Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
Dev Sci. 2024 Nov;27(6):e13544. doi: 10.1111/desc.13544. Epub 2024 Jul 15.
When adult men are made to feel gender-atypical, they often lash out with aggression, particularly when they are pressured (vs. autonomously motivated) to be gender-typical. Here, we examined the development of this phenomenon. Specifically, we provided a first experimental test of whether threatening adolescent boys' perceived gender typicality elicits aggression as a function of their pressured (vs. autonomous) motivation to be gender-typical. We also investigated whether this causal link emerges as a function of boys' chronological age versus pubertal development. Participants were a geographically diverse sample of 207 adolescent US boys (ages 10-14; 23.2% boys of color) and one of their parents. Boys played a "game" and received randomly-assigned feedback that their score was atypical versus typical of their gender. For boys in mid-to-late puberty (but not before), feedback that they are gender-atypical predicted an aggressive reaction, particularly among boys whose motivation to be gender-typical was pressured (vs. autonomous). Next, we explored which aspects of boys' social environments predicted their pressured motivation to be gender-typical. Boys' pressured motivation was positively correlated with their perceptions that their parents and peers would be "upset" if they deviated from gender norms, as well as with their parents' endorsement of so-called hegemonic beliefs about masculinity (i.e., that men should hold power over women). Parents with these beliefs resided in more conservative areas, had less formal education, and had lower incomes. Our results inform theorizing on gender identity development and lay the foundation for mitigating the harmful effects of gender typicality threat among adult men. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Similar to young adult men, adolescent boys in mid-to-late puberty (but not before) responded with aggression to perceived threats to their gender typicality. Aggression was heightened among boys whose motivation to be gender-typical was pressured (i.e., driven by social expectations) rather than autonomous. Which boys showed pressured motivation? Those whose parents endorsed hegemonic beliefs about masculinity (e.g., that men should have more power than people of other genders). Hegemonic beliefs about masculinity were strongest among parents who resided in more conservative US counties, had less formal education, and had lower incomes.
当成年男性感到自己的性别角色不典型时，他们通常会表现出攻击性，尤其是当他们受到压力（相对于自主动机）表现得符合性别典型时。在这里，我们研究了这一现象的发展。具体来说，我们首次通过实验检验了威胁青春期男孩的性别典型性是否会引发攻击性行为，这取决于他们表现出性别典型的压力（相对于自主）动机。我们还调查了这种因果关系是否会随着男孩的实际年龄和青春期发育而出现。参与者是一个具有地理多样性的美国青少年男孩样本（年龄 10-14 岁；23.2%的男孩是有色人种）及其父母之一。男孩们玩了一个“游戏”，并收到了随机分配的反馈，反馈显示他们的得分与他们的性别典型性不典型。对于处于青春期中期到晚期（而不是之前）的男孩来说，他们的性别不典型反馈预测了他们的攻击性反应，尤其是那些表现出性别典型的压力（相对于自主）动机的男孩。接下来，我们探讨了男孩社会环境的哪些方面预测了他们表现出性别典型的压力动机。男孩的压力动机与他们对父母和同伴的看法呈正相关，如果他们偏离性别规范，父母和同伴会“不安”，以及他们对所谓霸权男性气质信念的认可（即，男性应该对女性拥有权力）。持有这些信念的父母居住在更保守的地区，受教育程度较低，收入也较低。我们的研究结果为性别认同发展的理论提供了信息，并为减轻成年男性性别典型性威胁的有害影响奠定了基础。研究亮点：与年轻成年男性类似，处于青春期中期到晚期（而不是之前）的青春期男孩对感知到的性别典型性威胁做出了攻击性反应。在表现出性别典型的压力（即受到社会期望的驱动）动机而不是自主动机的男孩中，攻击性更强。哪些男孩表现出压力动机？那些父母认可霸权男性气质信念（例如，男性应该比其他性别拥有更多的权力）的男孩。在更保守的美国县、受教育程度较低和收入较低的父母中，霸权男性气质信念最为强烈。
