who do you think should be most involved with addressing issues of gender equality?

Mostly females 16 Mostly males 3 Both males and females 81

32. Thinking about age, who do you think should be most involved with addressing issues of gender equality? Please select all that apply.

People older than me 63 People younger than me 43 People my age 77

In the next set of questions, you’ll see the word microaggressions. Microaggressions are brief and commonplace actions or words that are subtle examples of bias. Microaggressions can be intentional or unintentional, and often communicate negative feelings towards other people.


AGREE Neither

Agree Nor

Disagree

DISAGREE Not

Sure Strongly Some-what

Some-what Strongly

My gender is well represented in the media 22 30 19 16 10 2

I personally have been hurt by microaggressions based on my gender

15 27 23 15 14 6

Individual microaggressions based on my gender, when added up, have had a serious impact on me

15 23 27 15 15 5

I have been treated differently by a teacher because of my gender

15 24 21 17 19 5

I think that I have more advantages being a man/ being a woman

12 24 27 19 15 3

I think that I have fewer advantages being a man/ being a woman

13 29 24 18 12 3

I often feel overlooked at school or work because of my gender

8 18 27 21 22 4

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I have been treated differently by an employer because of my gender

10 17 24 17 21 10

Women use gender inequality as an excuse more than they should

13 24 22 16 21 4

My gender has helped me get ahead in life 6 17 35 19 17 6

Because of historical inequalities, it is sometimes more fair to give preferential treatment to one gender over another

6 17 25 18 28 6

Gender inequality is more of a problem for other generations than it is for my generation

8 21 22 21 23 5

As my generation moves into leadership roles, gender inequality will become less and less of an issue

13 37 24 12 8 7

Individual microaggressions based on my gender can add up to become a serious problem for society

25 34 22 9 4 5

People are too sensitive when it comes to gender 11 22 20 24 19 4

Having a female presidential candidate demonstrates that women have the same opportunities as men

23 29 19 15 9 4

People my age believe in equality more than older people

30 35 20 8 3 4

Gender inequality still exists, but not among people my age 5 17 22 30 21 5

My family taught me that everyone should be treated the same, no matter what their gender

43 22 17 10 6 3

I believe in equality 66 19 8 3 1 2

Society would be better if we embraced diversity and celebrated differences between the genders

47 24 18 5 2 3

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Society would be better if it were truly gender blind and never considered differences between men and women

31 22 19 15 9 4

Focusing on gender prevents our society from becoming truly equal

24 27 24 12 7 6

Favoring one gender over another is unfair 53 25 12 4 3 2

I believe that everyone should be treated the same, no matter what their gender

61 20 12 4 1 2

AGREE Neither

Agree Nor

Disagree

DISAGREE Not Sure

Strongly Some-what

Some-what Strongly

I think we should talk more openly about gender bias 42 30 18 4 2 4

Having more open, constructive conversations about gender equality will help people become less biased

41 33 16 5 1 3

I would love the opportunity to have an open, respectful, and judgment free conversation about gender inequality

40 29 20 5 2 4

There should be more safe online spaces to have respectful discussions about gender inequality

37 30 20 6 2 5

I would like more tools and techniques to help discuss gender inequality more constructively

31 29 26 7 2 6

I regularly discuss gender bias with friends and family

16 26 23 20 10 4

I worry about being denied opportunities professionally because of my gender

21 23 22 14 16 5

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SECTION 5. CAMPAIGN

Later this year, a campaign is going to launch that aims to start a conversation around gender bias, empowering young people to better recognize bias, challenge it when they see it, and create a future with more equal opportunity for men and women. 35. How interested are you in a campaign on the issue of gender equality?

Very interested 36 Somewhat interested 32 Just slightly interested 17 Not at all interested 11 Not sure 4

Women have an unfair advantage when applying for schools and jobs

13 21 20 22 19 5

“Feminism” implies negative feelings about men 14 25 18 15 24 5

“Feminism” is a positive term and stands for equality 31 21 23 11 10 4

I know where to turn when I feel like I’m dealing with gender bias

12 23 30 19 9 8

I’m often assumed to be weak, incapable or emotional because of my gender

21 24 18 15 18 5

I feel the pressure to be strong, capable, or unemotional because of my gender

18 25 23 15 15 5

I feel the pressure to act like a man/woman 30 34 19 7 6 4

Stereotypes about my gender prevent me from doing what I want to do

18 27 22 16 13 4

I worry about being called a slut 25 25 15 14 18 3

I wish I knew how to tackle gender bias in today’s society

22 31 28 8 7 4

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36. How likely are you to do something to get involved in this campaign, like starting a conversation around gender equality, recognizing bias in yourself or your surroundings, or speaking out when you see it?

Very likely 27 Somewhat likely 29 Just slightly likely 26 Not at all likely 13 Not sure 5

SECTION 6. DEMOGRAPHICS 37. Which of the following best describes you?

Straight, completely 61 Straight, mostly 16 Bisexual 10 Lesbian or Gay, mostly 2 Lesbian or Gay, completely 2 Other (Specify: ) 6 Not sure 2 Refuse to say 1

38. Which of the following, if any, describe you? Please check all that apply.

Gender non-conforming 30 Trans 2 Androgynous 2 Other (Specify: ) 4 None of these 47 Not sure 13 Refuse to say 3

39. Are you currently a student full-time, a student part-time, or not a student?

A student full-time 65 A student part-time 10 Not a student 25

40. Are you currently working full-time, working part-time, or not working?

Working full-time 17 Working part-time 29

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Not working 53 Refuse to say 1

41. Do you consider yourself to be…

Working class 18 Lower middle class 20 Middle class 39 Upper middle class 13 Affluent 1 Other (SPECIFY: _____) 1 Not sure 7 Refuse to say 1

42. Please indicate the category that best describes your total household income.

Under $25,000 18 $25,000 to just under $40,000 16 $40,000 to just under $50,000 10 $50,000 to just under $75,000 13 $75,000 to just under $100,000 10 $100,000 or more 11 Not sure 17 Refuse to say 6

43. Which of the following best describes your living situation?

Live with my parents or guardians 71 Live with roommates in an apartment or house 11

Live alone in an apartment or house 8 Live in a dorm 3 Live with significant other/spouse (CODED FROM OTHER) 5

Other (Specify: ) 1 Refuse to say 2

44. Which of the following best describes you?

Single, never married 93 Currently married 7 Single, but previously married 0

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45. Do you have children of your own under the age of 18 living at home?

Yes 13 No 85 Refuse to say 2

46. Are you currently registered to vote?

Yes 42 No 54 Not Sure 4

47. And with which political party are you registered?

Democrat 38 Republican 18 Other Party 1 Independent or No Party 26 Not Sure 9 Not Registered 3 Refuse to say 4

Methodology Qualitative Research Research conducted by Scorpio Research, Inc., including eight in-person focus groups in Nashville, Philadelphia and New York from May 13th to May 27th, 2015. Each group included an ethnically diverse selection of 6 – 8 young people between 14 – 24 years old. Quantitative Research Research survey conducted by Lightspeed GMI, with additional analysis conducted by Chadwick Martin Bailey. Survey used selection of online panelists that are representative of the United States population. Approximately 950 total participants were screened for those who were 14 – 24 years old and excluded those who “do not give gender bias/equality” any thought, resulting in a nearly nationally representative sample that excluded 7% of the general population. Click-through data was weighted to Census to ensure representativeness on the basis of age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

mtv gender bias survey final results

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