Possible link between threats on masculinity and aggression in men discovered

PSYCHOLOGY & MEN'S HEALTH

Men experiencing social pressure about their masculinity may behave aggressively to protect their manhood.

Social psychologists found that some men, when encountered with threats on their masculinity, resort to aggression because of social and cultural expectations ingrained in them during youth.

Masculinity has been explicitly defined throughout the history of the United States to have a specific association with traits such as aggression, physicality, and physical and mental fortitude. Younger men may be more likely to resort to aggression when they perceive attacks on their manhood. Adam Stanaland and Sarah Gaither from Duke University found that this aggression was associated with low reported self-esteem found more commonly in young men whose identities have not yet been cemented by experience. These findings provide nuance to the social phenomenon of insecure manhood to highlight a common experience of growing up in the United States.

Stanaland, A., and Gaither, S. (27 Jan 2021). “Be a Man”: The Role of Social Pressure in Eliciting Men’s Aggressive Cognition. SAGE Journals. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0146167220984298