Progressive Masculinity Pays Off: Positive Reactions to New Male Norms

Abstract

ABSTRACT The emergence of new masculinity types challenges traditional norms, yet their societal reception remains unclear. This research investigates how men endorsing progressive masculinity (PM) traits are perceived by society, examining potential social consequences. Across four pre‐registered experiments ( Ntotal = 1272) conducted with adults from the UK via Profilic, we compared perceptions of PM and traditional masculinity (TM) along dimensions of warmth, competence, social distance and behaviours in various scenarios (e.g., work‐related fraud, sexual harassment, support for gender equality). Results consistently showed that PM targets led to greater positive perceived behavioural intentions (e.g., supporting gender equality, positive fatherhood) compared to the TM targets, whereas TM targets were linked to higher perceptions of negative behaviours (e.g., sexual harassment). Notably, participants' gender did not significantly influence these perceptions. Finally, emotional expressivity mediated the relationship between masculinity type and all outcomes. These findings demonstrate that endorsement of PM traits is generally perceived more favourably in society than TM traits, challenging assumptions about potential social penalties for progressive masculine behaviour.