The relationship between masculanity, body image and ego strength in male university students

[摘要] This research explored the relationship between gender identity, body image and egostrength in men. A questionnaire consisting of a demographic section, the Bem SexRole Inventory, the Adonis Complex Questionnaire- Revised, and the PsychosocialInventory of Ego Strength was administered to 74 male students from the School ofActuarial Science and Statistics at the University of the Witwatersrand during lecturetime. Correlation analyses were used to infer the relationships between the threevariables, while a multiple regression assessed whether particular combinations ofgender identity and ego strength could predict higher body image dissatisfaction.The results showed that both masculinity and androgyny had a positive effect on bodyimage satisfaction, as did higher ego strength. The latter was also positively correlatedwith both femininity and masculinity, though not with androgyny. Body imagedisturbance did not correlate with any dimension of gender identity or ego strength.With regard to the interaction between the variables, higher ego strength was found tohave a moderating effect on body image dissatisfaction in men who endorsedfemininity, but not with men who endorsed masculinity. An androgynous orientationfurther predicted lower body image dissatisfaction irrespective of the degree of egostrength. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research arediscussed.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand