Research investigating interpersonal outcomes resulting from confrontation of bias shows mixed results. Some studies show that men expect to react harshly when imagining confrontation (Saunders & Senn, 2009), whereas other research finds that men often react well when actually confronted (Mallett & Wagner, 2011). The current studies investigated this inconsistency by exploring the role of men's interaction goals on men's goal-directed compensation and interpersonal outcomes following confrontation. In Study 1, I measured accessibility of three goals (liking, respect, egalitarian) after men either imagined or experienced confrontation for sexist or uninformed behavior (gender-neutral). An egalitarian goal was the most accessible goal when men experienced confrontation for sexism, supporting the idea that actual confrontation leads to other-focus. Further supporting the assertion that general and imagined threats lead to self-focus (Crocker, 2008), a respect goal was uniquely accessible when men imagined gender-neutral confrontation. In Study 2, men were primed with either an other-oriented liking goal or a self-oriented respect goal. I then observed men's self-promoting or ingratiating compensation following confrontation for sexism or uninformed behavior by a female interaction partner. Confrontation for sexism elicited immediate ingratiation from men, but neither confrontation affected self-promotion. Men's ingratiation also mediated the relation between liking goal pursuit and positive interpersonal outcomes. Together, these studies enhance our understanding of men's responses to confrontation.
","abstract_html":"<p>Research investigating interpersonal outcomes resulting from confrontation of bias shows mixed results. Some studies show that men expect to react harshly when imagining confrontation (Saunders & Senn, 2009), whereas other research finds that men often react well when actually confronted (Mallett & Wagner, 2011). The current studies investigated this inconsistency by exploring the role of men's interaction goals on men's goal-directed compensation and interpersonal outcomes following confrontation. In Study 1, I measured accessibility of three goals (liking, respect, egalitarian) after men either imagined or experienced confrontation for sexist or uninformed behavior (gender-neutral). An egalitarian goal was the most accessible goal when men experienced confrontation for sexism, supporting the idea that actual confrontation leads to other-focus. Further supporting the assertion that general and imagined threats lead to self-focus (Crocker, 2008), a respect goal was uniquely accessible when men imagined gender-neutral confrontation. In Study 2, men were primed with either an other-oriented liking goal or a self-oriented respect goal. I then observed men's self-promoting or ingratiating compensation following confrontation for sexism or uninformed behavior by a female interaction partner. Confrontation for sexism elicited immediate ingratiation from men, but neither confrontation affected self-promotion. Men's ingratiation also mediated the relation between liking goal pursuit and positive interpersonal outcomes. Together, these studies enhance our understanding of men's responses to confrontation.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wagner, Dana E"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:50Z","subjects":["gender relations","goal pursuit","goals","intergroup relations","interpersonal confrontation","sexism","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/694","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wagner, Dana E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-31T17:14:27Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["gender relations","goal pursuit","goals","intergroup relations","interpersonal confrontation","sexism","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/694"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Research investigating interpersonal outcomes resulting from confrontation of bias shows mixed results. Some studies show that men expect to react harshly when imagining confrontation (Saunders & Senn, 2009), whereas other research finds that men often react well when actually confronted (Mallett & Wagner, 2011). The current studies investigated this inconsistency by exploring the role of men's interaction goals on men's goal-directed compensation and interpersonal outcomes following confrontation. In Study 1, I measured accessibility of three goals (liking, respect, egalitarian) after men either imagined or experienced confrontation for sexist or uninformed behavior (gender-neutral). An egalitarian goal was the most accessible goal when men experienced confrontation for sexism, supporting the idea that actual confrontation leads to other-focus. Further supporting the assertion that general and imagined threats lead to self-focus (Crocker, 2008), a respect goal was uniquely accessible when men imagined gender-neutral confrontation. In Study 2, men were primed with either an other-oriented liking goal or a self-oriented respect goal. I then observed men's self-promoting or ingratiating compensation following confrontation for sexism or uninformed behavior by a female interaction partner. Confrontation for sexism elicited immediate ingratiation from men, but neither confrontation affected self-promotion. Men's ingratiation also mediated the relation between liking goal pursuit and positive interpersonal outcomes. Together, these studies enhance our understanding of men's responses to confrontation.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Understanding the Consequences of Interpersonal Confrontation: The Role of Goal Pursuit in Men's Responses to Being Confronted as Sexist"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Wagner, Dana E"],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-31T17:14:27Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Research investigating interpersonal outcomes resulting from confrontation of bias shows mixed results. Some studies show that men expect to react harshly when imagining confrontation (Saunders & Senn, 2009), whereas other research finds that men often react well when actually confronted (Mallett & Wagner, 2011). The current studies investigated this inconsistency by exploring the role of men's interaction goals on men's goal-directed compensation and interpersonal outcomes following confrontation. In Study 1, I measured accessibility of three goals (liking, respect, egalitarian) after men either imagined or experienced confrontation for sexist or uninformed behavior (gender-neutral). An egalitarian goal was the most accessible goal when men experienced confrontation for sexism, supporting the idea that actual confrontation leads to other-focus. Further supporting the assertion that general and imagined threats lead to self-focus (Crocker, 2008), a respect goal was uniquely accessible when men imagined gender-neutral confrontation. In Study 2, men were primed with either an other-oriented liking goal or a self-oriented respect goal. I then observed men's self-promoting or ingratiating compensation following confrontation for sexism or uninformed behavior by a female interaction partner. Confrontation for sexism elicited immediate ingratiation from men, but neither confrontation affected self-promotion. Men's ingratiation also mediated the relation between liking goal pursuit and positive interpersonal outcomes. Together, these studies enhance our understanding of men's responses to confrontation.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/694"],"dc:subject":["gender relations","goal pursuit","goals","intergroup relations","interpersonal confrontation","sexism","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies"],"dc:title":["Understanding the Consequences of Interpersonal Confrontation: The Role of Goal Pursuit in Men's Responses to Being Confronted as Sexist"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:50Z"}