(PS1-D85) Boys ‘round Here: The Relationship Between Masculine Honor Ideology, Aggressive Behavior, and Regional Affiliation

Masculine Honor Ideology (MHI) refers to a set of beliefs that dictate men must respond aggressively to threat or insult to maintain their ideal masculine reputation. Regions designated as high in MHI are associated with suicide rates (Crowder & Kemmelmeier, 2017; Osterman & Brown, 2011) and accidental deaths (Barnes et al., 2011). The current study demonstrates the robust relationship between MHI and lifetime aggression and aversive mental health outcomes (e.g., attempting suicide and being hospitalized for a mental health concern) in men from the United States. It also details the regional prevalence of MHI and compares these rates across regions of the country. Participants included 896 adult men (Mage = 35.86, SD = 1.22) residing in the United States recruited on MTurk. The study hypothesized the odds of endorsing past aggressive behavior and aversive mental health outcomes would be increased by stronger adherence to MHI. This hypothesis was supported, and individuals who reported increased MHI adherence also displayed increased odds of aggressive behaviors and other lifetime maladjustment. The statistically significant odds ratios ranged from high-risk participants being 4.20 times more likely to be accused of sexual violence to being 1.53 times more likely to experience mental health concerns. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between participants’ MHI scores in different regions of the United States. When analyzing only White, non-Hispanic men, only men born in the south or whose fathers were born in the south had statistically greater MHI, but there were no differences between men who grew up, currently lived in, and had mothers born in different regions. This suggests MHI may spread more uniformly than prior research suggests. This study highlights a divergence from the original conceptualization of MHI being a region-bound belief system. Furthermore, it emphasizes MHI’s clinical importance and relevance to mental health.