Running head: WOMEN’S RESPONSES TO THE 2016 ELECTION AND SEXISM Nasty Women: Women’s Affective and Cognitive Responses to the 2016 Election and Indirect Sexism

This study examines the relationships between the 2016 presidential election, indirect sexism and women’s self-perceptions, attitudes and psychological well-being. Specifically, this study employs a two by two factorial design with between-subject factors of salient indirect sexism (salient indirect sexism manipulation or control) and the election (before or after) and investigates whether those factors influenced women’s levels of perceived pervasiveness of sexism in the U.S., collective self-esteem, future orientation, optimism, self-efficacy, selfcompassion, and state hope. Separate pre-election (n = 205) and post-election (n = 202) samples of female students at Duke University were collected during the month before and the month after Election Day. The manipulation took the form of an article prime, and outcome variables were assessed with an electronic questionnaire. Results indicate a trending increase in state hope for Republicans and a trending decrease in state hope for Democrats after the election, but just within the control group. Additionally, results indicate a trending decrease in self-compassion for Republicans exposed to salient indirect sexism after the election and a trending increase in selfcompassion for Independents/others in the control group after the election. Finally, results indicate a significant increase in future orientation for Republicans and a significant decrease in future orientation for Democrats after the election. No significant condition effects were found for any of the outcomes. Overall, the present research suggests that the 2016 election might influence women’s future orientation, self-compassion and state hope, but that political party preference might shape the direction of those influences. Possible explanations are discussed. WOMEN’S RESPONSES TO THE 2016 ELECTION AND SEXISM 2