Introduction

Messages Men Hear describes the results of a study that attempts to answer the question: Why do men behave the way they do? (See the Appendix, for a discussion of methodology.) Male behavior is strongly influenced by gender role messages men receive from their social environments. This study interprets the responses of 560 men in the United States to 24 dominant male gender norms or male messages. Individuals participating in this study were asked to indicate how influential each message was at age 18 and how that influence has changed.