Do securely and insecurely attached children derive well‐being from different forms of gender identity?

Author(s)

Meenakshi Menon
Madhavi Menon, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Patrick J. Cooper
Rachel E. Pauletti
Desiree D. Tobin
Brooke C. Spatta
Christopher A. Hafen
Kätlin Peets
Ernest V. E. Hodges
David G. Perry

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Social Development

ISSN

1467-9507

Publication Date

4-27-2016

Abstract

We examined whether attachment security moderates influences of two gender identity variables—felt gender typicality and felt pressure for gender differentiation—on preadolescents' well‐being. We tested two hypotheses. The first was that attachment security protects children from the distress that can stem from feeling gender atypical or from feeling pressure for gender conformity. The second was that secure children derive well‐being from believing they are similar to same‐gender peers whereas insecure children derive well‐being from believing it important to be different from other‐gender peers. We assessed children's attachment security, gender identity, and well‐being (self‐esteem, internalizing problems) in two successive years (N = 211, M initial age = 10.1 years). Results supported the second hypothesis. Attachment security may govern children's contingencies of well‐being.

DOI

10.1111/sode.12191

Volume

26

Issue

1

First Page

91

Last Page

108

NSUWorks Citation

Menon, M., Menon, M., Cooper, P. J., Pauletti, R. E., Tobin, D. D., Spatta, B. C., Hafen, C. A., Peets, K., Hodges, E. V., Perry, D. G. (2016). Do securely and insecurely attached children derive well‐being from different forms of gender identity?. Social Development, 26(1), 91-108.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/1782