Sexist men are those male people who see themselves as playboys or having higher power over women. They are generally seen as arrogant and patriotic – but there could be more at play than just a bad attitude. A new study found that sexist males are more likely to suffer from mental health problems. The research conducted by the American Psychological Association and published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology on Monday.
Sexist Men Are More Likely To Suffer From Psychological Problems
According to RT TV Network, the researchers who conducted study are from the American Psychological Association and published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. It involved a meta-analysis of 78 research samples involving 19,453 men over the course of 11 years. Those samples focused on the relationship between mental health and conformity to 11 norms generally considered to reflect society's view of traditional masculinity.
"It's not rocket science. It’s something that’s been demonstrated over 20 years of research," said Y. Joel Wong, an associate professor of Counseling/Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at the University of Indiana. The study found that of all the traits traditionally linked to masculinity, three were particularly bad for men's mental health. "The norm of self-reliance is increasingly not helpful," Wong said. "You have to often rely on others."
Self-reliance, the pursuit of sexual promiscuity and power over women, according to Popular Science, are the traits bad for men's health. Wong also said that a lot of men would prefer to buck traditional gender traits but are concerned that other men will judge them harshly, so they don't act on their genuine desires. "There’s a gap between what men perceive other men believe or do and what men actually believe or do."
Study Confirms
According to The Washington Post, 78 studies on masculinity and mental health gathered between 2003 and 2013. The participants aged are 12 years and above, and the vast majority were white men. Although, some part of the study focused on African-Americans or Asian-Americans. Most of the studies didn't ask respondents' sexual orientation, but among those that did, most of the participants were straight.
Researchers then identified 11 norms considered to be "traditionally masculine" - desire to win, need for emotional control, risk-taking, violence, dominance, sexual promiscuity or playboy behavior, self-reliance, primacy of work, power over women, disdain for homosexuality and pursuit of status - and looked to see whether they were associated with particular mental health outcomes.