The Relationship Between Self-Perceived Gender Typicality, Self-Esteem and Psychological Distress In College Students

The role of gender identity in the gender differences observed in psychological distress has been established in research with researchers acknowledging the importance of a multidimensional conceptualization of gender identity. Gender typicality is one aspect of gender identity that has been identified to be related to psychosocial adjustment such as self-esteem in adolescents. Self-perceived gender typicality describes how typical people feel they are in relation to their own gender group. By asking college students to fill out an online survey on gender typicality, self-esteem and psychological distress, the present study explored the relationship between self-perceived gender typicality and psychological distress as well as the role of self-esteem in this relationship. Participants (N = 299) were administered a measure of self-perceived gender typicality (Adult Gender Typicality Scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale) and psychological distress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-Short Form). It was predicted that self perceived gender typicality will have a negative relationship with psychological distress and a positive relationship with self-esteem. Additionally, it was predicted that self-esteem will mediate the relationship between self-perceived gender typicality and psychological distress. Results indicated that gender does not influence self-perceived gender typicality, self-esteem and psychological distress. Results showed that psychological distress is inversely correlated with self-perceived gender typicality and self-esteem. In addition, self-esteem was positively correlated with self-perceived gender typicality. Moreover, results indicated that the relationship between self-perceived gender typicality and psychological distress was fully mediated by self-esteem. Implications of the findings of the present study for gender identity in adults and the gender differences in psychological distress are discussed including the prospects for future research.