Masculine honor beliefs and perceptions of intimate partner violence by men lower in relational power

Masculine honor beliefs are the idea that masculinity needs to be earned, defended, and maintained, often by disparagement and aggression toward women and individuals perceived as feminine. Previous research has shown that a perceived loss in relational power (such as through intimate partner rejection) may lead to aggressive behavior as a reaction to feeling threatened. Because people higher in masculine honor beliefs have greater endorsement of traditional gender roles in a relationship (i.e., feminine women and masculine men), we examined whether men and women in intimate partner relationships deviating from these roles (less masculine men and/or less feminine women) might lead to less negative perceptions of intimate partner aggression. We further examined if this was impacted by individual endorsement of honor ideology. Consistent with previous research and our hypotheses, higher levels of masculine honor beliefs were associated with greater endorsement of verbal and physical aggression toward a woman generally. Further, aggression was generally perceived as less negative toward a more masculine wife and by a more feminine husband. Taken together, our findings highlight how adherence to traditional gender roles and norms impact the perceptions of aggression, especially by those endorsing masculine honor-based ideologies.