Masculine Stereotypes Suppress Curiosity About Others
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- Niobe Way, a professor of applied psychology at NYU, is publishing work on 'interpersonal curiosity' — a largely neglected subfield, since prior curiosity research focused on the physical and material world rather than people's lives
- Way's study of 389 students aged 11-13 found that those who wanted to probe others' personal lives and relationships reported better friendships and greater overall wellbeing
- Boys were about twice as likely as girls to report having 'no questions' for friends, teachers and caregivers in the adolescent sample
- Endorsement of masculine stereotypes — e.g., agreeing that 'it is necessary for me to fight others in order to gain respect' — was inversely correlated with enjoying hearing others' stories, and this link was strongest for male-identifying participants
- Way's 'Listening with Curiosity Project,' a 26-lesson curriculum piloted in New York City public schools, increased students' curiosity and friendship quality by the curriculum's end, with boys showing the largest gains
- Way argues the capacity is innate but suppressed by Western patriarchal conditioning; adults can reawaken it with open-ended questions such as asking about a favourite childhood memory
Why it matters: Way calls interpersonal curiosity 'the secret sauce of all human connection,' and her data tie its suppression directly to poorer friendships and less social support — suggesting the cultural devaluation of this 'feminine' trait carries real costs for relationship quality. Her NYC pilot shows a classroom intervention can reverse the pattern within a school year, with boys benefiting most.
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