Androgyny and psychological well-being among older and younger Japanese adults.

The present study examined Gutmann's role reversal theory and Sinnott's role blurring (androgyny) theory. A total of 384 Japanese community aged were compared to 289 students using the Bem Sex Role Inventory. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to measure psychological well-being. Masculinity was higher among men than women, and the old showed higher femininity than the young. However, no significant cohort by sex interaction was observed in either masculine or feminine scores. To examine the relationship between androgyny and psychological well-being, subjects were classified into androgynous, masculine, feminine and undifferentiated groups. Analysis of variance (sex role typing x sex x cohort) on self-esteem revealed a significant sex role typing effect. The androgynous men and women possessed the highest self-esteem, followed by the masculine, feminine and undifferentiated men and women, in this order. Our results supported Sinnott's but not Gutmann's theory.