The DOI matches its Crossref record; 99 of the 99 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Overdoing Gender: A Test of the Masculine Overcompensation Thesis
Open accessAbstract
The masculine overcompensation thesis asserts that men react to masculinity threats with extreme demonstrations of masculinity, a proposition tested here across four studies. In study 1, men and women were randomly given feedback suggesting they were either masculine or feminine. Women showed no effects when told they were masculine; however, men given feedback suggesting they were feminine expressed more support for war, homophobic attitudes, and interest in purchasing an SUV. Study 2 found that threatened men expressed greater support for, and desire to advance in, dominance hierarchies. Study 3 showed in a large-scale survey on a diverse sample that men who reported that social changes threatened the status of men also reported more homophopic and prodominance attitudes, support for war, and belief in male superiority. Finally, study 4 found that higher testosterone men showed stronger reactions to masculinity threats than those lower in testosterone. Together, these results support the masculine overcompensation thesis, show how it can shape political and cultural attitudes, and identify a hormonal factor influencing the effect.
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“The theory of masculine overcompensation (Bosson et al., 2009; Willer et al., 2013) further suggests that when men feel that their masculinity is threatened, they may respond by amplifying traditionally masculine behaviors/traits as a way to reassert and protect their gender identity.”
From A Sexist Language? Gender Differences in Attitudes and Use of Gender-Inclusive Pronouns (2025) · cites this paper as Willer et al., 2013
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Cites
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Research works printed but not linked: 15
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Is the desire for status a fundamental human motive? A review of the empirical literature.
Anderson, C., Hildreth, J. A. D., & Howland, L. (2015) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0038781 · Cited by 1,133
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Sexual Harassment, Workplace Authority, and the Paradox of Power
McLaughlin, H., Uggen, C., & Blackstone, A. (2012) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/0003122412451728 · Cited by 617
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Metadata
- Authors
- Willer, R., Rogalin, C. L., Conlon, B., & Wojnowicz, M. T.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Purdue University Northwest (US)
- California State University, Fresno (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Sociology
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Published
- 2013-01
- Volume
- 118
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 980-1022
- ISSN
- 0002-9602 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5390
- OpenAlex
- W1555651838
- Cited by
- 366
- References
- 99
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 54.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- American Journal of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- John Spoor Broome Library Institutional Repository (California State University) (submittedVersion)
- California State University ScholarWorks (system-wide DSpace) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- masculinity threat, gender threat, masculinity, femininity, testosterone, dominance hierarchy, war support, homophobic attitudes, male superiority, political attitudes, social change
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