editor
A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that Men who perceive themselves as either very attractive or very unattractive tend to display higher levels of hostility toward Women compared to those with an average perception of their attractiveness. The research also found that men with right-wing authoritarian beliefs are more likely to exhibit hostile attitudes toward women. The study was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.
Misogyny refers to hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women. It manifests through discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, and societal norms that devalue or oppress women. Misogyny can range from subtle actions, such as exclusion or belittling, to overt behaviors like aggression, verbal abuse, physical and sexual violence, and rape.
A related concept is sexism, which involves the belief that one gender is superior to another, resulting in unequal treatment based on gender. Both misogyny and sexism perpetuate gender-based inequality, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and limiting opportunities for individuals, especially women. These attitudes not only harm women but also contribute to rigid gender roles that affect men as well.
Study author Jiewen Zhang and her colleagues aimed to better understand the factors associated with men’s hostility towards women. While it is well-established that hostility towards women is closely linked to certain political ideologies, such as right-wing authoritarianism, the researchers sought to explore whether other factors—such as loneliness, sensitivity to rejection, perceived attractiveness, and romantic relationships—also play a role in shaping these attitudes. Until now, the influence of these personal characteristics on hostility toward women in the general male population remained unclear.
The research included 473 single, heterosexual men living in the U.K., aged 18 to 35, with an average age of 26. Participants were recruited via Prolific, an online platform that facilitates survey data collection, and each participant received £8 for completing the survey. The survey used a range of validated psychological assessments to evaluate factors such as hostile sexism, misogyny, self-perceived attractiveness, sensitivity to rejection, loneliness, gaming habits, gaming addiction symptoms, and right-wing authoritarianism.
To measure hostile sexism, the researchers used the Hostile Sexism subscale of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, while misogyny was assessed using the Misogyny Scale. Sensitivity to rejection was measured through the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, and loneliness was assessed using the Short-Form UCLA Loneliness Scale. The study also examined participants’ gaming habits and potential gaming addiction symptoms, along with levels of right-wing authoritarianism measured via the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale.
The results indicated that the strongest connection was between right-wing authoritarianism and hostility toward women, manifested as both hostile sexism and misogyny. This suggests that men who hold authoritarian beliefs—characterized by a preference for strict social hierarchies and traditional gender roles—are more likely to express hostility towards women. The study emphasizes that right-wing authoritarian attitudes significantly contribute to the development of misogynistic views.
Another significant finding was the curvilinear relationship between self-perceived attractiveness and hostility towards women. Men who rated themselves as either very attractive or very unattractive were more likely to display hostility towards women compared to those with an average self-perception. This indicates that both ends of the self-perceived attractiveness spectrum may foster negative attitudes towards women, though the underlying motivations may differ. For instance, men with high self-perceived attractiveness might exhibit narcissistic tendencies, while men who see themselves as unattractive might externalize their frustrations, leading to hostility toward women.
Additionally, the study found that men with symptoms of gaming addiction were slightly more likely to express misogynistic attitudes, although general time spent gaming was not a strong predictor of hostility once other factors were considered. Sensitivity to rejection was also associated with increased hostility toward women, indicating that men who are more sensitive to perceived rejection may harbor more negative attitudes.
Regarding sexual experience, men with either the lowest or highest numbers of sexual partners were less hostile towards women compared to those with an average number of sexual partners. This pattern suggests that the relationship between sexual experience and hostility towards women is complex, with those at the extremes showing less hostility than those in the middle range.
“Our findings suggest that high right-wing authoritarianism and both low and high self-perceived attractiveness are associated with increased hostility towards women among men reflecting the general population,” the study authors concluded.
The research sheds light on the connections between various personal characteristics of men and hostility toward women. However, the study was conducted on an online sample of U.K. men, and the results may not necessarily apply to men from different cultural backgrounds, as societal norms and values vary across cultures and could influence attitudes toward women in distinct ways.
The paper, titled “Predicting Hostility Towards Women: Incel-Related Factors in a General Sample of Men,” was authored by Jiewen Zhang, Amalie B. Mollandsøy, Cecilie Nornes, Eilin K. Erevik, and Ståle Pallesen.
