Predictors and Consequences of Gender Typicality: The Mediating Role of Communality

Abstract

Considerable work has shown the benefits for psychological health of being gender typed (i.e., perceiving oneself in ways that are consistent with one's sex). Nevertheless, little is known about the reasons for the link. In two studies of young adults (total N = 673), we studied (1) the ways in which gender typing is predicted from gender-related interests and personal qualities, and (2) links between gender typing and adjustment (self-esteem and negative emotionality). In the first study, gender typicality was positively predicted by a variety of gender-related characteristics and by communal traits, a female-typed characteristic; gender typicality was also positively associated with adjustment. To clarify the role of communality in predicting gender typicality and its link with adjustment, we conducted a follow-up study examining both gender typicality and "university typicality." Gender typicality was again predicted by gender-related characteristics and communality, and associated with adjustment. Further, university typicality was also predicted by communality and associated with adjustment. Mediation analyses showed that feelings of communality were partly responsible for the links between gender/university typicality and adjustment. Thus, the psychological benefits suggested to accrue from gender typicality may not be specific to gender, but rather may reflect the benefits of normativity in general. These findings were discussed in relation to the broader literature on the relation between identity and adjustment.

Gender Typicality, Felt Pressure for Gender Conformity, Racial Centrality, and Self-Esteem in African American Adolescents

“…Intergroup bias refers to same-gender favoritism. We assessed youth's gender typicality and felt pressure for gender conformity in the present study because these two dimensions focus on evaluations of the self and have been shown to be related to adjustment (DiDonato & Berenbaum, 2013;Egan & Perry, 2001;Jewell & Brown, 2014). 1 Across childhood and adolescence, boys tend to report higher levels of gender typicality and felt pressure for gender conformity than girls (Corby et al, 2007;Egan & Perry, 2001;Hoffman, Dumas et al, 2017;Smith & Leaper, 2006).…”

Development of Gender Typicality and Felt Pressure in European French and North African French Adolescents

“…We chose these constructs because of their established relations to well‐being. Higher levels of gender typicality are associated with lower levels of psychopathology, positive psychosocial adjustment, and greater academic motivation in adolescent and young adult racially/ethnically diverse samples (DiDonato & Berenbaum, ; Jewell & Brown, ; Skinner, Kurtz‐Costes, Wood, & Rowley, ; Smith & Leaper, ; Vantieghem, Vermeersch, & Van Houtte, ). In contrast, higher levels of felt pressure in preadolescents and adolescents are associated with lower levels of psychosocial adjustment (Corby, Hodges, & Perry, ; Yunger, Carver, & Perry, ).…”

Gender Identity Predicts Autobiographical Memory Phenomenology

“…Thus, stereotypical gendered personality characteristics remain entrenched in our world view. Moreover, individuals who define themselves as gender typical show higher levels of psychological well-being than those who do not (DiDonato & Berenbaum, 2013), most likely because individuals who define themselves as gender-typical also value being a member of that category and achieve self-esteem through a sense of belonging and 'being like' others in their group (DiDonato & Berenbaum, 2013;Bigler & Liben, 2007).…”