U.S. Southern and Northern Differences in Perceptions of Norms About Aggression

Mechanisms for the Perpetuation of a Culture of Honor

Bibliographic Data

ID7842832
AuthorsJoseph A Vandello (0000-0001-9318-4002, University of South Florida, corresponding author), Dov Cohen (0000-0002-0520-8527, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Sean Ransom (University of South Florida)
Year2008
Volume39
Issue2
Pages162-177
Publication date2008-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0221 • E-ISSN: 1552-5422
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0022022107313862
OpenAlexW2143796059
LanguageEN
Citations received58
References cited45

This article explores one reason why norms for male honor-related aggression persist in the U.S. South, even though they may no longer be functional. The authors suggest that, in addition to cultural differences in internalized honor-related values, southerners are more likely than northerners to perceive peer endorsement of aggression norms. Study 1 found that southern males were especially likely to overestimate the aggressiveness of their peers. Study 2 tested the hypothesis that southerners would be more likely to actively encourage aggressive behavior in others, but no support was found. However, Study 3 found that southern men were more likely than northern men to perceive others as encouraging aggression when witnessing interpersonal conflicts. Together, these studies suggest that southern males are more likely than their northern counterparts to assume their peers endorse and enforce norms of aggression that can lead to the perpetuation of norms for honorable violence above and beyond any differences in internalized values

Aggression · Criminology · Developmental psychology · Honor · Interpersonal communication · Interpersonal relationship · Interpersonal violence · Norm (philosophy · Perception · Poison control · Political science · Suicide prevention · Cultural Differences and Values · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub