The term "fragile masculinity" refers to the anxiety felt by men who believe they fail to meet cultural or superficial standards of masculinity.
A new study has shown that this issue not only affects the mental health of men who lack psychological security regarding their masculinity but may also lead them to behave aggressively towards others. Researchers from Duke University examined 195 participants aged 18 to 56 regarding their views on the term "masculinity." The researchers found that younger men who derive their sense of masculinity from the opinions of others were more likely to display aggressive behavior compared to their counterparts. The study's authors stated, "The greater the social pressure on a man to be masculine, the more likely he is to act aggressively."
As the lead author of the study, Dr. Adam Stanaland, noted: "Men’s violence, terrorism, violence against women, political aggression — all these issues can be explained by the problem of fragile masculinity. When these psychologically insecure men feel that they are not adhering to strict masculine gender norms, they may feel compelled to act forcefully to prove their masculinity in the eyes of others."
During the study, men were asked questions about male stereotypes on specific topics, such as fixing things themselves or working on cars, as well as how they behave in certain situations like dating. They were then randomly informed that their scores were higher or lower, with those receiving lower scores being told they were "less masculine than the average man." Participants were subsequently asked to engage in a word completion game to gauge their mood based on their spontaneous responses. Men who derived their sense of masculinity from themselves did not seem bothered by their low scores or the "less masculine" descriptions they received, while those anxious about external opinions on their "masculinity" were more likely to use violent words. For instance, when presented with the letter "Q," they were more inclined to choose the word "kill" instead of "kiss." To further validate this theory, some men who received low scores in the study even threatened the researchers. Additionally, the results showed that men aged 18 to 29 were the most likely to display aggression compared to others, with older men showing calmer responses.
