Dormant masculinity: Moderating effects of acute alcohol intoxication on the relation between male role norms and antigay aggression.

Abstract

Acute alcohol intoxication was examined as a moderator of the association between men’s adherence to traditional gender norms and aggression towards a gay male. Participants were 164 heterosexual drinking men between the ages of 21–30. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires that included a measure of adherence to male role norms (i.e., status, toughness, antifemininity), were randomly assigned to consume an alcohol or no-alcohol control beverage, and completed the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which electric shocks were administered to, and received from, a fictitious gay or heterosexual male opponent. Results indicated a greater adherence to both the toughness (β = .50, p = .002) and antifeminine (β = .37, p = .023) norms predicted high levels of aggression towards a gay man only among participants who were intoxicated. This interaction effect was not detected for the status norm. Consistent with previous research, findings suggest that adherence to the toughness norm does not increase sober men’s risk of aggression toward gay men. However, this is the first study to demonstrate that alcohol intoxication may activate concepts of toughness, and thus influence men to act in line with this facet of the masculine concept. Importantly, these data support the view that men’s adherence to various dimensions of masculinity may be dormant in some contexts, only to be activated, and subsequently demonstrated, in other contexts.

Examining disgust and emotion regulation difficulties as components of aggression toward perceived gay men.

“…This result is consistent with previous research, which finds toughness has a fickle relationship with antigay aggression and its mechanisms (Goodnight et al, 2014; Parrott, 2009; Parrott et al, 2011; Vincent et al, 2011). However, there is some evidence to suggest that, in some situational contexts (i.e., acute intoxication), heterosexual men’s adherence to the toughness norm is predictive of aggressive behavior toward gay men (Leone & Parrott, 2015). Therefore, toughness may have a nuanced relationship with antigay aggression in ways that generally are not detected in cross-sectional research, such as the current study.…”

Drink, don’t think: The role of masculinity and thought suppression in men’s alcohol-related aggression.

“…As social drinking may be modeled to men as a cultural symbol of masculinity by peers and media (Towns, Parker, & Chase, 2012), alcohol consumption may provide another context for men to express socialized masculine beliefs and norms (Fugitt & Ham, 2018; Leone & Parrott, 2015; Mullen, Watson, Swift, & Black, 2007; Wells et al, 2014). Indeed, in one study of college students, the majority of participants interpreted alcohol consumption and heavy drinking as a form of “macho” or masculine behavior (Peralta, 2007).…”

“…Given these data, it is not surprising that a number of recent empirical studies have explored relationships between masculinity and alcohol-related aggression (Leone & Parrott, 2015; Lisco et al, 2015; O’Brien et al, 2018; Wells, Graham, & Tremblay, 2009). For example, in a recent study of college athletes in the United Kingdom, O’Brian and colleagues (2018) found that higher levels of masculinity and alcohol consumption were related to greater likelihood of having perpetrated an aggressive act while intoxicated in the past 12 months.…”

Male Role Norms, Heavy Drinking, and Bystander Behavior for Sexual Aggression

“…Moreover, contrary to prior research on bystander attitudes (Leone et al, 2016), analyses did not detect an association between adherence to the toughness norm and bystander behavior. These null findings may best be understood by taking into account how adherence, and thus expression, of masculinity is context dependent (Leone & Parrott, 2015). For example, some contexts call for men to be tough, whereas others may call for men to be independent.…”