Psychology of Men and Masculinities' Focus on Positive Aspects of Men's Functioning: A Content Analysis and Call to Action

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on examining men and masculinities from a strengths-based, positive psychology perspective. This shift toward positive functioning provides an opportune occasion to examine the degree to which this is reflected in the men and masculinities scholarship. Thus, this content analysis investigated the inclusion of positive psychological constructs in research published in the Psychology of Men and Masculinities (PMM) between 2000 and 2018. Results highlighted that out of the 590 articles reviewed, only 15% had a positive focus. The constructs that have been most and least studied in PMM are identified and discussed. These findings suggest that positive psychological perspectives have been largely underrepresented in men and masculinities scholarship. Recommendations for focusing more on strengths in practice and research pertaining to men and masculinity are provided. Public Significance Statement This study examined the degree to which strengths-based, positive psychology perspectives are represented in Psychology of Men and Masculinities. Only 15% of articles published between 2000 and 2018 included a positive focus. These findings suggest that more research is needed to address men's experiences of positive emotions, positive traits, and engagement in prosocial behaviors, as they are currently underrepresented in the men and masculinities scholarship.