The association between male gender role conflict and internalizing symptomatology : the role of perceived parental gender ideology

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Authors
Caballero, Adrianna M.
Advisor
Lawson, Katie M.
Issue Date
2019-05-04
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.A.)
Department
Department of Psychological Science
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Abstract

The association between GRC and internalizing symptoms has been well established in previous research pertaining to males (O’Neil, 2008). However, why some people who experience GRC develop internalizing problems while some do not have largely been unexplored. The present study examined whether perceived parental gender ideology was a moderating variable that influenced the association between GRC and internalizing symptoms using a sample of men between the ages of 18-25. Participants (N = 115) were male (100%), on average twenty years old (M = 20.78), and a majority identified as White (N = 96, 83.50%), had some college, but no degree (47.80%), and were heterosexual (67.00%). Participants completed a survey via an anonymous link which took approximately 30 minutes. Results indicated that as participants’ GRC score increased, so did symptoms of depression, anxiety, and internalized shame. Perceived gender ideology significantly moderated the relationship between male gender role conflict and symptoms of anxiety only for participants’ whose male caregiver endorsed a more traditional gender ideology, β = .09, p < .000. Future research should examine multiple levels of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems perspective in order to understand how other influences like peers, media, and societal norms influence the GRC-internalizing association.

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