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An examination of how one's attitudes toward women are reflected in one's defensiveness and self-esteem

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Abstract

The Berger Self-Esteem Measure, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and Spence's (1972) Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) were used to test 96 undergraduates. Subjects were divided according to sex and median split scores on the personality measures. Analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for sex and defensiveness and approached significance for the sex × self-esteem effect (p<.10). Males and females were found to respond significantly differently on the AWS scale. Highly defensive males were more discriminating toward women and self-concept appeared to be an influential variable. However, self-esteem alone did not seem to have any significant effects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arizona, USA

    Daphne G. Albright

  2. Psychiatry Department, University of Kansas Medical Center, 66103, Kansas City, Kansas

    Alice F. Chang

Authors
  1. Daphne G. Albright
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  2. Alice F. Chang
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Albright, D.G., Chang, A.F. An examination of how one's attitudes toward women are reflected in one's defensiveness and self-esteem. Sex Roles 2, 195–198 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287252

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287252

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