Entitativity Predicts “Counter-Allyship” Towards a Black Woman Complainant of Violent Sexual Harassment Through Elevated Promiscuity Attributions

Abstract Black women in the United States continue to face disproportionate gender-based sexual violence, often compounded by stereotypes that portray them as sexually promiscuous. This study examines how perceptions of entitativity —the belief that Black women form a cohesive, interchangeable group—shape negative reactions toward a Black woman who reports workplace sexual harassment by a White supervisor. Using a sample of White American adults ( N = 197), participants completed measures of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), perceived Black women’s entitativity, promiscuity attributions, and two forms of “counter-allyship”: blaming the complainant and expressing sympathy toward the perpetrator (“himpathy”). Results showed that perceiving Black women as a highly unified group predicted stronger promiscuity attributions, which, in turn, increased counter-allyship among participants high (but not low) in RWA. These findings reveal how group-based stereotyping processes and authoritarian attitudes intersect to undermine empathy for Black women survivors of workplace harassment. Understanding these mechanisms can inform diversity training, organizational response policies, and therapist interventions that address bias in perceptions of sexual violence complaints.