The UK, for instance, has been more accepting of homosexuals than the US since the late 1990s. It's entirely possible that America's gender norms are different. It's unclear how much these self-reports can be relied on, especially given the small sample size.Īnother limitation is the study looked exclusively at British youth. It's possible many of these students misled the researchers, perhaps by misidentifying their sexuality, misrepresenting events, or even outright pranking the researchers. The study also relied entirely on self-reporting. This focused sample allowed the researchers to carefully interview this specific group of British men, but, as a result of that focus, it's unclear if the findings apply to a broader, bigger population. And these students were hand-picked by the researchers, so the results weren't randomized (the golden standard for research). Not only did researchers only interview a small sample of 40 people, but they focused on a very narrow demographic of men: 18-to-19 student athletes from a British university. The study's sample was definitely limited.
It's unclear if the findings apply to a broader, bigger population Still, the findings don't apply to everyone One of these three respondents even suggested that it would be nice to cuddle or spoon with another man. The three students who said they had not cuddled or spooned with another man also said they didn't stigmatize the acts. The students instead explained that they broke the resulting tension and awkwardness by joking around, which the researchers noted as a historically common reaction to awkward sexual tensions between straight men. Timothy Clary / AFPĮven early-morning erections weren't looked down on by respondents. Researchers found that some respondents cuddled and spooned quite frequently, and there seemed to be little correlation between social hierarchies and which position someone took while spooning.Īn artist's rendition of a spooning couple. The students also said they engage in spooning, when one partner holds another from behind as they lie down. Other respondents seemed fairly enthused about cuddling, as well: "I love a quick cuddle, just so you remember your friends are about and are there for you." We have a bromance where we are very comfortable around each other." The way I see it, is that we are all very good and close mates. "I happily rest my head on Connor's shoulder when lying on the couch or hold him in bed. "I feel comfortable with Connor and we spend a lot of time together," one respondent explained. Thirty-seven of 40 respondents also said they previously cuddled with another man. " But all 40 athletes explained that there was no stigma to sharing a bed with another man, even if the other man wasn't a particularly close friend.
The one remaining student said he didn't remember if he had before: "I might have been pissed. Of the 40 men interviewed, 39 said they have shared a bed with another man at least once since attending university. "We have a bromance where we are very comfortable around each other"
The study looked at three main topics: bed sharing, cuddling, and spooning. It turns out some straight men really like cuddling with each other What the researchers found was a bit surprising: the men said they were okay with man-on-man cuddling and spooning, and nearly 93 percent claimed to have done it before. The men said they were okay with man-on-man cuddling and spooning The researchers figured that, if gender norms are changing, more straight men will say they're okay with cuddling and spooning with another man. To prove it, they talked to 40 straight male athletes aged 18 and 19, which the study labels the typical arbiters of masculinity, to see if they've ever cuddled and spooned with another man before.
But are public attitudes on broader gender and sexual identity issues changing as well?īritish researchers hypothesized that yes, gender boundaries are expanding. Society is more accepting of same-sex marriage.