MAY THE BEST MAN WIN: MASCULINITY, AGGRESSION, AND MASS MALE ACTIVITIES PROPOSAL

Athletic teams, fraternities, and other mass male activities are often charged with creating an environment that glorifies or reinforces hyper-masculine behaviors such as domination, competition, and even sexual prowess (Eskinozi, 1990). However, some past studies have shown that this relationship may be weaker than is stereotyped (Koss, et al., 1993). This study examines the relationship between masculinity and aggression in males that participate in mass male activities, via a socio-cultural framework. Specifically, the current study will examine the strength of conformity in producing aggressive behaviors. Of particular interest is the moderating role of participating in mass male activities, such as competitive sports teams, fraternities, and online gaming communities. It is expected that individuals who participate in mass male activities will report higher levels of masculinity, aggression, and belief in gender role norms, as opposed to those who do not participate in mass male activities. Furthermore, differences between individuals who participate in competitive mass male activities (e.g., sports teams) as compared to social mass male activities (e.g., fraternities) will also be examined. Moderated regressions as well as a series of ANOVAs will be conducted to test the hypotheses. Data is currently being collected. Keywords: masculinity, aggression, competitio