NCJ Number
171108
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1997) Pages: 19-35
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examines emotions experienced by hypermasculine men when prevented by a woman from attaining a goal relevant to their sense of attractiveness and sexuality.
Abstract
Research has demonstrated an association between the hypermasculine personality pattern and a history of sexually aggressive behavior. Researchers hypothesized that macho males would respond to high and moderate threats to their masculine identity with greater blame and anger than nonmacho males. After screening with the Hypermasculinity Inventory, 34 high-hypermasculine and 36 low-hypermasculine men were assigned to one of three experimental conditions in which the feedback received from a female partner was either highly threatening, moderately threatening, or neutral in nature. Macho and nonmacho men differed only in the moderate threat condition. Macho men in this condition reported greater anger yet less blame than the nonmacho men. The pattern of results is most consistent with Berkowitz's cognitive-neoassociationistic model of emotion, which does not require blame for anger to occur, as does Lazarus's cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. The study suggests that anger in macho men is associated with the level of surprise in a situation. Tables, figures, references