Sex-role attributes, self-perception and predisposition to depression in early adolescence

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship of sex-role attributes, self-perception, and predisposition to depression in early adolescence. 235 students from middle schools in Dade County, Florida were asked to complete three instruments; the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, the Perceived Competence Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory. The study was designed to determine the effects of sex-role attributes on self-perception and predisposition to depression in early adolescence. More specifically, the study asked whether instrumental attributes were implicated in higher levels of perceived competence and lower depressive symptomatology while the reverse was true for those with expressive attributes. The results of the study confirmed that instrumentality and perceived competence appear to inoculate against depression. Instrumentality for the entire sample was, in fact, significantly correlated with higher overall perceived competence and significantly inversely correlated with depressive symptomatology. Contrary to the initial hypotheses, however, expressive traits were also positively correlated with higher perceived competence and lower levels of depressive symptomatology in the entire sample. Within the sample, though, those designated as expressive individuals did report a positive but nonsignificant relationship between expressive traits and increased depression measures. Instrumental males and androgynous females reported the lowest percentages of elevated depression scores while undifferentiated males and females reported the highest percentage. While both perceived competence and instrumental attributes were found to have a significant inverse relationship with depression, the hypothesis that instrumental traits mediated the relationship between perceived competence and depression was not borne out with both perceived competence and instrumentality maintaining significant contributions to overall levels of depressive symptoms. The same was not true for expressive attributes as they related to the mediation of perceived competence and depression. When both perceived competence and expressivity were considered expressivity failed to maintain a significant relationship with levels of depressive symptoms. The study also reflected sex role attributes as coping styles similar to problem focused and emotion focused approaches and also suggested an awareness that a coping style other than the individual's predominant style seemed to exist.