Gender Role Variables Research Articles

The mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of restrictive emotionality in gender role discrepancy and depression

Masculine gender role discrepancy is men's perception of themselves as people who fail to conform to traditional masculine norms. There is solid scientific evidence that gender role discrepancy is related to grave mental health outcomes such as depression. Yet, the mechanisms that explicate the relationship between masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine depression remain unclear. As individual differences in men are suggested to be associated with depression, the current study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of restrictive emotionality in the association between masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine depression.For the purpose of the current study, a structured questionnaire was distributed through online means, resulting in a sample of 954 men aged 18 and older. The results revealed that self-compassion partially mediates the relationship between gender role discrepancy and masculine depression. Moreover, a positive effect of gender role discrepancy on masculine depression was found to be more pronounced at higher levels of restrictive emotionality. The contemporary empirical evidence underscores the significance of individual variances in adhering to conventional masculine gender norms concerning the nexus between gender role discrepancy and masculine depression. Moreover, this research accentuates the salience of gender role matters in shaping the mental well-being of men.

Initial Test of a Model of Men’s Sexual Harassment Perpetration: Examining Indirect Effects of Social Dominance Orientation through Social Norms and Gender Role Discrepancy Stress

ABSTRACT Prior research is limited in the study of correspondence between online and in-person forms of sexual harassment (SH) among adult men as well as correlates of these behaviors. The present study assesses whether social dominance orientation (SDO; i.e., the tendency to reject equality and support hierarchy-legitimizing myths and behaviors) might be associated with increases in SH perpetration both online and in-person, perhaps through increases in perceived social support for SH and masculine gender role discrepancy stress. Among a sample of U.S. adult men (N = 167), results indicated that there were indirect effects of SDO on both in-person and online SH through increases in perceived social norms but not through masculine gender role discrepancy stress. A competing model, in which SDO mediates these associations, was not supported. Results support the use of social norms approaches to target perceived social norms, if these results are replicated within temporal designs.

Gender Role Discrepancy Stress and COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors Among Men in the United States.

To examine the associations between gender role discrepancy (non-conformity to socially prescribed masculine gender role norms) and discrepancy stress (distress arising from this discrepancy) on COVID-19 prevention behaviors among men, and the potential moderating effects of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and income on these relationships. A national online survey was conducted between May and June 2021. The United States. 749 adult men residing in the United States. A scale measured gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress. COVID-19 prevention outcomes were constructed and included self-reported vaccination status/intentions, social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand-sanitizing. Multivariate generalized linear models were performed in SPSS. Gender role discrepancy associated with greater odds of vaccination (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.02-1.78, P = .04), while discrepancy stress associated with lower odds of vaccination (AOR = .48, 95% CI = .35-.68, P < 0. 001) and mask-wearing (AOR = .54, 95% CI = .37-.79, P = .001) for men overall. Discrepancy stress's negative effect on specific COVID-19 prevention behaviors was only apparent or was amplified for men in lower income brackets (vaccination, social distancing, mask-wearing), racial/ethnic minority men (vaccination), and sexual minority men (social distancing). This study demonstrates that gender role discrepancy stress negatively affects men's engagement in COVID-19 prevention, particularly for men in marginalized populations.

Feminine Gender Role Discrepancy Strain and Women’s Self-Esteem in Daily and Weekly Life: A Person x Context Perspective

Social pressures to adhere to traditional feminine roles may place some women at risk of experiencing gender role discrepancy strain, when they behave, think, or feel in ways discrepant from feminine gender role expectations. The current research examines how person-level propensity to experience feminine gender-role discrepancy strain—feminine gender role stress (FGRS)—and contextual experiences of discrepancy strain—feeling less feminine in daily or weekly life—combine to undermine women’s self-esteem. After completing measures of FGRS, undergraduate women reported their feelings of femininity and self-esteem each day for 10 days (Study 1, N = 207, 1,881 daily records) or each week for 7 weeks (Study 2, N = 165, 1,127 weekly records). This repeated assessments design provided the first tests of whether within-person decreases in felt-femininity were associated with lower self-esteem, particularly for women who were higher in FGRS. Both higher FGRS and within-person decreases in daily/weekly felt-femininity were associated with lower self-esteem, but higher FGRS combined with daily/weekly decreases in felt-femininity predicted the lowest self-esteem (a person x context interaction). These results illustrate the importance of considering how person-level predispositions and contextual experiences of gender-role discrepancy strain combine to influence self-relevant outcomes for women.

Gender Role Discrepancy, Discrepancy Stress, and Family Resilience of Minangkabau Family

Family resilience is an important ability for family in facing various challenges throughout the lifespan. The study about family resilience of Minangkabau ethnic people needs further exploration due to the increase in divorce rate in the last three years, indicating that these families were not resilient. The cause of the divorce was related to matrilocal residency (husband lives in wife’s house after marriage). This residency has the potential to cause the intervention of the wife’s family to the relationship of husband and wife, therefore leading to the lack of authority in the husband's role. This condition poses a risk to husbands to experience gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress to family resilience by involving 139 Minangkabau men who lived in the wife’s family house around the age 18-50 years old. This study used a quantitative research method. Sampling technique used in this study was a purposive sampling technique. All data collected were analyzed by using multiple regression method. Results showed that gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress contributed significantly to family resilience by 10.5%. However, partial analysis showed that discrepancy stress alone did not contribute significantly to family resilience.

The relationships between masculine gender role discrepancy, discrepancy stress and men's health-related behavior

The current research aims to clarify relationships between masculine gender role discrepancy, discrepancy stress, and traditional masculine identity on men's self-reported health-related behaviors. Participants (n = 459 MAge = 34.07 [SD = 12.06]; 56.6% UK, 29.4% US, 14% Canada) recruited through Prolific Academic completed a 2-part study, which temporally separated predictor from criterion measurement. Overall, discrepancy stress negatively mediated the relationship between masculine gender role discrepancy and health behaviors including taking proactive health and safety measures, engaging in healthy social relationships, and engaging in healthy stress management practices. Higher discrepancy stress resulted in fewer positive health-related behaviors. Additionally, discrepancy stress positively mediated the relationship between masculine gender role discrepancy and deleterious mental health outcomes, wherein higher discrepancy stress resulted in more negative mental health experiences. Importantly, traditional masculinity ideology moderated these effects, such that men who were higher (vs. lower) on traditional masculinity ideology were less (vs. more) likely to report positive health-related behaviors, whereas men higher (vs. lower) on traditional masculinity ideology were more likely to report negative mental health outcomes. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Influence of Gender Roles and Coping Strategies to The Fishermen’s Family Happiness Index

Seasonal changes will have an impact on the lives of fishermen’s families, especially the economic sector. Changes in the sea and non-sea seasons have an impact on family cooperation in survival. These effects will be seen in the gender role of husband and wife in solving problems in fishermen’s families. This study aims to analyze the effect of gender roles and coping strategies on fishermen’s family happiness index. The study design used a cross-sectional study with interviews and questionnaire assistance. The research sample was selected by purposive sampling with respondents of 40 fishermen’s families in the Toboali District, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. The gender role variables, coping strategies, and fishermen’s family happiness index are in the medium category. There is a correlation between coping strategies with the happiness index of fishermen’s families. The number of family members shows a significant negative effect on the happiness index in the sea and non-sea seasons. Meanwhile, coping strategies present a significant positive effect on the happiness index of fishermen’s families in the sea and non-sea seasons.

Correlates of Men's Bystander Intervention to Prevent Sexual and Relationship Violence: The Role of Masculine Discrepancy Stress.

Extant literature suggests that men may be less likely than women to engage in prosocial bystander behavior to interrupt sexual and relationship violence. However, there has been little consideration of the influence of masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine discrepancy stress (i.e., stress that occurs when men perceive themselves as falling short of traditional gender norms) on men's bystander beliefs and behaviors. The current study fills an important gap in the literature by assessing the influence of masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine discrepancy stress on a range of prosocial bystander behaviors through their influence on the bystander decision-making process. Participants were 356 undergraduate men recruited from two different Southeastern U.S. universities who completed online surveys assessing self-perceptions of gender role discrepancy, consequent discrepancy stress, bystander decision-making, and bystander behavior in sexual and relationship violence contexts. Path models indicated significant conditional indirect effects of masculine gender role discrepancy on proactive bystander behaviors (i.e., behaviors related to making a plan in advance of being in a risky situation) and bystander behavior in drinking situations across levels of masculine discrepancy stress. Specifically, men who believed that they are less masculine than the typical man reported more pros to intervention in sexual and relationship violence than cons, and thus reported intervening more, but only if they were high in masculine discrepancy stress. Findings suggest that bystander intervention programs should explicitly address and challenge rigid expectations of what it means to be "manly" to transform gender expectations perpetuating sexual and relationship violence.

Gender Role in Household Food Access in Githunguri And Mwala Sub-Counties of Kenya

Food access is a critical concern for every household, community or government as it is a basic source for human energy to do work and for survival. Access to food is an essential component of good nutrition, health and well-being. Food access risks affecting households and mainly the poor arise from many sources. Knowledge of food access risk sources and coping strategies can contribute to forward planning to avert food security hazards. This study analyzed the extent of gender role difference in household food access and established the relationship between household food access and coping strategies employed during hazards. The study was carried out in high and medium potential livelihood zones of Githunguri and Mwala Sub-Counties respectively. Multistage sampling strategy was used to get the sample of 384 households. Face to face interviews using structured questionnaires were conducted. Two Focus Group Discussions of 10 persons each with balanced gender, were conducted. Five key informants per sub-county were also interviewed using key informant schedules. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistical data Package for Social Sciences Version 17. Chi-Square χ2 test results for variables in 24 out of 30 gender role variables indicated a p value less than the significance level (0.00 &lt;.05). The study therefore rejected the null hypothesis and concluded that there was significant difference in gender role based food access in male and female headed households in Githunguri and Mwala Sub-Counties. The study recommended two studies that include: (i) Determination of opportunities and constraints to optimal income generation for improved food access (ii) Opportunities and constraints to increased food production by gender hence food access.

Masculine discrepancy stress and psychosocial maladjustment: Implications for behavioral and mental health of adolescent boys.

Gender role discrepancy (GRD), or nonconformity to socially prescribed gender roles, has been linked to a multitude of adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Masculine discrepancy stress (MDS), stress about being perceived not to conform to one's gender role, may explain the relationship between GRD and deleterious health outcomes. However, research on MDS has primarily been restricted to adult males. This leaves a critical gap pertaining to the potential effect of MDS on adolescent boys, who may be more malleable and susceptible to the influence and pressures of gender socialization. In the current study, data are drawn from a sample of adolescent male students (N = 592) who completed self-report questionnaires. We employed structural equation modeling to test the effects of GRD and MDS on psychosocial maladjustment measured via sexual behavior, substance use, violence, mood disorder symptoms, and hopelessness. In addition, we controlled for critical risk factors including sociodemographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences, trauma symptoms, and neighborhood disorganization. Findings indicate significant potentiating effects of MDS on maladjustment while there were direct protective effects of GRD. These data suggest that developing prevention strategies that incorporate social norms pertaining to gender socialization may have an impact on multiple behavioral and mental health problems.

Masculine Discrepancy Stress and Psychosocial Maladjustment: Implications for Behavioral and Mental Health of Adolescent Boys.

Gender role discrepancy (GRD), or nonconformity to socially prescribed gender roles, has been linked to a multitude of adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Masculine discrepancy stress (MDS), stress about being perceived not to conform to one's gender role, may explain the relationship between GRD and deleterious health outcomes. However, research on MDS has primarily been restricted to adult males. This leaves a critical gap pertaining to the potential effect of MDS on adolescent boys, who may be more malleable and susceptible to the influence and pressures of gender socialization. In the current study, data are drawn from a sample of adolescent male students (N = 592) who completed self-report questionnaires. We employed structural equation modeling to test the effects of GRD and MDS on psychosocial maladjustment measured via sexual behavior, substance use, violence, mood disorder symptoms, and hopelessness. In addition, we controlled for critical risk factors including sociodemographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences, trauma symptoms, and neighborhood disorganization. Findings indicate significant potentiating effects of MDS on maladjustment while there were direct protective effects of GRD. These data suggest that developing prevention strategies that incorporate social norms pertaining to gender socialization may have an impact on multiple behavioral and mental health problems.

Feminine Discrepancy Stress and Psychosocial Maladjustment Among Adolescent Girls.

Discrepancy stress, stress about being perceived to not conform to one's gender role (i.e., gender role discrepancy), has demonstrated effects on risky sexual and violent behaviors. However, evidence of these effects has been limited to men and boys, neglecting the impact gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress may have on girls. In addition, no study to date, has assessed the mental health correlates of gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress. In the current study, we sought to elucidate the relationship between perceived feminine discrepancy and feminine discrepancy stress and psychosocial maladjustment while controlling for trauma symptoms stemming from the potential repercussions of feminine discrepancy. Maladjustment was measured by creating a second-order latent factor derived from four first-order latent constructs: sexual behavior, substance use, mood disorder symptoms, and hopelessness. Data are drawn from a cross-sectional sample of female students in middle and high school (N = 643) who completed self-report questionnaires. Using structural equation modeling, we found girls reporting feminine discrepancy (i.e., less feminine than the average girl) were more likely to report feminine discrepancy stress and trauma symptomatology. Controlling for feminine discrepancy and trauma symptoms, the relationship between discrepancy stress and maladjustment was positive and significant. Additionally, girls reporting feminine discrepancy scored higher on trauma symptomatology, and trauma demonstrated a strong direct effect on psychosocial maladjustment. These data suggest that developing trauma focused prevention strategies that incorporate social norms around gender socialization may have an impact on multiple behavioral and mental health problems.

Take it like a man: Gender-threatened men’s experience of gender role discrepancy, emotion activation, and pain tolerance.

Take it like a man: Gender-threatened men’s experience of gender role discrepancy, emotion activation, and pain tolerance.

Masculine Discrepancy Stress, Teen Dating Violence, and Sexual Violence Perpetration Among Adolescent Boys

PurposeAddressing gender norms is integral to understanding and ultimately preventing violence in both adolescent and adult intimate relationships. Males are affected by gender role expectations which require them to demonstrate attributes of strength, toughness, and dominance. Discrepancy stress is a form of gender role stress that occurs when boys and men fail to live up to the traditional gender norms set by society. Failure to live up to these gender role expectations may precipitate this experience of psychological distress in some males which, in turn, may increase the risk to engage in physically and sexually violent behaviors as a means of demonstrating masculinity. MethodsFive-hundred eighty-nine adolescent males from schools in Wayne County, Michigan completed a survey assessing self-perceptions of gender role discrepancy, the experience of discrepancy stress, and history of physical and sexual dating violence. ResultsLogistic regression analyses indicated boys who endorsed gender role discrepancy and associated discrepancy stress were generally at greater risk to engage in acts of sexual violence but not necessarily physical violence. ConclusionsBoys who experience stress about being perceived as “sub-masculine” may be more likely to engage in sexual violence as a means of demonstrating their masculinity to self and/or others and thwarting potential “threats” to their masculinity by dating partners. Efforts to prevent sexual violence perpetration among male adolescents should perhaps consider the influence of gender socialization in this population and include efforts to reduce distress about masculine socialization in primary prevention strategies.

Gender Role Discrepancy Stress, High-Risk Sexual Behavior, and Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in the United States. Traditionally, men have demonstrated much greater risk for contraction of and mortality from STDs perhaps because they tend to engage in a number of risky sexual activities. Research on masculinity suggests that gender roles influence males' sexual health by encouraging risk-taking behavior, discouraging access to health services, and narrowly defining their roles as partners. However, despite the propensity of highly masculine men to engage in high-risk sexual behavior, there is reason to suspect that men at the other end of the continuum may still be driven to engage in similar high-risk behaviors as a consequence of gender socialization. Discrepancy stress is a form of gender role stress that occurs when men fail to live up to the ideal manhood derived from societal prescriptions (i.e., Gender Role Discrepancy). In the present study, we surveyed a national sample of 600 men via Amazon Mechanical Turk to assess perceived gender role discrepancy, experience of discrepancy stress, and the associations with risky sexual behavior and potential contraction of STDs. Results indicated that men who believe they are less masculine than the typical man (i.e., gender role discrepancy) and experience distress stemming from this discrepancy (i.e., discrepancy stress) engage in high-risk sexual behavior and are subsequently diagnosed with more STDs. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for primary prevention strategies.

Masculine gender role discrepancy strain and self-esteem.

Masculine gender role discrepancy strain and self-esteem.

Man enough? Masculine discrepancy stress and intimate partner violence

Research on gender roles suggests that men who strongly adhere to traditional masculine gender norms are at increased risk for the perpetration of violent and abusive acts toward their female intimate partners. Yet, gender norms alone fail to provide a comprehensive explanation of the multifaceted construct of intimate partner violence (IPV) and there is theoretical reason to suspect that men who fail to conform to masculine roles may equally be at risk for IPV. In the present study, we assessed effect of masculine discrepancy stress, a form of distress arising from perceived failure to conform to socially-prescribed masculine gender role norms, on IPV. Six-hundred men completed online surveys assessing their experience of discrepancy stress, masculine gender role norms, and history of IPV. Results indicated that masculine discrepancy stress significantly predicted men’s historical perpetration of IPV independent of other masculinity related variables. Findings are discussed in terms of potential distress engendered by masculine socialization as well as putative implications of gender role discrepancy stress for understanding and intervening in partner violence perpetrated by men.

The Relationship Between Gender Role Conflict and Condom Use Among Black MSM

Gender role conflict may influence condom use among black MSM. We examined relationships between the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), social/demographic variables and condom use among 456 black MSM. Higher total GRCS scores did not predict unprotected insertive anal intercourse (UIAI) or unprotected receptive anal intercourse (URAI) with men, but were associated with unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse (UVI/UAI) with women among bisexually active participants (n=69). Higher perceived HIV risk reduced the likelihood of both UIAI and URAI with men. Internet recruitment venues, sexual discrimination experiences, higher numbers of sex partners and UVI/UAI with women all increased the likelihood of UIAI with men, while education (college/technical school or college degree) was associated with URAI with men. Future sexual health interventions for black MSM should emphasize broader social/demographic and alternative gender role variables with male sexual partners, while traditional GRCS variables may prove useful among those with female sexual partners.

Gender roles in persistent sex differences in health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease

The increased recognition of significant sex/gender differences in health status outcomes, and the implications for clinical practice and service delivery, has led to calls for more gender sensitivity and specificity in research endeavors as well as within clinical practice. Previous investigations by our research group have consistently identified important sex differences in both changes in health status from baseline to 1 year and in health status outcomes of patients treated for coronary artery disease (CAD), with women reporting poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared with men. The objective of this study was to examine whether persistent sex differences in the health status of patients with CAD may be attributed to social factors such as gender roles. Sex differences in baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of patients who completed the 1-year follow-up survey were examined using t tests and χ(2) analyses. Structural equation modeling, an inclusive statistical modeling approach for testing hypotheses about relationships among measured and latent variables (concepts not observed or measured directly), was used to test our theoretical model. HRQoL data were collected on 2403 patients 1 year after index catheterization. The results indicated that the model fit was substantially improved by the addition of the conceptualized gender-role variable. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of gender role on QoL (-0.106; P < 0.05). Age, coronary anatomy, ejection fraction, physical limitation, anginal frequency, and gender role variables in this model were able to explain 51% of the variance in HRQoL. In particular, reported physical limitations, anginal frequency, and gender role had large statistically significant direct effects on HRQoL. Advances in the treatment of CAD have led to significant decreases in mortality rates. Our current challenge is to minimize the long-term impact of CAD on HRQoL outcomes. While a substantial body of literature has examined the correlations between gender-role attributes and a wide variety of both positive and negative outcomes, this area has not been explored in patients with cardiovascular disease. These findings suggest that further study of the influence of gender role (using a gender-role measurement) on HRQoL is needed.

Depression in Latino adolescents: A cultural discrepancy perspective.

Latino adolescents report high levels of depression compared to other youth, yet little is known about how culture-specific factors contribute to risk (Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, & Swartz, 1994; Roberts, Roberts, & Chen, 1997; Roberts & Sobhan, 1992; Twenge & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2002). In this study we evaluated the link between cultural discrepancy (i.e., perceived acculturation and gender role disparity between children and their parents) and depression among children of Latino immigrants. Compared to boys, Latina adolescents reported greater differences in traditional gender role beliefs between themselves and their parents and higher levels of depression. Gender role discrepancy was associated with higher youth depression, with this relationship mediated by increases in family dysfunction. Moreover, a moderator analysis suggested that gender role discrepancy effects may be most pronounced for Latina adolescents. Gender role discrepancy was associated with poorer family functioning for girls but not for boys, although the interaction effect was only marginally significant. These preliminary results point to the importance of considering cultural discrepancy as a contributing factor to youth depression.