Gender Differences in Domain-Specific Self-Esteem

A Meta-Analysis

Gentile, Brittany
Grabe, Shelly
Dolan-Pascoe, Brenda
Twenge, Jean M.
Wells, Brooke E.
Maitino, Alissa

¹Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
²Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz
³Department of Psychology, San Diego State University
⁴Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training (CHEST)
⁵National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.
⁶California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jean M. Twenge, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-4611. E-mail: [email protected]

Received December 10, 2007; Revision received July 21, 2008; Accepted July 22, 2008

Review of General Psychology 13(1):p 34-45, March 2009. | DOI: 10.1037/a0013689

This meta-analysis examines gender differences in 10 specific domains of self-esteem across 115 studies, including 428 effect sizes and 32,486 individuals. In a mixed-effects analysis, men scored significantly higher than women on physical appearance (d = 0.35), athletic (d = 0.41), personal self (d = 0.28), and self-satisfaction self-esteem (d = 0.33). Women scored higher than men on behavioral conduct (d = −0.17) and moral-ethical self-esteem (d = −0.38). The gender difference in physical appearance self-esteem was significant only after 1980 and was largest among adults. No significant gender differences appeared in academic, social acceptance, family, and affect self-esteem. The results demonstrate the influence of reflected appraisals on self-esteem.