Gender differences in self-consistency: Evidence from an investigation of self-concept structure

This study investigates the relationship between two primary motivational components of the self-concept: self-esteem and self-consistency. Past research has shown that high self-esteem is associated with greater consistency. Developed from theories of the self-concept, a structural model relating these two constructs was posited such that (1) self-esteem is causally prior to self-consistency, and (2) the effect of self-esteem is (at least partially) mediated by other components of the self-concept (self-consciousness, the tendency to fantasize, and the tendency to present a false front by hiding one's feelings). Utilizing a structural equation model with unobserved variables, an analysis of covariance structures was applied simultaneously but separately to data from a sample of boys and girls (ages 8-19). Results showed that the direct effect of self-esteem on self-consistency was stronger for boys than for girls. Further, the mediational properties of the other self-concept components also varied across gender. These differences are interpreted in light of theories of gender socialization.