Can you see how you would maintain your belief about one sex being more helpful than the other even if you had lots of experience with both men and women who are equally helpful?
If you said you believe that women are more caring and helpful than men, this belief is likely to be embedded in an interconnected web of beliefs about male and female behaviors. But does the correct answer depend on the situation? If your car broke down on the turnpike, would you find that more men stopping to help than women? Why would you expect this to be so? Is it safer for men to offer assistance to a stranger than it is for women? Are men more likely to help with car troubles because auto repairs are more consistent with male sex role stereotypes than with female sex role stereotypes? You can probably think of many other reasons.
On the other hand, if you needed help repairing a torn garment or comforting a young child, is it more likely that women would respond? Again you can think of several reasons why this may be so.
