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Men’s Interpersonal (mis)Perception: Fitting in with Gender Norms Following Social Rejection

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Abstract

Interpersonal perception (IP) is useful for meeting affiliation needs, but what if IP skills are derogated by those one wishes to affiliate with? We tested the effects of affiliation motivation on IP in predominately Caucasian men. Participants were mainly U.S. undergraduates from the intermountain west. We expected that following rejection, IP performance would vary depending on the skill’s gender appropriateness. Study 1 (N = 69) found men who recounted an in-group rejection performed better on a masculine-framed IP test. Study 2 (N = 102) extended findings to empathic accuracy, demonstrating that rejection influenced IP as a function of the gender norms of an in-group member. The role of affiliation motivation and gender norms in the development and maintenance of men’s nonverbal skills is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Portions of this manuscript were supported by a Montana State University USP grant awarded to the second author. We would like to thank Katherine Spencer and the Motivation and Diversity Lab Research Assistants for their help with data collection. We also thank Dr. Judith Hall and Brett Carter for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Montana State University, 304 Traphagen Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA

    Jessi L. Smith

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA

    Karyn L. Lewis

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Correspondence to Jessi L. Smith.

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Smith, J.L., Lewis, K.L. Men’s Interpersonal (mis)Perception: Fitting in with Gender Norms Following Social Rejection. Sex Roles 61, 252–264 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9621-9

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