“Boys don't cry”: Examination of the links between endorsement of masculine norms, self-stigma, and help-seeking attitudes for men from diverse backgrounds.

The role of conformity to dominant U.S. masculine norms as an antecedent to help-seeking attitudes in men has been established using convenience samples made up largely of college-age and European American males. However, the role of conformity to masculine norms on help-seeking attitudes for noncollege-age men or for men from diverse backgrounds is not well understood. To fill this gap in the literature, the present study examined the cross-cultural relevance of a mediational model of the relationships between conformity to dominant U.S. masculine norms and attitudes toward counseling through the mediator of self-stigma of seeking counseling for 4,773 men from both majority and nonmajority populations (race/ethnicity and sexual orientation). Structural equation modeling results showed that the model established using college males from majority groups (European American, heterosexual) may be applicable to a community sample of males from differing racial/ethnic groups and sexual orientations. However, some important differences in the presence and strengths of the relationships between conformity to dominant masculine norms and the other variables in the model were present across different racial/ethnic groups and sexual orientations. These findings suggest the need to pay specific theoretical and clinical attention to how conformity to dominant masculine norms and self-stigma are linked to unfavorable attitudes toward help seeking for these men, in order to encourage underserved men's help-seeking behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender role conflict and family environment as predictors of men's marital satisfaction.

Investigated the relationship between male gender role conflict, family environment, and marital satisfaction. 70 married men completed self-report instruments measuring 4 aspects of male gender role conflict, 2 aspects of family environment, and marital satisfaction. Results indicate that restrictive emotionality, conflicts between work or school and family relations, and family cohesion are related to marital satisfaction. The various factors of male gender role conflict and family environment account for 46.8% of the variance in marital satisfaction. The results suggest that men who have lower levels of marital satisfaction are less able or willing to express emotions, have higher levels of conflict between work or school and family relationship, and have lower levels of family cohesion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analytic review of research on gender differences in sexuality, 1993–2007.

In 1993 Oliver and Hyde conducted a meta-analysis on gender differences in sexuality. The current study updated that analysis with current research and methods. Evolutionary psychology, cognitive social learning theory, social structural theory, and the gender similarities hypothesis provided predictions about gender differences in sexuality. We analyzed gender differences in 30 reported sexual behaviors and attitudes for 834 individual samples uncovered in literature searches and 7 large national data sets. In support of evolutionary psychology, results from both the individual studies and the large data sets indicated that men reported slightly more sexual experience and more permissive attitudes than women for most of the variables. However, as predicted by the gender similarities hypothesis, most gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors were small. Exceptions were masturbation incidence, pornography use, casual sex, and attitudes toward casual sex, which all yielded medium effect sizes in which male participants reported more sexual behavior or permissive attitudes than female participants. Most effect sizes reported in the current study were comparable to those reported in Oliver and Hyde’s study. In support of cognitive social learning theory, year of publication moderated the magnitude of effect sizes, with gender differences for some aspects of sexuality increasing over time and others decreasing. As predicted by social structural theory, nations and ethnic groups with greater gender equity had smaller gender differences for some reported sexual behaviors than nations and ethnic groups with less gender equity. Gender differences decreased with age of the sample for some sexual behaviors and attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Masculine gender role conflict: Effects on college men's psychological well-being, chemical substance usage, and attitudes towards help-seeking.

The authors investigated the effects of gender role conflict (GRC) on 148 18–55-yr-old college men's scores of psychological well-being, substance usage, and attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Each of the 4 GRC variables was significantly related to at least 1 variable of interest. The Success, Power, and Competition variable of GRC was significantly related to (a) a decrease in psychological well-being, including scores for Trait Anger, the Angry Reaction subtype of trait anger, and the Angry Temperament subtype of trait anger, and (b) an increased report of alcohol usage. The Restricted Emotionality variable of GRC was significantly related to (a) a decrease in psychological well-being, including scores for Trait Anger and Trait Anxiety; (b) negative attitudes toward help-seeking; and (c) an increased similarity in personality style to chemical abusers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Male gender role conflict and willingness to seek counseling: Testing a mediation model on college-aged men.

Men who experience negative consequences of their socialized gender roles--that is, have greater gender role conflict--report less positive attitudes and willingness to seeking counseling. Using structural equation modeling with data from 575 undergraduate men, the authors examined 3 mediators (self-stigma associated with seeking counseling, tendency to disclose distressing information, and attitudes toward seeking counseling) regarding the link between gender role conflict and willingness to seek counseling for psychological and interpersonal concerns. Results indicated that this link was partially mediated by these 3 factors. Men experiencing greater gender role conflict were more likely to self-stigmatize and less likely to self-disclose. High self-stigma and less disclosure then led to less positive attitudes and subsequently to less willingness to seek counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The “model minority myth”: Internalized racialism of positive stereotypes as correlates of psychological distress, and attitudes toward help-seeking.

Stereotypes associated with Asian Americans (model minority group) are, at times, positive. Endorsement of these stereotypes (i.e., internalized racialism) might contribute to Asian's distress and their attitudes toward seeking services. The purpose of this study was to use the theory of “status-based rejection sensitivity” as a way to examine the relationship between internalized racialism (i.e., endorsement and/or internalization of positive Asian stereotypes) and psychological distress, and attitudes toward help-seeking among 291 Asian Americans. Results indicated that higher levels of endorsement of positive Asian stereotypes were related to higher levels of psychological distress and more negative attitudes toward help-seeking. No evidence was found for the moderating roles of internalized racialism in the endorsement of positive Asian stereotypes–distress/help-seeking links. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation, and earnings.

This study investigated the relationships among gender, gender role orientation (i.e., attitudes toward the gendered separation of roles at work and at home), and earnings. A multilevel model was conceptualized in which gender role orientation and earnings were within-individual variables that fluctuate over time (although predictors of between-individual differences in gender role orientation were also considered). Results indicated that whereas traditional gender role orientation was positively related to earnings, gender significantly predicted the slope of this relationship: Traditional gender role orientation was strongly positively associated with earnings for men; it was slightly negatively associated with earnings for women. Occupational segregation partly explained these gender differences. Overall, the results suggest that although gender role attitudes are becoming less traditional for men and for women, traditional gender role orientation continues to exacerbate the gender wage gap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Male client–male therapist: Issues in a therapeutic alliance.

Asserts that the confusion and pain resulting from the erosion of traditional male norms have led many men to seek assistance from mental health professionals. The gender-role strains and stressors experienced by men are reviewed, and the consequences of restrictive emotionality on males themselves and on fathering are discussed. It is argued that constraints of restrictive emotionality and homophobia limit many men's ability to benefit from the traditional therapeutic environment, and behavior therapy is recommended as a more suitable therapeutic model for men. Behavior therapy contains the major principles of new experiences, language, therapist feedback, and therapist interaction; responds to many of the male's developmental assets; and addresses the gender-cognitive schema. Issues for the male client and male therapist are addressed, and the needs among mental health professionals for greater awareness, discussion, and investigation focused on males in therapy are emphasized. (67 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The male role, alcohol use, and alcohol problems: A structural modeling examination in adult women and men.

Most research on sex differences in alcohol involvement suggests that drinking is a component of the male gender role, but the impact of specific male role factors on alcohol involvement has not yet been studied. The authors used structural modeling to examine the relationships among 3 male role variables (agency, traditional male role attitudes, and masculine gender role stress), alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related problems in a sample of women and men. To determine whether sex moderates this relationship, models were computed separately for men and women. For men, traditional attitudes led to more alcohol consumption, whereas agentic traits protected them from experiencing alcohol-related problems, and experiencing masculine gender role stress was a risk factor for these problems. Male role variables were unrelated to women's alcohol consumption, but women who believed more in the traditional role of men suffered from more alcohol-related problems. Discussion centers on the contribution of components of the male role on alcohol outcomes as well as the different implications for men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Overcoming the masculine mystique: Preferences for alternative forms of assistance among men who avoid counseling.

Both informal observation and considerable data confirm that men are less likely to seek psychotherapy than are women. This study examines the possibility that this reluctance to seek help (1) is related to traditional gender role socialization and (2) can be lessened by offering counseling interventions that are more congruent with that socialization. 435 male Ss were recruited from 23 intact classes of 1 university and 2 community college campuses. Predictors of positive attitudes toward traditional counseling included comparatively high social scores on a personality measure. Predictors of negative attitudes toward personal counseling included high scores on various masculinity measures. The study also indicated that men with more highly masculine attitudes preferred alternative helping formats over traditional ones. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's help-seeking in the classroom: The role of motivational factors and attitudes.

Structural modeling was used to explain children's intentions to seek help with schoolwork. One hundred seventy-seven 3rd, 5th, and 7th graders were administered questionnaires assessing perceived academic competence, intrinsic orientation (preference for challenge and striving for independent mastery), and attitudes and intentions regarding help-seeking in math class. A multisample procedure tested for grade differences in covariance structures. At Grades 3 and 5, the child's expressed likelihood of seeking help was explained by intrinsic preference for challenge, extrinsic dependence on the teacher, and attitudes about the benefits of help-seeking. At Grade 7, expressed likelihood of seeking help was explained by attitudes about the benefits as well as the costs of help-seeking. Discussion focuses on developmental and individual-difference factors related to instrumental help-seeking and academic performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adherence to Asian and European American cultural values and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Asian American college students.

Possible relations among enculturation and acculturation to cultural values and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help were examined among 146 Asian American college students. In addition, possible relations between various dimensions of Asian values and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help were examined. As hypothesized, the results indicated a significant inverse relation between enculturation to Asian values and professional help-seeking attitudes, above and beyond that of the association with having previous counseling experience. Although bivariate correlational results suggested possible inverse relations between the Asian values dimensions of collectivism, emotional self-control, and humility and professional help-seeking attitudes, these associations were not confirmed with a hierarchical multiple regression model. Contrary to expectation, a significant relation was not observed between values acculturation and professional help-seeking attitudes. Also, the interaction between enculturation and acculturation to cultural values was not significantly predictive of professional help-seeking attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural mistrust and mental health help-seeking attitudes among Filipino Americans.

As low as the rate of mental health help-seeking is among Asian Americans, Filipino Americans seek mental health services at a much lower rate even compared with other Asian Americans. Despite the field’s progress in identifying and understanding factors that may influence mental health help-seeking attitudes among Asian Americans, despite research on other minority groups suggesting that cultural mistrust may influence attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, and despite the abundance of literature documenting the historical and contemporary experiences of oppression by Filipino Americans, the possibility that cultural mistrust may play a significant role in Filipino Americans’ mental health help-seeking attitudes have yet to be empirically investigated. Thus, using a sample of 118 Filipino Americans, the current study demonstrates that higher levels of cultural mistrust is related to lower likelihood of seeking professional psychological help. Furthermore, cultural mistrust predicted variance in mental health help-seeking attitudes that are not accounted for by income, generational status, loss of face, and adherence to Asian cultural values. Implications for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mediating roles of anticipated risks, anticipated benefits, and attitudes on the decision to seek professional help: An attachment perspective.

This study examined the mediating effects of anticipated risks, benefits, and attitudes toward seeking counseling on the link between adult attachment and help-seeking intentions for psychological and interpersonal concerns in a sample of 821 undergraduates. The structural equation modeling results indicated that the link between higher attachment avoidance and less intent to seek help was mediated by lower anticipated benefits, higher anticipated risks, and less positive attitudes toward seeking help. Conversely, the link between higher attachment anxiety and greater intent to seek help was mediated by higher anticipated benefits and risks and more positive attitudes toward seeking help. Thus, attachment contributed to perceptions of the benefits and risks of counseling, which, in turn, influenced help-seeking attitudes and, eventually, help-seeking intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tests of the mediational role of preparatory safer sexual behavior in the context of the theory of planned behavior.

The present research details 2 empirical tests within the context of the theory of planned behavior (I. Ajzen & T. Madden, 1986) of the assumption that preparatory behaviors (e.g., discussing safer sex, obtaining condoms) play a mediational role in the relation between psychological variables (e.g., attitudes toward safer sex, social norms about safer sex) and condom use. The assumption of the mediational role of preparatory behaviors is examined in sexually experienced samples from 2 different populations: inner-city high school students (N=226) and college students (N=160). The results suggest that the mediational role of preparatory behaviors is a highly significant one. Results indicate no gender differences with regard to the main mediational hypotheses. The methodological, theoretical, and practical implications and importance of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stereotypic and nonstereotypic sex role trait and behavior orientations, gender identity, and psychological adjustment.

This study examines the relations among sex role traits and behavior orientations, gender identity, and psychological adjustment in order to test traditional and contemporary perspectives regarding the adjustment implications of stereotypic and nonstereotypic sex role trait and behavior orientations. Measures of sex role personality traits and behaviors and scales assessing depression, anxiety, and social maladjustment were administered to 235 college men and women. In addition, subjects completed measures of gender identity and gender adequacy. Contrary to traditional perspectives, androgynous men and women and cross-sex-typed women were no less well adjusted than sex-typed individuals. However, consistent with traditional perspectives, men who were low in masculine characteristics (and men and women low in both masculine and feminine characteristics) did appear less well adjusted on measures of depression, anxiety, and social maladjustment. Furthermore, low masculinity men had less secure gender identities. No such gender identity disturbances were found in women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of depression and help-seeking history to attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help.

We investigated the relation of help-seeking history, sex, and depression to college students' attitudes, beliefs, and intentions about obtaining professional psychological help. College students completed questionnaires that included the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961), an inquiry about help-seeking history, and an attitude scale constructed according to the method posited in the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). Of these 429, 126 who represented extremes of the depression continuum were selected as subjects for data analyses. Though sex differences were not found, results indicated that the experience of having sought help is positively related to how one feels about seeking help and that the experience of depression, regardless of help-seeking history, is also related to more positive attitudes, beliefs, and intentions. Implications for educative interventions are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between sex role attitudes and personality traits and the sex role behavior scale-1: A new measure of masculine and feminine role behaviors and interests.

Describes the construction of a preliminary Sex Role Behavior Scale (SRBS-1), a 160 item self-report inventory comprising male-valued, female-valued, and sex-specific interest/behavior scales. The relationship of the SRBS-1 to measures of sex role attitudes and personality traits is also examined. An initial pool of 239 items describing recreational activities, vocational interests, social and dating behaviors, and marital behaviors thought to be more typical of one sex than the other was administered to 528 college men and women. One-third of the Ss compared the typical young adult man and woman on the items, one-third rated the desirability of the items for men and women, and the remaining third rated themselves. Typical and desirability ratings were used to select items that were male valued (more typical of one sex and desirable only for that sex). The findings suggest that male- and female-valued behaviors form a dualism and are actually positively correlated. Additional analyses showed that individuals with nontraditional sex role attitudes or personality trait organization were somewhat less conventionally sex typed in their behaviors and interests. However, these relationships tended to be small, suggesting a general independence of sex role traits, attitudes, and behaviors. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)