Men Respond Aggressively When Manhood is Threatened

Researchers have found evidence that suggests that younger men whose sense of masculinity depends heavily on others' opinions react aggressively when their manhood is threatened. //

Results suggest that aggression in men may increase if men feel the social pressure to be masculine.

The study was conducted in two parts with 195 undergraduate students and randomly selected 391 men aged 18 to 56. Participants were asked questions about "gender knowledge," which included questions on sports, auto mechanics, and home repair.

The participants were then randomly told their score was either higher or lower than that of an average man. The men who received a low score were also told they were "less manly than the average man" to simulate real-world threats to manhood.

Participants were then asked to complete a series of word fragments by adding missing letters to reveal their state of mind.

Findings showed that men whose sense of masculinity came from within and not from others didn’t care about getting a low score. However, men whose feelings of masculinity relied on others (men who said they behaved "like a man" due to social pressures) responded to the word fragments by creating words with violent associations rather than neutral meanings.

For example, they wrote "kill" and "blood" rather than, say, "kiss" and "blow" or "bloom." when provided with the letters "ki" and “blo” to complete the word.

The youngest participants (men between 18 and 29) gave more aggressive responses. The responses grew milder as their age increased.

Adam Stanaland, lead author, explained that men might feel the need to act aggressively to prove their manhood (to 'be a man') when they think they are not living up to strict gender norms. It's evident that younger men are more sensitive to threats against their masculinity.

He added, "In those years, as men attempt to find or prove their place in society, their masculine identity may be more fragile. In many places, this means that younger men are constantly hit with threats to their manhood. They have to prove their manhood every day of their lives."

Female students did not similarly display an aggressive response when their gender was threatened.

The study designers also received violent threats from some men who received low scores, showing that men's aggressive responses did not end with just the questionnaire.

"Men report aggressive behavior in all sorts of domains," Stanaland said. "Some of them are trying to prove their manhood by being aggressive." He believes that men's violence, terrorism, violence against women, and political aggression can all be explained by fragile masculinity, so its important to understand this phenomenon better.

Source-Medindia