“A study on masculinity and aggression from the
University of South Florida found that innocuous – yet feminine – tasks
could produce profound anxiety in men. As part of the study, a group of
men were asked to perform a stereotypically feminine act – braiding hair
in this case - while a control group braided rope. Following the act,
the men were given the option to either solve a puzzle or punch a heavy
bag. Not surprisingly, the men who performed the task that threatened
their masculinity were far more likely to punch the bag; again, violence
serving as a way to reestablish their masculine identity. A follow-up
had both groups punch the bag after braiding either hair or rope; the
men who braided the hair punched the bag much harder. A third
experiment, all the participants braided hair, but were split into two
groups: those who got to punch the bag afterwards and those who didn’t.
The men who were prevented from punching the bag started to show acute
signs of anxiety and distress from not being able to reconfirm their
masculinity.”
| — | Doctor Nerdlove, "When Masculinity Fails Men" |
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