ELABORATION OF MODELS OF THE SELF - REPLY TO BAUMEISTER AND SOMMER (1997) AND MARTIN AND RUBLE (1997)

The authors see little conflict between their description of possible gender differences in self-construals and R. F. Baumeister and L. Somm er's (1997) argument that men and women focus their social interests i n divergent spheres. The authors suggest that men's orientation toward a larger social sphere and less intimate relationships than women's a llows men to maintain an independent self-construal. In reply to C. M. Martin and D. N. Ruble's (1997) comment, the authors clarify the natu re of the self-construal, caution against cross-cultural application o f these models, and suggest possible roles of the self and situations in the direction of behavior.