Effects of Masculine Gender-Relevant Task Instructions on Men's Cardiovascular Reactivity and Mental Arithmetic Performance.

Abstract

The Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) Scale identifies men who appraise challenges to their masculine gender ideology as stressful. This experiment investigated the effects of masculine gender relevance of task instructions on cardiovascular reactivity and serial subtraction performance of men who scored high or low on the MGRS. High MGRS men showed significantly greater increases in systolic blood pressure following masculine gender-relevant than masculine gender-irrelevant instructions; low MGRS men did not. Following masculine gender-relevant instructions, high MGRS men made significantly fewer correct responses in serial subtraction than did low MGRS men; gender-irrelevant instructions produced no significant group differences. Results suggested that some men's susceptibility to appraise challenges to their masculine ideology as stressful augments their arousal levels and impairs their cognitive performance.

Cardiovascular responses across stressor phases: The match of gender and gender-role identification with the gender relevance of the stressor

“…Of the three CPT studies, one is most consistent with our findings by showing match effects on SBP and DBP [11], two found the effect on SBP, but one of them on HR as well [10,16]. Of the six studies using a psychological stressor, two showed the match effect on SBP [12,15], one on HR [17], and three found none [13,14,18]. Differences with our findings may be due to one or more of the variations among these studies, as described in the Introduction.…”

“…However, underlying hemodynamic determinants [stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance (TPR)] are important because of their relation to type of stressor, gender differences, and health risks (e.g., [19 -21]). Also, except for three studies [12,13,15], anticipation and recovery phases were covered in addition to baseline and stressor phase, thereby acknowledging possibly differential responding in these phases (e.g., [19,22]). One study directly assessed gender-role identification with masculinity and femininity scales [14], whereas the others indirectly measured identification by estimating how stressful it is to deviate from the rules involved in gender role.…”

What Accounts for Men’s Hostile Attitudes Toward Women? The Influence of Hegemonic Male Role Norms and Masculine Gender Role Stress

“…A growing body of evidence suggests that men who hold traditional beliefs about the male gender role are at risk to experience a great deal of stress in situations where this role is challenged (Cosenzo, Franchina, Eisler, & Krebs, 2004; Eisler, Franchina, Moore, Honeycutt, & Rhatigan, 2000; Franchina, Eisler, & Moore, 2001; Good et al, 1995). This tendency to experience gender-relevant stress is commonly referred to as masculine gender role stress (Eisler & Skidmore, 1987; Eisler, Skidmore, & Ward, 1988).…”

A theoretical framework for antigay aggression: Review of established and hypothesized effects within the context of the general aggression model

“…In addition, masculine gender role stress is positively associated with the activation of routes to aggression. For example, research suggests that men who endorse high levels of masculine gender role stress report higher levels of anger, more negative attributions, and heightened cardiovascular reactivity in response to situational threats of traditional masculinity (Cosenzo, Franchina, Eisler, & Krebs, 2004;Eisler et al, 2000;Franchina et al, 2001;Lash, Eisler, & Schulman, 1990;Moore & Stuart, 2004). Independent of the situation, research has also shown a positive relation between masculine gender role stress and anger (Eisler et al, 1988).…”