Men Who Harass Women Are Literally Losers

Men who harass women online are quite literally losers, new study finds. That’s a great headline, although I think this study has broader applications beyond the study’s focus on online video games (thus my headline).

[T]he researchers observed that — no matter their skill level, or how the game went — men tended to be pretty cordial to each other. Male players who were good at the game also tended to pay compliments to other male and female players.

Some male players, however — the ones who were less-skilled at the game, and performing worse relative their peers — made frequent, nasty comments to the female gamers. In other words, sexist dudes are literally losers.

Video games are but the latest area that, while once, male-dominated, isn’t any more, and this upsets the losers:

a recent influx of female participants has disrupted a pre-existing social hierarchy. That’s okay for the guys at the top — but for the guys at the bottom, who stand to lose more status, that’s very threatening.

The actual study is Insights into Sexism: Male Status and Performance Moderates Female-Directed Hostile and Amicable Behaviour, by Michael M. Kasumovic and Jeffrey H. Kuznekoff. There’s much more insight to be had there, if not so many juicy quotations.

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