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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Psychology
Notes
- Abstract:
- The relationship between masculinity and mental disorders has become an area of study in the psychology of men. Masculinity in men has been associated with a cyclic pattern of depression related to maladaptive coping to masculinity. Restrictive emotionality, frequently associated with masculine gender roles, has been associated with anxiety. Further, a large body of research demonstrates that hair loss (balding) in men has been associated with depression and anxiety which may come about through its impact on a man’s sense of masculinity. Angulo (2013) identified three types of masculinity: emblematic, sports, and aggressive. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the three types of masculinity, baldness, depression, and anxiety. It was hypothesized that baldness would predict depression and anxiety in a positive direction, emblematic and sports masculinity would predict them in a negative direction, and aggressive masculinity would predict them in a positive direction.
Participants were 189 self-identified heterosexual and homosexual men who completed an online survey measuring the variables in question on a Likert scale. Two multiple regressions were performed on the data with depression and anxiety as the dependent variables. The four independent variables were the three types of masculinity and baldness. The regression model for depression was significant, F(4,184) = 8.984, p < .000, R2 = .145. The two significant independent variables were: sports masculinity and aggressive masculinity. The regression model for anxiety was significant F(4,184) = 5.75, p < .001), R2 = .092. The two significant independent variables were: sports masculinity β = -.054, p < .001 and aggressive masculinity β = .132, p < .001.
The hypotheses were partially supported. Possible explanations for the lack of prediction of baldness may be a restricted range of scores of baldness or poor measurement with the Likert scale. The lack of relationship of emblematic masculinity with depression and anxiety suggests that emblematic masculinity consists of masculine characteristics that are independent of these psychological states. As predicted, sports masculinity predicted depression and anxiety in a negative direction and aggressive masculinity predicted them in a positive direction. A sense of masculinity associated with sports appears to be a buffer to depression and anxiety. This buffer may be due to the social component or to the physical activity itself. The positive relationship between aggressive masculinity and depression and anxiety is consistent with the literature on the negative effects of poor adjustment to the masculine role model and restrictive emotionality. The results suggest that the study of masculinity may be enhanced by examining its various components which may exert different influences on male psychology.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (M.S.)--Barry University, 2018.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-65)
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Lyndsay Wehrle. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- BF692.5.W44 2018_WehrleLyndsay ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- F692.5.W44 2018 ( lcc )
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