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When it comes to friendships between men and women, many people hold the belief that there’s always a potential for something more than just friendship. But how does this belief change when the woman in the friendship dresses or behaves more like “one of the guys” rather than someone who might be a romantic rival?
A recent study published in Personality and Individual Differences explored this intriguing question, revealing that women who prefer male friends are generally perceived by other women as less trustworthy, more sexually promiscuous, and greater threats to romantic relationships. However, these perceptions might shift depending on how the woman presents herself.
Friendships between men and women (cross-sex friendships) have long been subjects of suspicion. Previous research has shown that women who prefer male friends are often viewed as less trustworthy and more sexually promiscuous, which can lead to social aggression and ostracism from other women. However, researchers had not explored how a woman’s gender expression — how masculine or feminine she appears — affects these perceptions.
“My interest in this topic came from my undergraduate mentor, now colleague, Dr. Hannah Bradshaw, who had recently published work on this topic,” explained study author Julia Hurwitz, an experimental psychology PhD student at Oklahoma State University and member of the Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN).
“I had just joined her lab as an undergraduate research assistant where she had us read her paper as an assignment. When we met during our lab meeting, I asked her if she had ever thought of manipulating the gender expression of the target (the ‘guys’ girl’) and seeing how this influences women’s perceptions of other women who prefer men as friends. I was thinking that women with more masculine interests might be characterized as less threatening than feminine women, and thus might be seen as ‘one of the guys’ over a potential mating threat.”
To explore how gender expression impacts the perception of women who prefer cross-sex versus same-sex friendships, the researchers conducted three separate experiments, each focusing on different aspects of gender expression. Across all experiments, heterosexual women were asked to evaluate female targets based on manipulated profiles or images. Each target was described as either preferring male or female friends.
A recent study published in Personality and Individual Differences explored this intriguing question, revealing that women who prefer male friends are generally perceived by other women as less trustworthy, more sexually promiscuous, and greater threats to romantic relationships. However, these perceptions might shift depending on how the woman presents herself.
Friendships between men and women (cross-sex friendships) have long been subjects of suspicion. Previous research has shown that women who prefer male friends are often viewed as less trustworthy and more sexually promiscuous, which can lead to social aggression and ostracism from other women. However, researchers had not explored how a woman’s gender expression — how masculine or feminine she appears — affects these perceptions.
“My interest in this topic came from my undergraduate mentor, now colleague, Dr. Hannah Bradshaw, who had recently published work on this topic,” explained study author Julia Hurwitz, an experimental psychology PhD student at Oklahoma State University and member of the Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN).
“I had just joined her lab as an undergraduate research assistant where she had us read her paper as an assignment. When we met during our lab meeting, I asked her if she had ever thought of manipulating the gender expression of the target (the ‘guys’ girl’) and seeing how this influences women’s perceptions of other women who prefer men as friends. I was thinking that women with more masculine interests might be characterized as less threatening than feminine women, and thus might be seen as ‘one of the guys’ over a potential mating threat.”
To explore how gender expression impacts the perception of women who prefer cross-sex versus same-sex friendships, the researchers conducted three separate experiments, each focusing on different aspects of gender expression. Across all experiments, heterosexual women were asked to evaluate female targets based on manipulated profiles or images. Each target was described as either preferring male or female friends.
How a woman dresses affects how other women view her male friendships, study suggests
Women who prefer male friends are often seen by other women as less trustworthy and more promiscuous, but dressing in a masculine way can reduce these perceptions, making them appear less of a romantic threat.
www.psypost.org
