Gender differences in self-esteem and self-concept among Chinese populations

¶ … Gender on Self-Esteem in China

VALID OR NOT

Effects of Gender on Self-Esteem in China

Six studies present varying results on the effect of gender on self-esteem. Watkins & Yu (1993) found gender to have little effect on self-esteem but much on self-concept and self-satisfaction, especially among Chinese women. Zhang & Leung (2002) suggested the moderating factors of gender and age in the connection between individual and collective self-esteem and life satisfaction. Their research concluded that the connection is stronger on the male, thus the genders require different tasks in order to be effective. Huang et al. (2012) found that the androgynous personality type as the ideal one and that gender and grade influenced the distribution of personality types. Yang & Xia (2006) listed the cognitive and social factors in condom use among Shanghai commercial sex entertainment workers. Zhao et al. (2011) established the importance of attachment relationship with caregivers to vulnerable Chinese children. Most caregivers are female. Li et al. (2010) enumerated the parental, behavioral and psychological factors to smoking among Chinese teenagers, including female. Other studies (Somislo & Ortho, 2013; Mak et al., 2012) say that gender does not significantly affect low-self-esteem or depression and that Chinese teenage boys tend to have a higher body esteem than girls.

Introduction

Gender Affects Self-Concept and Self-Satisfaction

A 1993 study conducted with male and female students in mainland China found little difference in the effect of gender on their level of self-esteem (Watkins and Yu, 1993). But it supplied evidence on the effect of gender to their self-concept and self-satisfaction. Respondents to the study were 99 male and 90 female undergraduates. The results indicated the necessity for conducting multidimensional measures of the self and to preserve the distinction between self-concept and self-esteem (Watkins and Yu).

Stronger in the Male

A 2002 study drew on the findings of earlier studies on the effect of both individual and collective self-esteem on life satisfaction (Zhang & Leung, 2002). When these earlier studies found a connection, it suggested further study on the influence of other conditions, this present study sought to discover the moderating effects of gender and age on that connection among the Chinese. The respondents were 1,347 mainland Chinese, aged 14 to 88 from three generations, 52.3% of whom were female. Their responses were taken from the General Life Satisfaction Scale, Life Domain Satisfaction Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, and Collective Self-esteem Scale. Analysis showed that the connection was stronger among male than female respondents. The results suggested different tasks between the genders (Zhang & Leung).

Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in China

Another study provided further support to the general assumption on the importance of attachment relationship with caregivers by children in the latter's psychosocial development (Zhao et al., 2011). It sought to investigate the relationship between parental loss, a trusting relationship with caregivers, and the psychosocial adjustment of HIV-stricken children in China. The researchers gathered cross-sectional data from 755 AIDS orphans -- 296 double orphans and 459 orphans -, 466 vulnerable children with HIV-infected parents, and 404 comparison children in China. It recommends future intervention efforts to improve AIDS' orphans' psychosocial well-being by raising the quality of attachment relationship. These efforts should also help caregivers improve the quality of care by these caregivers. Further research should also be conducted on the link between a trusting relationship and internalizing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, among HIV-infected children (Zhao et al.).

Factors to Cigarette Smoking

This study assessed the parental, behavioral and psychological factors to tobacco smoking among Chinese teen-agers (Li et al., 2010). It gathered data from 995 middle school students in Nanjing who volunteered. The data included current smoking and smoking experimentation in the 30 days previous to the study for use as sample. Psychosocial measures used included family structure, problem behaviors, social influence of smoking from approval by parents or friends, depression, social alienation, self-esteem, parental monitoring, and parenting style. The respondents were aged 15-16 years, 50% of whom were female. Of their number, 24% ever smoked and 15% did in the 30 days prior to the study. Findings showed that advanced age, male gender, low family socioeconomic status, low school performance, and low educational aspiration were linked to smoking experimentation and current smoking. The study also revealed the link between depressive symptoms, social alienation, low self-esteem, low social and academic monitoring, problem behaviors, low maternal and paternal responsiveness, peer smoking, parent smoking, and parental and friends' approval of smoking and current smoking among Chinese teenagers. Prevention and intervention efforts must consider these factors (Li et al.).

Self-Esteem and Gender

Another research evaluated the connection between low self-esteem and depression and low self-esteem and anxiety through the use of longitudinal data (Sowislo & Ortho, 2013). These consisted of 77 studies on depression and 18 on anxiety of respondents whose ages ranged from childhood to old age. Findings suggested that the effect of self-esteem was much stronger than the effect of depression on self-esteem. Analyses on the effect of low self-esteem or depression suggested that the effect was not significantly influenced by gender, age, measures of self-esteem and depression, or the time lag between assessments (Sowislo & Ortho).

Body Esteem and Gender

A sampling of 905 Hong Kong adolescents was investigated on the connection between body esteem with gender, age and body mass index (Mak et al., 2012). The research used the Body-Esteem Scale or BES in assuming that older age, male gender and lower BMI were associated with better body esteem. Analyses showed significant and main effects of gender, age and weight on body esteem. The study found that boys tend to have higher body esteem than girls, as in Western studies, and may be dependent on gender socialization (Mak et al.).