The role of self-discrepancy and self-motivation in responding masculinity threat

Meer, Bert van der (2023) The role of self-discrepancy and self-motivation in responding masculinity threat. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

In the field of psychology, the topic of masculinity and its influence on men's well-being has gained significant attention. Previous research has shown that rigid masculinity negatively impacts men's mental health and emphasizes the importance of more inclusive definitions of masculinity. It also reveals that when masculinity is threatened, men experience internal emotional responses such as shame, guilt and anger, underscoring the societal pressure to conform to traditional norms and the adverse outcomes associated with challenging them.This study examines the effects of masculinity threat on emotional responses among homosexual and heterosexual men. The central question addressed in this research is whether an external threat elicits external or internal responses and whether there are differences in these responses based on sexual orientation. An adaptation of a vignette was used to manipulate masculinity threat (N = 270). The study found that the anticipated external threat did not result in an external response, and there were no significant variations in threat responses between heterosexual and homosexual men. However, it supported the notion that masculinity threat induces an internal response, while also highlighting the inconclusive impact of strong gender identification and adherence to traditional masculinity norms on such responses. We conclude that the role of strong gender identification and adherence to traditional masculinity norms in shaping responses to masculinity threat remains inconclusive. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Aksu, A.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	21 Jul 2023 09:53
Last Modified:	21 Jul 2023 09:53
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2531

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