The effects on women’s pragmatic love style and benefactor interests of exposure to a romantic fairy tale

Abstract

The two studies examined the effects of exposure to a romantic fairy tale on women’s pragmatic love styles and their benefactor interests. Female college students read either Cinderella or Helen Keller stories. The control group read no story. The results showed that the Cinderella group significantly increased their benefactor interests as well as their indirect power aspirations, including indirectly seeking economic rewards and social prestige from their romantic male partners, compared to the Helen Keller group. The Cinderella group also estimated that their future spouse would have a higher income than the Helen Keller group. In conclusion, women’s pragmatic love style could be socialized or cultivated within the social structure, including the media. Therefore, women’s pragmatic love style, as well as their benefactor interests, may vary according to possible changes in the future of Japan’s social structure, including the structure of the gender gap and the media.