Matthew G Nielson
Biographic Data
| ID | 770982 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Matthew G Nielson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Matthew G |
| FAMILY NAME | Nielson |
| SIGNATURE | NIELSON M G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brigham Young University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4795-0903 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 108 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Evidence for the Sexuality-as-Gendered Framework From Interpersonal Contact
People’s beliefs about sexual minorities are intertwined with their beliefs about gender (i.e., the sexuality-as-gendered framework), leading to the prediction that the amount of friendly contact with sexual minorities will be related to one’s beliefs about gender. We test this prediction across two studies (total N = 860), to show that reported friendships with sexual minorities relate not only to beliefs about sexual minorities, but also to att…
How privilege affects reactions to men's femininity
This research aimed to explore social responses to men’s femininity, with particular attention paid to the impact of privilege as detailed in the framework of hybrid masculinities. Generally, men’s femininity is met with condemnation, but those with more privilege may have more leeway than those with less. Additionally, cultural attitudes may be evolving to be less homonegative, which may alter the reception of queer men’s femininity. From interv…
Endorsement of Masculine-Typed Behaviors Decreases During Middle Adolescence: The Contextualizing Role of Peer Experiences for Adolescents Living in the United States
While more research is emerging about the development of masculinity during adolescence, not much is known about how masculine-type behaviors develop over time in middle to late adolescence within the context of friendships and peer experiences. This study examined trajectories of masculine-typed behavior from ages 14 to 17. Multilevel modeling was used to account for cross-time and within-time variability in masculine-typed behavior and examined…
Patterns of Gender Development Across Intersections of Age, Gender, and Ethnicity-Race
Boys’ Internalized Appearance-Related Norms from Different Socializers Uniquely, Negatively Relate to Wellbeing and Gender Beliefs
Much of the work on body image socialization masks the potentially unique influence of different socializers, yet clearer understanding of socialization mechanisms and ideological context aid intervention efforts. We explored how fathers, female peers, male peers, and adolescent boys themselves produce different levels of internalized appearance-related norms and how these socializer-specific norms differentially relate to wellbeing and beliefs r…
Too hunky to help: A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior beliefs among adolescent boys
Boys' beliefs about prosocial behavior toward other boys may be negatively affected by masculine norm adherence, and there is evidence that early adolescence is a time when boys feel heightened levels of pressure from multiple sources (e.g., friends, family, and self) to adhere to masculine norms like emotional restriction (e.g., appearing stoic and uncaring). However, the relation between boys' masculinity and their prosocial behavior beliefs is…
Exploring Young Men’s Experience of Resistance to Masculine Norms
There are costs and benefits to conforming and resisting gender norms, and this ratio likely changes during the transition to adulthood. In this paper, we explore the development of young men’s masculine norm resistance from adolescence through emerging adulthood. Using thematic analysis on interviews with cisgender young adult men who reported feeling at least somewhat gender atypical ( N = 30, M age = 23, White = 74%), we found that: (a) men re…
Nuanced Longitudinal Effects of Domains of Perceived Gender Similarity on Adolescent Peer Victimization
The Roots and Fruits of Masculinity: Social Antecedents and Sexual Relationship Consequences of Young Men’s Adherence to Masculine Norms
On a longitudinal sample of 181 emerging adult men ( M age = 19.36, SD age = 1.48), we analyzed how diverse socializing agents (fathers, male peers, magazines, music videos, TV dramas, and TV sitcoms) related to adherence to masculine norms, and how norm adherence related to men's interpersonal sexual cognitions and behaviors (romantic relationship self-efficacy, sexual self-esteem, and alcohol-primed sexual encounters). We found that male peers,…
The Effect of Target’s Power on Prosocial Behavior: A Cross-Cultural Study
Social power predicts numerous important life outcomes and social orientations. Thus far, the research literature has mainly examined how an individual’s own power shapes interactions with others, whereas whether a target’s power affects social interactions has been relatively neglected. In particular, does a target’s power have an effect on the agent’s prosocial behavior? Furthermore, could culture along with the power distance dimension alter t…
Manning up while growing up: A developmental-contextual perspective on masculine gender-role socialization in adolescence
Quantifying gender norm resistance
INTRODUCTION: Qualitative and mixed-methods researchers have described the experience of gender norm resistance in adolescence and identified potential types of resistance including indirect resistance (motivated by a preference for gender-atypicality) and direct resistance (motivated by dislike of gender norms and a desire to change them). Building on this work, we developed the Gender Norm Resistance measure to operationalize indirect and direc…
Investigating the Relation between Gender Typicality and Pressure to Conform to Gender Norms
Does gender-bending help or hinder friending? The roles of gender and gender similarity in friendship dissolution
We explored how gender and gender similarity affects friendship dissolution following the transition to middle school. We predicted that both gender and gender similarity (measured by perceived similarity to own-gender and other-gender peers) explain dissolution trends and that less own-gender similarity or more other-gender similarity predicts more friendship dissolution. We considered gender and gender similarity at both the individual and dyad…
Gender similarity in growth patterns of support toward friends during young adulthood
The purpose of this article was to analyze change over time in a specific aspect of prosocial behavior, emotional support toward friends, using two different methodologies. We examined how emotional support changes during the transition to adulthood and whether gender‐based group comparisons yield different gender patterns than person‐centered growth mixture models. We hypothesized that emotional helping toward friends would increase over time an…
Characteristics of Preschool Gender Enforcers and Peers Who Associate with Them
Early Adolescent Gender Development: The Differential Effects of Felt Pressure from Parents, Peers, and the Self
Will They Listen to Me? An Examination of In-Group Gender Bias in Children’s Communication Beliefs
Longitudinal Change in High-Cost Prosocial Behaviors of Defending and Including during the Transition to Adulthood
The role of parental warmth and hostility on adolescents’ prosocial behavior toward multiple targets.
The current study examined the influence that parental warmth/support and verbal hostility had on adolescents' prosocial behavior toward multiple targets (stranger, friend, family) using multiple reporters (self, parent, observations). Data were taken from Times 2 and 3 of a longitudinal project and included 500 adolescents and their parents (M age of child at Time 2 = 12.34). Structural equation models suggested that mother warmth was associated…
Does Helping Keep Teens Protected? Longitudinal Bidirectional Relations Between Prosocial Behavior and Problem Behavior
The current study examined bidirectional, longitudinal links between prosocial and problem behavior. Participants (N = 500) were recruited from a Northwestern city in the United States and assessed for 3 consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 (Mage of youth at Time 1 = 13.32, SD = 1.05; 52% girls; 67% European American, 33% single-parent families). Results suggested that effects of earlier prosocial behavior toward family and strangers were predicti…
Is Hovering Smothering or Loving? An Examination of Parental Warmth as a Moderator of Relations Between Helicopter Parenting and Emerging Adults’ Indices of Adjustment
The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of parental warmth in the relation between helicopter parenting and indices of child adjustment (i.e., self-worth and school engagement) and maladjustment (i.e., risk behaviors) in emerging adulthood. Participants included 438 undergraduate students from four universities in the United States ( M age = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18–29; 320 women). Regression analyses established that inc…
Longitudinal relations between prosocial television content and adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behavior: The mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation
The current study examined longitudinal cross-lagged associations between prosocial TV (content and time) and prosocial and aggressive behavior during adolescence, and explored the mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation. Participants were 441 adolescents who reported on their 3 favorite TV shows at 2 time points, approximately 2 years apart (M age of child at Time 3 = 13.31, SD = 1.06; 52% female; M age of child at Time 5 = 15.27,…
Longitudinal bidirectional relations between adolescents’ sympathy and prosocial behavior
Despite the importance of understanding sympathy and prosocial behaviors, research on the development of these tendencies in adolescence remains relatively sparse. In the present study, we examined age trends and bidirectional longitudinal relations in sympathy and prosocial behaviors across early to middle adolescents. Participants were 500 12-year-olds at Time 1 (52% girls, 70% European American) who completed measures of sympathy and prosocial…
Longitudinal bidirectional relations between adolescents’ sympathy and prosocial behavior
Despite the importance of understanding sympathy and prosocial behaviors, research on the development of these tendencies in adolescence remains relatively sparse. In the present study, we examined age trends and bidirectional longitudinal relations in sympathy and prosocial behaviors across early to middle adolescents. Participants were 500 12-year-olds at Time 1 (52% girls, 70% European American) who completed measures of sympathy and prosocial…
Investigating the Relation between Gender Typicality and Pressure to Conform to Gender Norms
Manning up while growing up: A developmental-contextual perspective on masculine gender-role socialization in adolescence
Does gender-bending help or hinder friending? The roles of gender and gender similarity in friendship dissolution
We explored how gender and gender similarity affects friendship dissolution following the transition to middle school. We predicted that both gender and gender similarity (measured by perceived similarity to own-gender and other-gender peers) explain dissolution trends and that less own-gender similarity or more other-gender similarity predicts more friendship dissolution. We considered gender and gender similarity at both the individual and dyad…
Early Adolescent Gender Development: The Differential Effects of Felt Pressure from Parents, Peers, and the Self
Longitudinal relations between prosocial television content and adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behavior: The mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation
The current study examined longitudinal cross-lagged associations between prosocial TV (content and time) and prosocial and aggressive behavior during adolescence, and explored the mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation. Participants were 441 adolescents who reported on their 3 favorite TV shows at 2 time points, approximately 2 years apart (M age of child at Time 3 = 13.31, SD = 1.06; 52% female; M age of child at Time 5 = 15.27,…
Characteristics of Preschool Gender Enforcers and Peers Who Associate with Them
Too hunky to help: A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior beliefs among adolescent boys
Boys' beliefs about prosocial behavior toward other boys may be negatively affected by masculine norm adherence, and there is evidence that early adolescence is a time when boys feel heightened levels of pressure from multiple sources (e.g., friends, family, and self) to adhere to masculine norms like emotional restriction (e.g., appearing stoic and uncaring). However, the relation between boys' masculinity and their prosocial behavior beliefs is…
Longitudinal Change in High-Cost Prosocial Behaviors of Defending and Including during the Transition to Adulthood
Patterns of Gender Development Across Intersections of Age, Gender, and Ethnicity-Race
Boys’ Internalized Appearance-Related Norms from Different Socializers Uniquely, Negatively Relate to Wellbeing and Gender Beliefs
Much of the work on body image socialization masks the potentially unique influence of different socializers, yet clearer understanding of socialization mechanisms and ideological context aid intervention efforts. We explored how fathers, female peers, male peers, and adolescent boys themselves produce different levels of internalized appearance-related norms and how these socializer-specific norms differentially relate to wellbeing and beliefs r…
Gender similarity in growth patterns of support toward friends during young adulthood
The purpose of this article was to analyze change over time in a specific aspect of prosocial behavior, emotional support toward friends, using two different methodologies. We examined how emotional support changes during the transition to adulthood and whether gender‐based group comparisons yield different gender patterns than person‐centered growth mixture models. We hypothesized that emotional helping toward friends would increase over time an…
Endorsement of Masculine-Typed Behaviors Decreases During Middle Adolescence: The Contextualizing Role of Peer Experiences for Adolescents Living in the United States
While more research is emerging about the development of masculinity during adolescence, not much is known about how masculine-type behaviors develop over time in middle to late adolescence within the context of friendships and peer experiences. This study examined trajectories of masculine-typed behavior from ages 14 to 17. Multilevel modeling was used to account for cross-time and within-time variability in masculine-typed behavior and examined…
Nuanced Longitudinal Effects of Domains of Perceived Gender Similarity on Adolescent Peer Victimization
The Roots and Fruits of Masculinity: Social Antecedents and Sexual Relationship Consequences of Young Men’s Adherence to Masculine Norms
On a longitudinal sample of 181 emerging adult men ( M age = 19.36, SD age = 1.48), we analyzed how diverse socializing agents (fathers, male peers, magazines, music videos, TV dramas, and TV sitcoms) related to adherence to masculine norms, and how norm adherence related to men's interpersonal sexual cognitions and behaviors (romantic relationship self-efficacy, sexual self-esteem, and alcohol-primed sexual encounters). We found that male peers,…
Will They Listen to Me? An Examination of In-Group Gender Bias in Children’s Communication Beliefs
Does Helping Keep Teens Protected? Longitudinal Bidirectional Relations Between Prosocial Behavior and Problem Behavior
The current study examined bidirectional, longitudinal links between prosocial and problem behavior. Participants (N = 500) were recruited from a Northwestern city in the United States and assessed for 3 consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 (Mage of youth at Time 1 = 13.32, SD = 1.05; 52% girls; 67% European American, 33% single-parent families). Results suggested that effects of earlier prosocial behavior toward family and strangers were predicti…
Is Hovering Smothering or Loving? An Examination of Parental Warmth as a Moderator of Relations Between Helicopter Parenting and Emerging Adults’ Indices of Adjustment
The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of parental warmth in the relation between helicopter parenting and indices of child adjustment (i.e., self-worth and school engagement) and maladjustment (i.e., risk behaviors) in emerging adulthood. Participants included 438 undergraduate students from four universities in the United States ( M age = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18–29; 320 women). Regression analyses established that inc…
Longitudinal relations between prosocial television content and adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behavior: The mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation
The current study examined longitudinal cross-lagged associations between prosocial TV (content and time) and prosocial and aggressive behavior during adolescence, and explored the mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation. Participants were 441 adolescents who reported on their 3 favorite TV shows at 2 time points, approximately 2 years apart (M age of child at Time 3 = 13.31, SD = 1.06; 52% female; M age of child at Time 5 = 15.27,…
Longitudinal bidirectional relations between adolescents’ sympathy and prosocial behavior
Despite the importance of understanding sympathy and prosocial behaviors, research on the development of these tendencies in adolescence remains relatively sparse. In the present study, we examined age trends and bidirectional longitudinal relations in sympathy and prosocial behaviors across early to middle adolescents. Participants were 500 12-year-olds at Time 1 (52% girls, 70% European American) who completed measures of sympathy and prosocial…
The role of parental warmth and hostility on adolescents’ prosocial behavior toward multiple targets.
The current study examined the influence that parental warmth/support and verbal hostility had on adolescents' prosocial behavior toward multiple targets (stranger, friend, family) using multiple reporters (self, parent, observations). Data were taken from Times 2 and 3 of a longitudinal project and included 500 adolescents and their parents (M age of child at Time 2 = 12.34). Structural equation models suggested that mother warmth was associated…
Will They Listen to Me? An Examination of In-Group Gender Bias in Children’s Communication Beliefs
Longitudinal Change in High-Cost Prosocial Behaviors of Defending and Including during the Transition to Adulthood
Gender similarity in growth patterns of support toward friends during young adulthood
The purpose of this article was to analyze change over time in a specific aspect of prosocial behavior, emotional support toward friends, using two different methodologies. We examined how emotional support changes during the transition to adulthood and whether gender‐based group comparisons yield different gender patterns than person‐centered growth mixture models. We hypothesized that emotional helping toward friends would increase over time an…
Characteristics of Preschool Gender Enforcers and Peers Who Associate with Them
Early Adolescent Gender Development: The Differential Effects of Felt Pressure from Parents, Peers, and the Self
Quantifying gender norm resistance
INTRODUCTION: Qualitative and mixed-methods researchers have described the experience of gender norm resistance in adolescence and identified potential types of resistance including indirect resistance (motivated by a preference for gender-atypicality) and direct resistance (motivated by dislike of gender norms and a desire to change them). Building on this work, we developed the Gender Norm Resistance measure to operationalize indirect and direc…
Investigating the Relation between Gender Typicality and Pressure to Conform to Gender Norms
Does gender-bending help or hinder friending? The roles of gender and gender similarity in friendship dissolution
We explored how gender and gender similarity affects friendship dissolution following the transition to middle school. We predicted that both gender and gender similarity (measured by perceived similarity to own-gender and other-gender peers) explain dissolution trends and that less own-gender similarity or more other-gender similarity predicts more friendship dissolution. We considered gender and gender similarity at both the individual and dyad…
The Effect of Target’s Power on Prosocial Behavior: A Cross-Cultural Study
Social power predicts numerous important life outcomes and social orientations. Thus far, the research literature has mainly examined how an individual’s own power shapes interactions with others, whereas whether a target’s power affects social interactions has been relatively neglected. In particular, does a target’s power have an effect on the agent’s prosocial behavior? Furthermore, could culture along with the power distance dimension alter t…
Manning up while growing up: A developmental-contextual perspective on masculine gender-role socialization in adolescence
Exploring Young Men’s Experience of Resistance to Masculine Norms
There are costs and benefits to conforming and resisting gender norms, and this ratio likely changes during the transition to adulthood. In this paper, we explore the development of young men’s masculine norm resistance from adolescence through emerging adulthood. Using thematic analysis on interviews with cisgender young adult men who reported feeling at least somewhat gender atypical ( N = 30, M age = 23, White = 74%), we found that: (a) men re…
Nuanced Longitudinal Effects of Domains of Perceived Gender Similarity on Adolescent Peer Victimization
The Roots and Fruits of Masculinity: Social Antecedents and Sexual Relationship Consequences of Young Men’s Adherence to Masculine Norms
On a longitudinal sample of 181 emerging adult men ( M age = 19.36, SD age = 1.48), we analyzed how diverse socializing agents (fathers, male peers, magazines, music videos, TV dramas, and TV sitcoms) related to adherence to masculine norms, and how norm adherence related to men's interpersonal sexual cognitions and behaviors (romantic relationship self-efficacy, sexual self-esteem, and alcohol-primed sexual encounters). We found that male peers,…
Boys’ Internalized Appearance-Related Norms from Different Socializers Uniquely, Negatively Relate to Wellbeing and Gender Beliefs
Much of the work on body image socialization masks the potentially unique influence of different socializers, yet clearer understanding of socialization mechanisms and ideological context aid intervention efforts. We explored how fathers, female peers, male peers, and adolescent boys themselves produce different levels of internalized appearance-related norms and how these socializer-specific norms differentially relate to wellbeing and beliefs r…
Too hunky to help: A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior beliefs among adolescent boys
Boys' beliefs about prosocial behavior toward other boys may be negatively affected by masculine norm adherence, and there is evidence that early adolescence is a time when boys feel heightened levels of pressure from multiple sources (e.g., friends, family, and self) to adhere to masculine norms like emotional restriction (e.g., appearing stoic and uncaring). However, the relation between boys' masculinity and their prosocial behavior beliefs is…
Endorsement of Masculine-Typed Behaviors Decreases During Middle Adolescence: The Contextualizing Role of Peer Experiences for Adolescents Living in the United States
While more research is emerging about the development of masculinity during adolescence, not much is known about how masculine-type behaviors develop over time in middle to late adolescence within the context of friendships and peer experiences. This study examined trajectories of masculine-typed behavior from ages 14 to 17. Multilevel modeling was used to account for cross-time and within-time variability in masculine-typed behavior and examined…
Patterns of Gender Development Across Intersections of Age, Gender, and Ethnicity-Race
Evidence for the Sexuality-as-Gendered Framework From Interpersonal Contact
People’s beliefs about sexual minorities are intertwined with their beliefs about gender (i.e., the sexuality-as-gendered framework), leading to the prediction that the amount of friendly contact with sexual minorities will be related to one’s beliefs about gender. We test this prediction across two studies (total N = 860), to show that reported friendships with sexual minorities relate not only to beliefs about sexual minorities, but also to att…
How privilege affects reactions to men's femininity
This research aimed to explore social responses to men’s femininity, with particular attention paid to the impact of privilege as detailed in the framework of hybrid masculinities. Generally, men’s femininity is met with condemnation, but those with more privilege may have more leeway than those with less. Additionally, cultural attitudes may be evolving to be less homonegative, which may alter the reception of queer men’s femininity. From interv…
Developmental psychology (22 works) · Psychology (22 works) · Social Psychology (21 works) · Social Psychology (16 works) · Gender Roles and Identity Studies (13 works) · Prosocial behavior (8 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (7 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (5 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (5 works) · Gender role (5 works)