COHFA | Psychology: Projects in Progress
Real Men Don't Cry. Unless They're Playing Sports.
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Biology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Jana Hackathorn, Ph.D.; Dan Wann, Ph.D.; Sean Rife, Ph.D.
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
In society men tend to be held to a different standard when it comes to expressing emotions. Research has shown that overall females tend to be judged less harshly when crying (Peter, Vingerhoets & Heck, 2001). There are some instances where it is more acceptable for men to cry than others, though. One of these instances, which is the one this project will focus on, is sport.
There are certain implicit norms in sports that are generally accepted by athletes, coaches, fans, and spectators. Some of these norms pertain specifically to gender roles, such as masculinity and how a male should behave while engaging in sports. Previous research has evaluated this idea pertaining to different situations and measuring how acceptable it is to cry in different situations using Levant et al.’s Male Role Norm Inventory. For example, a former running back for the San Francisco 49ers Derek Loville was deemed acceptable and necessary by his teammates to cry before every game (Lutz, 1999). This wasn’t the case for Tim Tebow when he was harshly criticized for openly expressing emotion in an SEC championship (Wong, Stieinfeldt, Lafollette, & Taso, 2011).
This project will further the area of research in respect to masculinity and accepted gender roles. Not only will this research assess the attitudes that individuals hold regarding emotion, but it will also assess attitudes toward femininity in men.
Location
Classroom 210, Waterfield Library
Start Date
November 2016
End Date
November 2016
Affiliations
Psychology: Projects in Progress
Real Men Don't Cry. Unless They're Playing Sports.
Classroom 210, Waterfield Library
In society men tend to be held to a different standard when it comes to expressing emotions. Research has shown that overall females tend to be judged less harshly when crying (Peter, Vingerhoets & Heck, 2001). There are some instances where it is more acceptable for men to cry than others, though. One of these instances, which is the one this project will focus on, is sport.
There are certain implicit norms in sports that are generally accepted by athletes, coaches, fans, and spectators. Some of these norms pertain specifically to gender roles, such as masculinity and how a male should behave while engaging in sports. Previous research has evaluated this idea pertaining to different situations and measuring how acceptable it is to cry in different situations using Levant et al.’s Male Role Norm Inventory. For example, a former running back for the San Francisco 49ers Derek Loville was deemed acceptable and necessary by his teammates to cry before every game (Lutz, 1999). This wasn’t the case for Tim Tebow when he was harshly criticized for openly expressing emotion in an SEC championship (Wong, Stieinfeldt, Lafollette, & Taso, 2011).
This project will further the area of research in respect to masculinity and accepted gender roles. Not only will this research assess the attitudes that individuals hold regarding emotion, but it will also assess attitudes toward femininity in men.