Anger Helps Men Gain Influence

What kinds of biases do we have inside of us? How affect do they have in our everyday lives? One study suggests that when women display anger, it hurts them. But when men do it, it helps them. We all have implicit biases and whether we wish to or not, they influence our actions. (Harvard made a test you can take to help you recognize them.) It is important that we identify how it is we understand masculinity and femininity, and how it shapes our interactions. 

Men can yell at no cost, and a recent example is the Presidential Primary Debates. There are male candidates that feel comfortable raising their voices, but those same male candidates have criticized the female candidates for doing the same. Why is it ok for them to do it? Because our culture allows men to display anger. 

Salerno, Jessica M., and Liana C. Peter-Hagene. "One Angry Woman: Anger Expression Increases Influence For Men, But Decreases Influence For Women, During Group Deliberation." Law And Human Behavior (2015): PsycARTICLES.