Source: sevpetro/Shutterstock 
 
 Australian psychologists have discovered that men who grow beards are more sexist than their clean-shaven peers. The researchers had men in the United States and India complete a brief survey about sexist attitudes. Next, they divided the men into two groups—one of clean-shaven men; the other, mustachioed, goateed, and bushy-bearded. 
 
 They then compared the scores of men with no facial hair to those of men with any kind of facial hair—and the hairy men scored higher on measures of hostile sexism but not benevolent sexism. 
 
 Hostile sexist attitudes include the idea that women are inferior to men. Men who score high on measures of hostile sexism more strongly agree with statements such as “Once a woman gets a man to commit to her, she usually tries to put him on a tight leash," or “Women seek to gain power by getting control over men." 
 
 Benevolent sexism is characterized by protective paternalism and complementary differentiation, and support for statements such as “Women should be cherished and protected by men." 
 
 Writing in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the researchers argued that other variables cannot fully explain away the relationship between hirsuteness and sexism. According to co-authors Julian Oldmeadow and Barnaby Dixson: 
 
 “After controlling for nationality, age, level, relationship status, and , men with facial hair scored significantly higher on hostile sexism than clean shaven men. Furthermore, hostile sexist attitudes and nationality were the only significant predictors of whether or not men chose to grow facial hair." 
 
 Indian men in the participant group, 86% of whom had facial hair, scored higher on sexism than American men (65% of whom had facial hair). Higher levels of education were associated with more benevolent sexism but less hostile sexism. 
 
 A Mask of Masculinity 
 
 The researchers speculate that men who already hold sexist views may choose to grow out their beards because a hairy face highlights the differences between the sexes: “Facial hair may appeal to hostile sexist males because it maximizes facial masculinity and augments perceived dominance." Previous research has shown that men driven to develop a more muscular physique also hold more sexist attitudes. 
 
 Another possibility is that wearing facial hair causes men to adopt sexist attitudes. In studies, bearded men are generally rated as more masculine, mature, dominant, and aggressive. These social perceptions may lead men with beards to behave according to established masculine norms, and more readily endorse hostile sexist attitudes. 
 
 Dixson’s previous research on male facial hair has shown that men who are clean-shaven or who wear light stubble are considered more attractive than men with beards, and that the current trend for bushy or “hipster” beards may be on the way out due to “negative-frequency-dependent sexual selection,” which describes how traits can plummet in appeal when we encounter them more often. 
 
 Support Rob at patreon.com/psychology and receive bonus podcasts and blogs. ||||| Bearded men are more likely to be sexist, research has claimed. 
 
 The Australian study interviewed more than 500 men aged 18 to 72, who were divided into facial hair categories (from clean shaven to sporting impressive beards), on their attitudes towards women. 
 
 Researchers found men with facial hair – of any length – were more likely to agree with hostile sexist statements. Around seven out of 10 men participating in the survey had a form of beard or stubble. 
 
 Sexist statements were differentiated by researchers into hostile and benevolent. The hostile statements include derogatory remarks patriarchal views, for example the view women perceive innocent remarks as being sexist. 
 
 Benevolent sexism included actions such as opening doors and insisting on paying for dinner. 
 
 Only a third of the men interviewed did not express some kind of sexist statement, according to the research published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour (CORR). 
 
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 Julian Oldmeadow, one of the researchers from the Swinbourne University of Technology, hypnotised beards appealed to “hostile sexist men” as facial hair was perceived symbol of masculinity and dominance. 
 
 “Men holding more patriarchal views may be inclined to reinforce their masculinity and dominance by growing facial hair,” he added. ||||| Abstract 
 
 Facial hair, like many masculine secondary sexual traits, plays a significant role in perceptions of an array of sociosexual traits in men. While there is consensus that beards enhance perceptions of masculinity, age, social dominance, and aggressiveness, the perceived attractiveness of facial hair varies greatly across women. Given the ease with which facial hair can be groomed and removed entirely, why should some men retain beards and others choose to remove them? We hypothesized that men with relatively sexist attitudes would be more likely to allow their facial hair to grow than men with less sexist attitudes. Men from the USA (n = 223) and India (n = 309) completed an online survey measuring demographic variables, ambivalent sexism, and facial hair status. After controlling for demographic variables, men with facial hair were significantly higher in hostile sexism than clean-shaven men; hostile sexism was a significant predictor of facial hair status over and above demographic variables; and facial hair was more frequent among ambivalent and hostile sexists than among benevolent and non-sexists. It is suggested that sexist men choose to grow facial hair because it maximizes sexual dimorphism and augments perceived masculinity and dominance.
– A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found men with beards—or any other type of facial hair—were more likely to hold sexist attitudes. Australian researchers gave online surveys to more than 500 men between the ages of 18 and 72 from the US and India, Psychology Today reports. After controlling for everything from nationality to education level to sexual orientation, researchers found men with any type of facial hair scored "significantly higher" in hostile sexism. A hostile sexist would agree with statements such as "Women are inferior to men" and "Women want to keep men on a leash," per Psychology Today. That's opposed to a benevolent sexist, who would agree with statements such as "Women should be protected" and "Men should always pay for dinner." Researchers found no connection between beards and benevolent sexism. Researcher Julian Oldmeadow theorizes "hostile sexist men" grow beards because of what they represent, the Independent reports. “Men holding more patriarchal views may be inclined to reinforce their masculinity and dominance by growing facial hair,” he says. Only one-third of respondents in the study didn't express any sexist attitudes. (But how sexist are men who get a beard transplant?)