The American Psychological Association is highlighting a special issue of Psychology of Men and Masculinities on the future of research in this area that includes a conceptual review by Thomas McMahon, PhD, emeritus professor of psychiatry and in the Child Study Center.
Noting that social definitions of masculinities have become a focal point in public discourse, APA Publications is spotlighting this series of papers in a media announcement titled, "Uncharted Territory: The Future of Men and Masculinities."
After reviewing the limitations of the existing research, McMahon (2024) argues that a developmental perspective should inform the next generation of research on the psychology of masculinities to document developmental pathways to adaptive and maladaptive masculine identities across the lifespan.
He proposes that developmentally oriented research should inform preventive and clinical intervention for boys and men designed to reduce the harm associated with maladaptive ideas about what it means to be a masculine man.
McMahon is a longstanding member of the journal’s editorial board.