Masculinity,femininity, and self-esteem: A multitrait-multimethod analysis

A multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis was conducted to determine (1) the degree to which self-report trait and behavior measures of sex role orientation converge, (2) the degree to which measures of masculinity and self-esteem can be discriminated, and (3) the relative degree of relationship of trait and behavior measures of sex role orientation to self-esteem. The results indicated that trait and behavior measures of masculinity and femininity showed little convergence, that trait masculinity did not meet the criteria for discrimination from self-esteem, and that trait masculinity was more strongly correlated with self-esteem than was behavior masculinity. These results were stronger for women than for men.I would like to express my appreciation to John Millar and Shauna Gatten for their assistance in data collection and coding, and to Paul Biner and an anonymous reviewer for their comments on earlier drafts of this article.