Gender-related Personality Traits Research Articles

Masculine gender-related personality traits and acquired capability for suicide

In most countries, substantially more men than women die by suicide, implicating masculine gender-related personality (MGP) traits as a risk factor for suicide. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide posits that acquired capability for suicide (ACS) is needed to end one’s life. To investigate MGP traits and ACS, college students (N = 149) completed measures of stoicism, sensation seeking, physical aggression, and ACS. For both genders, most MGP traits were associated with increased ACS. Physical aggression mediated relations between both stoicism and sensation seeking and ACS, but gender did not moderate these associations, suggesting similar patterns for men and women.

Agency and Relationship Dissatisfaction Associated with Orthorexia Symptomatology

This study explored whether orthorexia symptomatology is linked to gender-related personality traits and to levels of satisfaction in one’s romantic relationships. Undergraduate students (418 women, 98 men) completed an online survey with measures to assess orthorexia symptomatology, agency, unmitigated agency, communion, unmitigated communion, and relationship satisfaction. Orthorexia symptomatology was positively correlated with levels of agency (r = 0.18; p < 0.001), but it was unrelated to unmitigated agency (p = 0.51), communion (p = 0.76), unmitigated communion (p = 0.17), and relationship status (p = 0.99). Among the participants who were in a committed relationship, symptomatology was negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction (p = 0.01), and this correlation was most pronounced for those with higher levels of unmitigated agency (p = 0.01). Orthorexia is associated with the agency personality trait, indicative of one’s need to be independent and to achieve personal accomplishments. However, particularly for those individuals whose agency becomes unmitigated, characterized by selfishness and avoidance of others, orthorexia symptomatology predicts significant dissatisfaction in romantic relationships.

Gender-related personality traits, self-efficacy, and social support: How do they relate to women’s waist circumference change?

This study investigated whether gender-role related traits agency and communion contribute to successful health behavior change, in an interplay with domain-specific psychosocial factors, namely, agency, mediated by health-related self-efficacy, and communion, moderated by social support. Data from women (N = 282) participating in the GOAL Lifestyle Implementation Trial were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Agency and increase in self-efficacy both independently predicted waist circumference reduction in the 1-year follow-up. Individuals high in communion succeeded in waist reduction only if they received social support. Initial self-efficacy increase predicted 3-year waist reduction. Gender-role orientation, together with social environment, influences behavior change intervention outcomes.

An Integrated Model of Gay Men’s Depressive Symptoms

A model of depressive symptoms in gay men is tested that links gender-related personality traits (agency and unmitigated communion) to peer harassment, self-discrepancies in agency, and cold-submissive interpersonal behavior, all of which were reported in previous research to contribute to depression. A sample of 510 gay men was recruited through the Internet. The integrated model was tested using half of the sample and validated with the other half. Significant zero order correlations between the gender-related personality traits and depressive symptoms were mediated by unassured-submissive behavior and self-discrepancies in agency. Recalled peer harassment was linked directly with depressive symptoms and indirectly through unassured-submissive interpersonal behavior.

Resilience in Young Adulthood: The Moderating Influences of Gender-related Personality Traits and Coping Flexibility

The study was designated to explore the resilient (moderating) influences of gender-related personality traits and coping flexibility on the relations between life event stress and psychosocial adjustment in a sample of 291 Chinese young adults. Multiple outcomes (i.e., psychological, physical, and interpersonal aspects of adjustments) were separately examined with regression analysis. The interaction effects explained 5% of the unique variance in the psychological distress model and 4% of the unique variance in the interpersonal functioning model beyond the main effects. Coping flexibility tended to reduce the associations between life event stress and depression. Furthermore, masculinity buffered the link between life event stress and interpersonal functioning. The three-way interaction masculinity × femininity × stress also predicted additional unique variance in interpersonal functioning, which indicates that non-gender-typed respondents showed greater resilience to recent life stress than did their gender-typed counterparts. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The Relationships Between Hypergender, Gender, and Psychological Adjustment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the constructs of hypermasculinity and hyperfemininity correlate with gender-related individual differences in agency, communion, and occupational interests over and above hypergender’s hypothesized associations with psychological symptomatology. Hypermasculinity and hyperfemininity were significantly related to overall symptomatology. Only hyperfemininity was significantly related to one measure of gender-related personality traits (i.e., communion). Exploratory analyses revealed various relationships between gender measures and relative scores of psychological symptomatology. Overall, results indicated that hypergender may represent an independent domain of gender and may be especially useful in delineating the relationships between gender and psychological well-being.

Finger lengths, 2D:4D ratios, and their relation to gender-related personality traits and the Big Five

Finger lengths and the ratio of index finger to ring finger length (2D:4D) may be markers of gonadal hormone exposure. The current study investigated possible associations between absolute finger lengths, 2D:4D ratios, and gender-related personality traits in over 2000 participants. Regression analyses showed no associations between men's 2D:4D ratios and gender-related personality traits and weak associations between women's 2D:4D ratios and gender-related occupational preferences. Men's absolute finger lengths were weakly associated with self-ascribed masculinity, and women's absolute finger lengths were weakly associated with masculine occupational preferences. Big Five personality traits were assessed in a subsample of over 1000 participants. Analyses showed a weak positive association between 2D:4D and extraversion and a weak negative association between 2D:4D and openness to experience. Absolute finger lengths showed a weak negative association with agreeableness and a tendency to be associated with women's but not men's openness. Overall, associations between finger-length measures and personality were weak and inconsistent.

Handedness, sexual orientation, and gender-related personality traits in men and women.

This study assessed large numbers of heterosexual and homosexual men and women on handedness and gender-related personality traits. Initial analyses employed a dichotomous measure of handedness (right-handed vs. non-right-handed). For men and women combined, homosexual participants had 50% greater odds of being non-right-handed than heterosexual participants, a statistically significant difference. Homosexual men had 82% greater odds of being non-right-handed than heterosexual men, a statistically significant difference, whereas homosexual women had 22% greater odds of being non-right-handed than heterosexual women, a nonsignificant difference. When participants were classified into five graduated categories of handedness, both men and women showed significant homosexual-heterosexual differences in handedness distributions. Within groups, handedness showed a number of weak but statistically significant associations with sex-typed occupational preferences, self-ascribed masculinity, and self-ascribed femininity, but not with instrumentality or expressiveness. Rates of non-right-handedness were virtually identical for heterosexual men and women, suggesting that sex differences in handedness may result from higher rates of homosexuality in men.

Does gender role socialization mediate sex differences in mental rotations?

Prior research has shown strong sex differences in spatial ability and some researchers have argued that gender role socialization (i.e. the degree to which men and women internalize gender-related personality traits or act in gender-typed ways) mediates this relationship. This study provides a direct examination of the extent to which trait and behavioural components of gender role socialization mediate sex differences in spatial ability. The results of two path analyses show that, while sex is a significant predictor of spatial ability, only agentic personality traits significantly mediated that relationship.

Does Culture Moderate the Relationship Between Sexual Orientation and Gender-Related Personality Traits?

Do cultural factors moderate the relationship between sexual orientation and gender-related personality traits? To answer this question, the authors assessed gender-related traits in 90 gay men, 82 lesbians, 71 heterosexual men, and 95 heterosexual women from three cultural groups: Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and White Americans. Among the gender-related traits measured were gender diagnosticity (GD), which assesses maleversus female-typicality of occupational and hobby preferences; self-ascribed masculinity and femininity; masculine instrumentality; and feminine expressiveness. We found strong homosexual-heterosexual differences on GD measures, moderate to strong differences in self-ascribed masculinity and femininity, and weak and inconsistent differences on instrumentality and expressiveness. Participants from traditional, gender-polarized cultures (Asians and Hispanics) tended to show larger heterosexual-homosexual differences in gender-related traits than participants from a nontraditional and gendernonpolarized culture (American Whites).

Endorsements by Mexican-Americans of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory: Cross-Ethnic Comparison

Gender-related personality traits among Mexican-American men and women were examined. The sample consisted of 307 Mexican-Americans (150 women, 157 men) in a predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American community in South Texas. Mexican-American men scored significantly higher than the women on eight masculine items, whereas Mexican-American women scored higher than the men on four feminine items. A comparison between the scores of Mexican-Americans on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory with those of the original sample in the inventory's manual showed that the scores for the Masculinity and Femininity subscales for both Mexican-American men and women were not significantly different from those of the original sample. A significant difference, however, was found on some of the items of the inventory. Analysis also indicated that more Mexican-American men were categorized as Feminine and Androgynous than were non-Hispanic Euro-American males in the original sample. Among Mexican-American women there were more individuals classified as Masculine and Undifferentiated and a lower percentage as Feminine than among the original sample. Implications and recommendations based on the results are discussed.

Role of sexual orientation and gender-related traits in disordered eating.

This study was designed to examine the role of both sexual orientation and gender-related personality traits in disordered eating attitudes and behavior, including body dissatisfaction. Self-report measures assessing negative and positive gender traits,body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, dietary restraint, and bulimic symptoms were administered to 266 participants (64 lesbians, 73 heterosexual women, 69 gay men, and 60 heterosexual men; 85% Anglo-Australian Caucasians, 15% Caucasians from Non-English-speaking backgrounds). Consistent with previous research, gay men scored significantly higher than heterosexual men on body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint, whereas lesbians scored significantly lower in comparison to the heterosexual women on body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, dietary restraint, and bulimia. For men, the additional amount of variance accounted by the gender traits was significantly higher than that accounted for by sexual orientation. For the women, the gender traits also accounted for an additional significant amount of variance; however, overall the amount of variance accounted for by sexual orientation was greater. However, for both men and women, irrespective of their sexual orientation, it was higher scores on negative femininity that predicted higher levels of disordered eating. These results are consistent with previous studies that have found support for the femininity hypothesis in disordered eating.

Role of gender-related personality traits, problem-solving appraisal, and perceived social support in developing a mediational model of psychological adjustment.

This study examined the relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment. The study used structural equation modeling with latent variables to assess how gender-related personality traits influence aspects of psychological adjustment. Participants included 306 undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that the different gender-related personality traits influence corresponding aspects of psychological adjustment through 2 mediational components: problem-solving appraisal and perceived social support. The relation between gender-related personality traits and psychological adjustment is not simply a linear one as conceptualize d previously. Rather, gender-related personality traits have an indirect effect through mediating factors. Implications for counseling interventions and for further research are discussed.

Role of gender-related personality traits, problem-solving appraisal, and perceived social support in developing a mediational model of psychological adjustment.

Role of gender-related personality traits, problem-solving appraisal, and perceived social support in developing a mediational model of psychological adjustment.

Linking personal values to gender

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relation between personal values and aspects of gender. Study 1 used the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) to examine the nature of stereotypes concerning the values of the “typical man” and the “typical woman”. Results supported the hypothesis that men are viewed as more likely to endorse agentic values, such as freedom and accomplishment, whereas women are viewed as more likely to endorse communal values, such as friendship and equality. Study 2 assessed men and women's possession of stereotypic sets of masculine and feminine values, using the RVS, and examined their relation to gender-related personality traits, gender-related interests and role behaviors, and global self-perceptions of masculinity and femininity. Masculine values were found to be significantly related to socially desirable masculine traits, socially undesirable masculine traits, masculine interests and a global self-concept of masculinity. Feminine values were shown to be significantly related to socially desirable feminine traits, feminine interests, feminine role behaviors, and a global self-concept of femininity. These results suggest that gender-linked personal values merit inclusion with traits, interests, role behaviors, and global self-concepts as part of an emerging multidimensional conception of gender characteristics.

Gender-related personality traits and ego development: Differential patterns for men and women

Two studies were designed to test the hypothesis that enhanced ego level affords the capacity to express those gender-related traits stereotypical for the opposite sex. In Study 1, 209 white male and female college students completed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test, a semiprojective measure of ego development. Analyses revealed that for women, instrumentality was related to ego development; for men, expressiveness was associated with ego level. Study 2 further tested this hypothesis using a more heterogeneous sample and several alternative measures of gender-related traits, including the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Nontraditional gender role traits and ideals (masculinity for females, femininity for males) were associated with higher levels of ego development. Implications of the findings for ego development theory are discussed.

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Bem Sex Role Inventory: Old questions, new answers

LISREL analyses of data from a sample of 671 adults (90% Caucasian, 10% Black) evaluated (a) item factor structure of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), (b) second-order factor model for the item factors, and (c) structural equation models estimating age and gender differences in these factors. Seven first-order item factors were extracted and found to have equivalent factor loadings for males and females. Item factors were related to two second-order factors: Masculinity and Femininity. There were relatively small age and gender differences in the first- and second-order factors. There was a differential relationship between self-rated masculinity and femininity and the first-order BSRI item factors for males and females. Results suggest that the BSRI best assesses gender-related personality traits and represents only one component of the complex multidimensional construct of gender roles.

Gender-related traits and gender ideology: Evidence for a multifactorial theory.

Male (n = 95) and female (n = 221) college students were given 2 measures of gender-related personality traits, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and 3 measures of sex role attitudes. Correlations between the personality and the attitude measures were traced to responses to the pair of negatively correlated BSRI items, masculine and feminine, thus confirming a multifactorial approach to gender, as opposed to a unifactorial gender schema theory.

Gender-related traits and gender ideology: evidence for a multifactorial theory.

Male (n = 95) and female (n = 221) college students were given 2 measures of gender-related personality traits, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and 3 measures of sex role attitudes. Correlations between the personality and the attitude measures were traced to responses to the pair of negatively correlated BSRI items, masculine and feminine, thus confirming a multifactorial approach to gender, as opposed to a unifactorial gender schema theory.

Relationship between masculinity and feminity in drinking in alcohol-related behavior in a general population sample

The relationship between gender-related personality traits, on one hand and drinking, permissiveness towards drinking, and social as well as personal problems associated to drinking on the other, was studied in a general population sample from the City of Morelia, Mexico. Four gender-related traits scales were used for measuring assertive and aggressive masculinity and affective and submissive feminity, in addition to a standardized questionnaire for assessing drinking and other associated behavior. Some of the main results showed that people with high scores in affective feminity were less willing to allow drinking. Men who adopted a submissive feminine role and women with high masculine aggressive scores were more permissive as regards drinking. Among men, assertive masculine and affective feminine traits were more characteristic among those who drank than among abtainers. Drinking among women was related to liberal attitudes towards drinking and to aggressive masculinity. As regards the number of drinks consumed per month, assertive masculinity and liberal attitudes among men and affective feminity and liberal attitudes among women predicted the number of drinks. Affective feminity was negatively related to drinking. Regarding drinking-associated problems, frequency of drunkenness and submissive feminity among males predicted greater personal and social problems. Among women, drunkenness frequency and number of drinks were the most significant predictors. Contrary to what has been found in other countries, gender was a better drinking predictor than gender-related personality traits.