Negative Evaluations of Men's Nurturant Touching of Young Children

Abstract

82 female and 65 male, mostly unmarried undergraduate students read one of 16 versions of a brief scenario depicting a man or woman either engaging or not engaging in nurturant touching of young children. Subjects then rated story characters on masculinity and goodness scales and on scales measuring likelihood of social acceptance and future instrumental achievement. Men and women who engaged in nurturant touching were rated low on masculinity and high on goodness and social acceptance. Men rated male characters lowest on goodness and women rated male characters highest on goodness. Women who engaged in nurturant touching were given the highest goodness and social acceptance ratings. It was concluded that some men may avoid engaging in nurturant touching of young children due to gender stereotyping.