India, Jan. 20 -- Coined in the 1980s, the term 'toxic masculinity' proposes the idea that some human traits that are deemed stereotypically 'masculine' can have a negative impact on society. Such traits include dominance and aggression, and in the present day, appear in the form of a wide range of behaviours which include sexual violence, homophobia, or even refusal to do household chores.

While social scientists have long studied how gender-based expectations can affect men, the term 'toxic masculinity' itself did not receive much attention. As Steven Sanders, psychology researcher at Oregon State University in Corvallis, puts it, "Nobody measures it."

To address the lack of quantitative data in the study of the term, Sander and his c...