Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Psychology
First Advisor
C. Veronica Smith
Second Advisor
Joseph D. Wellman
Third Advisor
Todd Smitherman
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Boys receive unique messaging about their gender identity from an early age, including that they must avoid anything associated with femininity (Blakemore, 2003). Failure to follow this group norm is usually met with punishment or ridicule (Kane, 2006; Katz, 2020). Unsurprisingly, this socialization might teach boys that manhood is not guaranteed. Precarious manhood theory (Vandello & Bosson, 2013) argues that manhood–but not womanhood–is a status that must be socially earned, but can be revoked, making it “precarious.” Since the theory’s inception, researchers have explored ways to experimentally examine the consequences of “lost manhood” using masculinity threat paradigms which describe men as feminine or ask them to engage in feminine behaviors (e.g., Bosson et al., 2009; Weaver et al., 2013). However, these existing methodologies each have an array of limitations. The present work uses precarious manhood theory as a guide to design a new methodology for the literature called The Daily Choices and Personality Quiz (DCPQ). Across three pilot studies, this work explores what an ideal test of masculinity threat would look like and empirically examines these criteria within the new paradigm. The subsequent studies explore the validity DCPQ and use the instrument to test key components of the theory. Specifically, this research evaluates theoretically relevant outcomes like affect (Studies 1-5) and compensatory behaviors (Study 2 & Study 5) and aims to establish the DCPQ as a versatile tool for researchers.
Recommended Citation
Shaw, Caitlin M., "The Daily Choices and Personality Quiz: Designing and Testing A New Manipulation of Masculinity Threat" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3387.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3387