Gender Typicality, Pressure to Conform to Gender Norms, and Body Esteem in 6- to 9-Year-Old Girls

Abstract:According to Egan and Perry's (2001) multidimensional model of gender identity, gender typicality should be positively related to, and feeling pressure to conform to gender norms should be negatively related to, well-being. In a cross-sectional study of 6- to 11-year-old girls (N = 120), measures of gender typicality (i.e., gender similarity), parental and peer pressure to conform to gender norms, and body image were administered. Girls who perceived greater similarity to girls had higher body esteem, but this association was only significant for girls with low pressure from peers. Girls who perceived greater similarity to boys selected thinner disliked body sizes, but this association was only significant for girls with low pressure from parents. Results support the use of the multidimensional model of gender identity for understanding body image among girls. Protective effects of similarity to boys and girls may be contingent upon whether peer and family contexts foster rigid gender typing.