How do boys’ and men’s relationships with one another shape their masculinity development? In their recent article in our flagship journal, The Psychology of Men & Masculinities, Dr. Michael Di Bianca and Dr. Jim Mahalik introduce the Relationships Fostering Healthy Masculinities Scale (RFHMS). This measure assesses experiences in growth-fostering relationships—relationships characterized by empathy, mutuality, and empowerment—that influence the development of healthy masculinities. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the authors to discuss their inspiration for this work and their vision for the potential applications and contributions of this measure (full cite below).

Di Bianca, M., & Mahalik, J. R. (2024). Development of the Relationships Fostering Healthy Masculinities Scale. Psychology of Men & Masculinities. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000488

What were the key questions you were addressing in this article?

We were interested in examining empirical support for the importance of relational-cultural theory in boys’ and men’s lives, and specifically for the Stone Center theorist’s concept of growth-fostering relationships and how boys and men develop their sense of masculinity in and through the connections (or lack thereof) in their lives. Our study set out to develop an empirical measure of relationships that foster healthy masculinities, and to test how the construct may relate to issues of interest in the study of men and masculinities.

What were the main conclusions of your article?

Our study supported the idea that men’s experiences of growth-fostering relationships are a coherent empirical construct that can be measured in quantitative research, and that those experiences in relationships are connected to many important outcomes that are often studied men’s health and relationships that our field seeks to address. We established the validity of the measure by comparing it to men’s well-being, relational health, social justice/feminist worldview, and less rigid adherence to traditional masculine norms.

What are the key implications of your article for research, policy, or practice?

Relational-cultural theory teaches that we grow and heal in and through connection, and that longing for deeper connection is in our human nature and is not a weakness or gendered trait. We believe our article offers support for RCT’s ideas as central to research addressing the issues facing boys and men, policy efforts that support the presence of positive role models and social connection in boys’ lives, and clinical approaches with boys and men that understand the role of the therapeutic relationship and the potential power of interventions that leverage connection like men’s groups.

Where do you see this line of research heading in the future (i.e., what’s next)?

We hope that other researchers can use the RFHMS to continue centering the role of connection in how we understand the many issues facing boys and men (and their families and communities) today, or in the words of scholars Dr. Carol Gilligan, Dr. Judy Chu, and Dr. Niobe Way, the “crisis of connection.” We believe it complements exciting qualitative work like Dr. Choi and Dr. Sabey’s study on men’s groups in PMM (2024), and also hope that developing this measure will allow quantitative researchers to design and evaluate preventative and health-promotive interventions for boys and men that rely on meaningful experiences in relationships and community.

How did you become interested in this line of inquiry?

We shared an interest in these questions during our years of working together as doctoral student and advisor. Dr. Michael Di Bianca’s interest in research and clinical practice focused on masculinity issues began through his own personal experience with positive male role models in his life, including attending men’s retreats as a college student where masculine norms were challenged and vulnerability was embraced. During his graduate studies, he was deeply influenced by the theorists who developed relational-cultural theory and his experience working in program development with peer- mentoring groups for college men, which motivated him to study the role that positive relationships can play in men’s health, healing, and growth.

Cultivating Healthy Masculinities: A New Measure Grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory

Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities , Division 51 of the American Psychological Association.

Cultivating Healthy Masculinities: A New Measure Grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory

Division 51 Proposals for APA

Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities , Division 51 of the American Psychological Association.