The Masculinity-Based Model of Aggressive Retaliation in Society (MARS)

摘要

Recent researchers have highlighted the need for research on deadly shootings and other forms of aggression in society. To provide a theoretical roadmap for future research in this area, we have brought together social-psychological, anthropological, sociological, and neuro-biological literature. We present a theoretical model we have labeled the Masculinity-based model of Aggressive Retaliation in Society (MARS). Masculine honor cultural ideologies foster a norm that young men should swiftly and decisively respond against threats to their masculinity. We contend that better understanding how these top-down expectations that are placed on young men interact with bottom-up processes such as hormones, brain area activation, and brain area connectivity will help explain the risk factors behind extreme forms of retaliatory aggression including shootings in modern society, and why the vast majority of these heinous crimes are committed by young men. These predictors have been established in the literature individually as causes of violence and aggression, but we contend that these may function as additive risk factors and their deadly combination that may lead to retaliatory aggression as a perceived last resort for affected boys and young men. Public Significance Statement We have created a Masculinity-based model of Aggressive Retaliation in Society (MARS). This model helps to explain retaliatory aggression in modern society and we believe it will, with further testing, help to better understand the manifestation of extreme forms of aggression in society like shootings and violence.