The sum of it all: Meta-analyses and metasyntheses in the psychology of men and masculinities.

Abstract

Meta-analyses and metasyntheses perform a crucial role in advancing a field of study by highlighting themes and patterns that emerge from a large body of research, yet they remain utilized research methods in the psychology of men and masculinities. Therefore, in this special issue on research syntheses in the psychology of men and masculinities, we showcase three metasynthetic studies and four meta-analytic studies that address men’s victimization experiences with sexual violence, experience of breast cancer, and male friendships; the links between paternal and child anxiety and depression symptoms; and the connections between masculinities and violence, sexism, and muscularity concerns. We provide guidance on best practices in conducting research syntheses, summarize key findings from the studies in this special issue, and identify future directions for meta-analytic and metasynthetic research in the psychology of men and masculinities.

Changes in the prevalence of muscular, but not thin, bodies bias young men’s judgments about body size.

“…Indeed, in meta-analytic studies examining masculine norms tied to muscularity, the largest effect sizes were observed between muscularity and adherence to norms related to dominance, achievement, and the pursuit of status (Murnen et al, 2023). This implies that conforming to masculine ideals associated with power is closely linked to concerns about muscularity (Valentine & Wong, 2023). Repeated, and rapid, exposure to this imagery while scrolling across social media content reinforces a cycle of male self-objectification and body dissatisfaction (Seekis et al, 2021), which ultimately can reinforce negative masculine norms of powerlessness or inadequacy, contribute to poor mental health outcomes among men, and reduce their likelihood to seek help for maladaptive thinking (Parent et al, 2019; Shepherd & Rickard, 2012).…”

Unexamined whiteness in the psychological study of men and masculinities: Situating research and practice within white space and white time.

“…Definitions of masculinities in PSMM (Addis et al, 2010; Valentine & Wong, 2023) often leave white American masculinities uninterrogated (Liu, 2017; Wong & Wang, 2022). Researchers understand the descriptor, “dominant,” especially in the United States, as a proxy term for “white” or “whiteness,” referring to the broader categories of European, cisgender, heterosexual, and middle-class masculinities (Levant & Powell, 2017; Wedgwood et al, 2023).…”

“…Although the psychological study of men and masculinities (PSMM) field has continued to develop (Addis et al, 2010; Valentine & Wong, 2023), notions of white masculinities have remained mostly uninterrogated (Liu, 2017; Wong & Wang, 2022). In this article, we emphasize the unexamined “whiteness” and assumed Americanness of masculinities research and scholarship (Liu, 2017) and use a racial–spatial framework to explore how systemic racism renders differential racialized experiences for white men when compared with the racialized experiences of men of Color (Liu et al, 2023).…”