Gender role and psychological adjustment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gender Studies
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Psychological adjustment is crucial for well-being.
• Gender roles influence psychological adjustment.
• Existing gender role classification systems vary in effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between gender roles and psychological adjustment in university students.
• To compare the efficacy of the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Spence et al. system in classifying gender roles.
• To determine if feminine individuals exhibit different psychological adjustment levels.

Main Methods:

• Administered a three-part questionnaire to 366 university students (158 males, 208 females).
• Assessed psychological adjustment using Eysenck's Neuroticism Scale and Lanyon's Alienation Scale.
• Assessed gender roles using Bem's Sex Role Inventory and scored androgyny using both Bem (1974) and Spence et al. (1975) systems.

Main Results:

• Feminine individuals, irrespective of biological sex or classification system, reported lower psychological adjustment scores.
• This finding was particularly significant for male participants.
• The Spence et al. system demonstrated greater predictive power for classifying individuals compared to the Bem system.

Conclusions:

• Gender role identification, particularly femininity, is associated with poorer psychological adjustment, especially in males.
• The Spence et al. system offers a more robust framework for gender role classification and its relationship to psychological adjustment.
• Further research is warranted to explore the nuances of gender roles and mental health outcomes.