Freels, Carla (2024) King of the Gym? Investigating the Effect of Grunting on Masculinity Perceptions. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Grunting, a low and guttural sound, has a longstanding tradition in sports such as tennis and bodybuilding. However, empirical research on the phenomenon remains limited. This study investigated how grunting is perceived in contemporary gym environments. Based on mostly anecdotal and qualitative evidence, we hypothesized that grunting would increase perceptions of masculinity, social dominance, and task attractiveness. In an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to watch a video featuring a male target either grunting or not grunting. A series of 2x2 ANOVAs was used to assess the effects of gender (male vs. female) and experimental condition (grunting vs. no grunting) on the dependent variables. The sample consisted predominantly of gym-goers from the UK, recruited via Prolific. Analysis revealed that grunting decreased perceptions of masculinity and task attractiveness, while increasing perceptions of social dominance. These results suggest that grunting is generally perceived negatively, indicating a possible discrepancy between the grunters’ intentions and the way they are perceived by others. Future replications should limit participants’ age range and focus exclusively on gym-goers. Additionally, further research should explore the motivations behind grunting, and how perceptions change if the grunter is a friend of the observer. Keywords: Masculinity, Grunting, Hegemony, Social Perception, Exercise
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Koc, Y. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jul 2024 06:50 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jul 2024 06:50 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3847 |
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