GENDER DIFFERENCES IN IDIOSYNCRATIC SEX-TYPED SELF-IMAGES AND SELF-ESTEEM

The present study focused on the relationships between idiosyncratic s extyping and self-esteem. Idiosyncratic, feminine, masculine, and nons tereotyped sets of self-attributes, termed self-images (SI), rather th an conventional masculinity, femininity and their interaction (androgy ny), were used Findings from two studies with two groups of 337 Israel i early adolescents boys and girls, and 280 male and female university students, using two instruments of sex-typed self-attributes (newly d evised Self-Related Self-Image Scale and Spence Personal Attributes Qu estionnaire) and based on idiosyncratically defined sex images, suppor ted our hypotheses. The findings showed that males' self-esteem was pr edicted significantly by their masculine SI, that females' self-esteem was predicted significantly by their nonstereotyped SI, and that the feminine SI predicted significantly the self-esteem of neither. Findin gs based on conventional sex role orientation scores supported former findings of significant relationships between masculinity and male and female self-esteem. The results showed that the self-esteem of male s tudents, but not that of boys, was significantly predicted by their no nstereotyped SI too. Partial support was found for the hypothesis that more females than males are likely to redefine conventional masculine attributes as nonstereotyped. The whole set of findings were interpre ted as indicating that self-esteem is dependent on socially rewarded a nd self-synchronized sex-typed attributes.