Women are displeased by modest men, finds study

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey, US found that unassuming and self-effacing men quite often are not as liked as the masculine ones.

The Telegraph quoted study-leader and psychologist at Rutgers University, Corinne Moss-Racusin, as saying, “Historically and cross-culturally, men have been stereotyped as more independent and self-focused than women.”

Research details
Researchers recruited 132 female and 100 male students to see videos of 15-minute job interviews and determine how the trait worked for both men and women.

As the video showed, the job-responsibilities demanded strong technical abilities and social skills.

Analysis revealed that though the actors in the staged-interviews were considered equally capable, men who presented themselves in a ‘modest’ style were less liked by the viewers.

Modesty in men is often considered a sign of social criticism and weakness. In addition, it is a trait displaying low-status for males that could affect their employability or earnings capability.

In women, however, the trait is not viewed negatively and is not linked to status as well.

Study conclusions
Rutgers Today quoted Moss-Racusin as saying, “Women are allowed to be weak while this trait is strongly prohibited in men. By contrast, dominance is reserved for men and prohibited for women.”

“Thus, gender stereotypes are comprised of four sets of rules and expectations for behavior consist of both ‘shoulds’ and ‘should nots’ for each gender,” added Moss-Racusin.

Daily Mail quoted Professor Laurie Rudman of Rutgers University as saying, “Our findings demonstrate that men encounter prejudice when they behave modestly.”

“Men are expected to be successful, powerful, and dominant, show no weaknesses or chinks in the armor, and avoid acting in ways that might be perceived as feminine,” added Rudman.

However, contradicting the earlier belief that, meek men face employment problems, the findings of the current study revealed that the case is vice-versa.

Owing to the social status of men, which is considered more than women, submissive men are given the benefit of doubt and have lesser odds of having employment troubles in contrast to dominant women.

Nonetheless, stressing that such mental pressure to be manly could be detrimental for men’s health, Rudman was quoted by Daily Mail as saying, “Men’s mental and physical health can suffer from adhering to masculine ideals.”

The study appears in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinity.