MASCULINITY UNDER THREAT: ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE SUBJUGATION OF NATURE
Open Access
- Author:
- Kimble, Edward Gorsuch
- Area of Honors:
- Psychology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Janet K. Swim, Thesis Supervisor
Janet K. Swim, Thesis Supervisor
Kenneth N. Levy, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Masculinity
Masculinity threat
Conservation Psychology
Commons Dilemma - Abstract:
- The role that masculinity, and threats to masculinity, plays in affecting men’s expression of their beliefs about nature and the behavioral choices they make about the use of natural resources were examined through an online study. After completing a personality inventory, male university students (N = 86), who had previously indicated in a prescreening measure the extent to which they endorsed masculine ideologies, were exposed to one of three randomly assigned conditions: 1) they were provided feedback indicating that they were relatively feminine, not masculine, and low in statues (i.e., Masculinity threat); 2) the opposite (Masculinity reassurance) and 3) no feedback. Results show that (a) participants who endorsed masculine ideologies were more likely to endorse the utilization of nature and less likely to endorse the preservation of nature; (b) participants who were given masculinity reassurance were more likely to endorse the utilization of nature; (c) participants who were told that they were feminine (i.e., masculinity threat) were less apprehensive about other players actions during a ‘Commons Dilemma’ scenario. Results are interpreted as supporting the argument that masculine ideological beliefs can lead to attitudes and behavioral choices that would be harmful to the environment.