Does Gender Identity Predict Changes in Self-Esteem and Depression?

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Sex, Gender

Abstract

Gender identity is a multi-dimensional construct. During middle childhood, within-gender typicality, gender contentedness, and felt pressure for gender conformity become increasingly important for children’s adjustment (Egan & Perry, 2001). Within-gender typicality is the degree to which adolescents feel like typical members of their own sex and gender contentedness is the degree to which adolescents are satisfied with their own gender assignment (Lesane et al., 2019). Felt pressure for gender conformity is a societal pressure for an adolescent to regulate themselves according to gender standards (Tobin et al., 2010). Studies have indicated that felt gender compatibility (typicality and contentedness) is positively related to adjustment, whereas felt pressure is negatively associated with adjustment (e.g., Egan & Perry, 2001). In our study we examined the role that gender and grade may have on qualifying associations between dimensions of gender identity and two indexes of adjustment: depression and self-esteem. Our study included 195 students in grades four to seven (101 boys; mean age = 10 years) in a southeastern middle school. Participating adolescents reported on their within-gender typicality, gender contentedness, felt pressure for gender conformity, self-esteem, and depression in the Fall of their school year. Correlations with gender indicated that boys are more likely to feel like typical members of their own gender than are girls. In addition, boys report feeling more pressure to avoid cross-gendered behaviors than girls. Zero-order correlations also indicated that higher levels of within-gender typicality is associated with greater self-esteem and less depression. Higher levels of gender contentedness are associated with higher levels of self-esteem but are unrelated to depression. Felt pressure was unrelated to either index of adjustment. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted in which either depression or self-esteem served as the dependent variable. In each analysis, sex, grade, within-gender typicality, gender contentedness, and felt pressure for gender conformity served as our independent variables on the first step. On the second step, interactions with sex or grade were evaluated. Our results indicate that children who feel like typical members of their own gender are less depressed. This effect held for both boys and girls and for older and younger children. Our results also indicate that higher levels of within-gender typicality and gender contentedness predict higher levels of self-esteem. However, the association between within-gender typicality and self-esteem were qualified by sex, indicating that gender typicality was associated with greater self-esteem for boys (b = .28, p < .001) but not girls (b = .06, p = .33). Surprisingly, and in contrast to prior research (Egan & Perry, 2001), felt pressure for gender conformity failed to independently predict either depression or self-esteem. More generally, the adjustment correlates of gender identity were more similar for younger and older children as well as for boys and girls than they were different. That gender typicality was a boon to boys’, but not girls’, self-esteem may be due to differences in associated competencies attributed by each gender toward their own collective.

Authors

• Megan DiCosta, St. John's University
  Presenting Author

• Omayra Reynoso, St. John's University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stacy Bauer, St. John's University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anthony Day, St. John's University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Laura Cyran, St. John’s University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ernest V. E. Hodges, St. John's University
  Non-Presenting Author