Sex Differences in Self-Esteem and Parental Behavior

Abstract

The relationship of reported behaviors of both mothers and fathers to the self-esteem of 4- and 5-yr.-old children, with the sex of the child as a variable, was examined. With this intention, the following questions were asked: (1) Do parents behave differently toward boys and girls? (2) Does parental treatment of boys and girls relate to children's self-esteem? (3) Does one sex have higher self-esteem than the other? 49 boys and 45 girls were tested for self-esteem; a paper-and-pencil inventory was used to assess their parents' behavior. Parents indicated that they behaved differently toward boys and girls as follows: fathers interact more with sons than with daughters; mothers interact more with daughters than do fathers but also interact more with sons than do fathers and interact more similarly with boys and girls than do fathers. The data also indicate that some behaviors of mothers are significantly related to high self-esteem in girls while similar or even the same behaviors of fathers are significantly related to low self-esteem in boys and girls. Boys had higher self-esteem than girls.