Conditional aggression: Perceptions of male violence in response to threat and provocation

Masculine honor ideology refers to beliefs dictating men should defend against threats, often through violent responses. Research has shown masculine honor beliefs are associated with more positive perceptions of men who defend against threat and less positive perceptions of men who do not defend against threat. Across four studies, we extended these findings by examining whether, as a function of masculine honor beliefs, men are perceived more positively simply for being violent, or if their reputations are only enhanced when they respond violently to real threats. Further, we examined whether situational factors (size of the opponent, outcome of the fight, and whether their goal was achieved) affected perceptions of men as a function of masculine honor beliefs. Our results showed that as perceivers' masculine honor beliefs increase, they perceive men more positively when they confront threats, and when they win their fight, but not when they behave violently in general.