Logos : Why Modest Men Get the Brush Off From Women

Authors Roger Dobson and Fiona Macrae directly call out men for modesty of character through logos. The entire article is held together by research concluding women do not actually like modesty in men. Due to readers' natural doubts surrounding the prior statement the authors describe the research procedures in more detail throughout the rest of their literary work. In the experiment, subjects were shown videotapes of a man and a women applying for a job as a computer lab manager.   The actors and actress both followed the same script and humble about their achievements. Subjects were then asked to rate the men and women on modesty, likability, and other factors. Although both man and woman were equally qualified for the position, the man was less liked than the woman. Dobson and Macrae also add the insights of the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity which states that humility makes men seem less confident about themselves. Rutgers University of New Jersey Professor Laurie Rudman is also cited saying "findings demonstrate that men encounter prejudice when they behave modestly." The authors successfully state the conclusion that women prefer men who are not modest with support from three different sources one being actual research in their article. As stated in a previous post on this blog, the 1960s brought change in modesty in appearance and character. Men's clothes became more modest and so did their character. This new movement broke away from the centuries old perceptions that quiet and shy males were not attractive as opposed to loud and proud men. Therefore, after about 40 years American culture is still trying to understand this broader meaning of positive male qualities. Then, it would make sense that women would still give men a hard time about modesty in the article.