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Factors Contributing To Self-Esteem Structure In Males And Females

Author

Jerry Steve Harris, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1987

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Mari G. Irwin

First Committee Member

Bobby R. Hopkins

Second Committee Member

Roseann Hannon

Third Committee Member

Judith Van Hoorn

Fourth Committee Member

Sally M. Miller

Abstract

The focus of this study was to test certain gender-related hypotheses regarding the relationships among personality traits as identified on the Personality Research Form (PRF) and self-esteem as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS). The subjects who voluntarily participated in this research were 29 male and 96 female college students. The subjects were students in an Introductory Psychology course at a local community college and state university. A packet containing a short biographical questionnaire, the TSCS, the PRF, and an introductory letter was administered to and completed by each subject. A stastistical analysis of the data was accomplished with the use of the following treatments: a series of one-way analyses of variance, the Z test for independent correlation coefficients, and a two-way analysis of variance. In addition a multiple regression analysis was performed as a supplementary analysis. The following results were obtained: (a) self-esteem scores for men and women were not shown to differ; (b) college women had significantly higher mean scores than college men on the PRF subscales of Harmavoidance, Nurturance and Sentience; (c) PRF subscales of Desirability and Succorance were significant predictors of the total TSCS score for men; (d) PRF subscales of Desirability, Order, Abasement and Dominance were significant predictors of the total TSCS score for women: (e) college women scoring below the 16th percentile in self-esteem scored significantly lower on the PRF subscale of Dominance than college men in the same self-esteem group; (f) age and marital status did affect self-esteem scores significantly for both men and women. Some tentative conclusions may be drawn from this study. While college women scored significantly higher on the personality traits of harmavoidance, nurturance and sentience, it was not established that these or any of the traits measured by the PRF correlated differently with the TSCS self-esteem score for men and women. In fact, the study suggests that while there were some differences in moderate predictors of the self-esteem score from the multiple regression, there are no statistically significant differences between genders with regard to personality traits as measured by the PRF and self-esteem as measured by the TSCS.

Pages

98

Recommended Citation

Harris, Jerry Steve. (1987). Factors Contributing To Self-Esteem Structure In Males And Females. University of the Pacific, Dissertation. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3359