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Men who open doors for women are as guilty of sexism as those who are rude to them, according to a new study.

Psychologists found that a friendly or chivalrous attitude can mask chauvinistic and patronizing views because the men see females as weak creatures in need of their protection.

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They warned that this “benevolent sexism” was harder to spot than the hostile version borne out of an open antipathy.

Jin Goh, a psychologist from Northeastern University, Boston, in the U.S., said: “While many people are sensitive to sexist verbal offences, they may not readily associate sexism with warmth and friendliness. Unless sexism is understood as having both hostile and benevolent properties, the insidious nature of benevolent sexism will continue to be one of the driving forces behind gender inequality.”

While many people are sensitive to sexist verbal offences, they may not readily associate sexism with warmth and friendliness

The study, believed to be the first of its kind, involved 27 pairs of U.S. undergraduate men and women. Participants were filmed while they played a trivia game together and chatted afterwards. Experts then scrutinized their interaction by reporting their impressions and counting certain non-verbal cues such as smiles.