Age and gender differences in self esteem A cross cultural window.
Research and theorizing on gender and age differences in self esteem have played a prominent role in psychology over the past 20 years. However, virtually all empirical research has been undertaken in the United States or other Western industrialized countries, providing a narrow empirical base from which to draw conclusions and develop theory. To broaden the empirical base, the present research uses a large Internet sample (N 985,937) to provide the first large scale systematic cross cultural examination of gender and age differences in self esteem. Across 48 nations, and consistent with previous research, we found age related increases in self esteem from late adolescence to middle adulthood and significant gender gaps, with males consistently reporting higher self esteem than females. Despite these broad cross cultural similarities, the cultures differed significantly in the magnitude of gender, age, and Gender x Age effects on self esteem. These differences were associated with cultural differences in socioeconomic, sociodemographic, gender equality, and cultural value indicators. Discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of cross cultural research on self esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record
Journal of personality and social psychology