Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Arch Sex Behav. 2013 Apr;42(3):429-36. doi: 10.1007/s10508-012-9955-1. Epub 2012 May 5.
Considerable work has shown the benefits for psychological health of being gender typed (i.e., perceiving oneself in ways that are consistent with one's sex). Nevertheless, little is known about the reasons for the link. In two studies of young adults (total N = 673), we studied (1) the ways in which gender typing is predicted from gender-related interests and personal qualities, and (2) links between gender typing and adjustment (self-esteem and negative emotionality). In the first study, gender typicality was positively predicted by a variety of gender-related characteristics and by communal traits, a female-typed characteristic; gender typicality was also positively associated with adjustment. To clarify the role of communality in predicting gender typicality and its link with adjustment, we conducted a follow-up study examining both gender typicality and "university typicality." Gender typicality was again predicted by gender-related characteristics and communality, and associated with adjustment. Further, university typicality was also predicted by communality and associated with adjustment. Mediation analyses showed that feelings of communality were partly responsible for the links between gender/university typicality and adjustment. Thus, the psychological benefits suggested to accrue from gender typicality may not be specific to gender, but rather may reflect the benefits of normativity in general. These findings were discussed in relation to the broader literature on the relation between identity and adjustment.
大量研究表明，性别类型化（即，以与自己性别一致的方式感知自己）对心理健康有益。然而，人们对这种联系的原因知之甚少。在两项针对年轻人的研究中（总人数=673），我们研究了（1）性别类型化如何从与性别相关的兴趣和个人特质中预测，以及（2）性别类型化与适应（自尊和消极情绪）之间的联系。在第一项研究中，性别典型性与各种与性别相关的特征以及与女性特质相关的共通性特征呈正相关；性别典型性也与适应呈正相关。为了阐明共通性在预测性别典型性及其与适应关系中的作用，我们进行了一项后续研究，同时考察了性别典型性和“大学典型性”。性别典型性再次由与性别相关的特征和共通性预测，并与适应相关。此外，大学典型性也由共通性预测，并与适应相关。中介分析表明，共通感在性别/大学典型性与适应之间的联系中起着一定的作用。因此，性别典型性带来的心理益处可能不仅限于性别，而是反映了一般规范性的益处。这些发现与关于身份认同和适应之间关系的更广泛文献进行了讨论。
