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Sociotropy, autonomy, and masculinity/femininity: implications for vulnerability to depression
Jody L Newman1, Elizabeth A Gray, Dale R Fuqua
1Department of Educational Psychology, 820 Van Vleet Oval, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-2041, USA. jlnewman@ou.edu
Psychological Reports
|July 21, 2009
Summary
Sociotropy, related to femininity, and autonomy, related to masculinity, show overlap with sex-role orientation. Women scored higher in sociotropy than men, suggesting links between depression vulnerability and gender roles.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Sociotropy and autonomy are personality traits linked to vulnerability to depression.
- Sex-role orientation describes an individual's identification with masculine or feminine traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sociotropy, autonomy, and sex-role orientation.
- To determine if personality dimensions of sociotropy and autonomy overlap with masculine and feminine sex-role orientations.
Main Methods:
- Examined Beck's Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale in relation to 6 sex-role orientation measures.
- Utilized principal axis factor analysis on data from 153 undergraduate students (95 women, 58 men).
Main Results:
- Sociotropy strongly correlated with the feminine factor, while autonomy strongly correlated with the masculine factor.
- Women scored significantly higher on sociotropy than men; no significant difference in autonomy scores.
- Factor analysis identified distinct masculine and feminine factors in sex-role orientation.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a definitional overlap between sociotropy, autonomy, and sex-role orientation.
- These personality traits may be intertwined with gender role identification.
- Potential implications for understanding depression vulnerability in relation to gender.
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