On the Future of the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities: A Developmental Perspective

Over the past 40 years, the psychological study of masculinities grounded primarily in the gender role strain paradigm has characterized psychological representations of masculine gender and documented ways they correlate with psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and social problems that frequently affect men. Although scholars working from this perspective acknowledge the complex interaction of multiple influences on the psychological construction of masculinities, they have not yet explored important questions about the development of individual differences in the structure and correlates of masculine gender identity among boys and men of all ages. Consequently, this conceptual review highlights ways the principles of developmental psychopathology might inform the next generation of research on the psychology of men and masculinities by more clearly documenting developmental pathways to adaptive versus maladaptive masculine gender identities across the lifespan. Five critical issues are explored: (a) development as a dynamic process, (b) the complementary nature of adaptive and maladaptive development, (c) critical issues in defining pathways to adaptive versus maladaptive developmental outcomes, (d) the complex nature of causal influences on development, and (e) the concepts of resistance and resilience. The discussion closes with brief notes on research methodology in developmental science and the conceptualization of developmentally informed approaches to preventive and clinical intervention. Throughout the discussion, the primary goal is to highlight ways a developmental perspective might advance the psychological study of men and masculinities and reduce the harm associated with maladaptive psychological representations of what it means to be a masculine man. Public Significance Statement Over more than 40 years, research has documented a relationship between psychological representations of masculinity and many of the health, behavioral health, and social problems that frequently affect men. However, this research has failed to clarify how these problematic ideas develop and how they might change over the lifecycle of a man. Developmental psychopathology is an approach to studying problems in human development that researchers could use to better understand what might be done to reduce the harm associated with unrealistic, inflexible ideas about what it means to be a masculine man.