Male Perfectionists with close same-sex friends: Self-disclosure, gender role conflict, and relational interdependent self-construal
Open Access
- Author:
- Odes, Eleonora
- Graduate Program:
- Counseling Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 15, 2008
- Committee Members:
- Robert B Slaney, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Kathleen Bieschke, Committee Member
Elias Mpofu, Committee Member
Pui Wa Lei, Committee Member - Keywords:
- gender role conflict
male same-sex friendships
perfectionism
relational interdependent self-construal - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT Dissertation Advisor: Robert B. Slaney, Ph.D. This study examined how measures of self-disclosure, four aspects of the gender role conflict, and relational interdependent self-construal differed among college-aged male perfectionists and nonperfectionists with close friends. Male undergraduate students were classified as adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfections, and nonperfectionists based on cut off scores suggested by Rice and Ashby (2007). In addition, self-disclosure in close same-sex male friendships was examined as a mediator variable in the relationship between relational interdependent self-construal and restrictive emotionality. Two hundred and thirty one undergraduate male students from a large public university ( Mean Age = 20.2 years; SD = 2.70 years) with close friends responded to the following instruments: Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R; Slaney, Mobley, Trippi, Ashby, & Johnson, 1996), the Self- Disclosure Index Scale (SDI; Miller, Berg, Archer, 1983), the Gender Role Conflict Scale-I ( GRCS-I, O’Neil, Helms, Gable, David, & Wrightsman, 1986) , and the Relational Interdependent Self-Construal Scale (RISC; Cross, Bacon, & Morris, 2000). These instruments were available via a secure web-based file supported by an online research service. The sample included 67 adaptive perfectionists, 65 maladaptive perfectionists, and 99 nonperfectionists. On the SDI, adaptive perfectionists scored significantly higher than maladaptive perfectionists and nonperfectionists who were not significantly different from each other. On the Success, Power, and Competition subscale of the GRCS-I, adaptive perfectionists and maladaptive perfectionists scored significantly higher than nonperfectionists, but their scores did not differ from each other. On the Restrictive Emotionality and Conflict Between Work and Family Relations subscales of the GRCS-I, maladaptive perfectionists scored significantly higher than adaptive perfectionists and nonperfectionists who did not differ from each other. On the Restrictive Affectionate Behavior Between Men of the GRCS-I and the Relational Interdependent Self-Construal Scales, no significant difference was found between adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists, and nonperfectionists. In addition, self-disclosure was a partial mediator in the relationship between RISC and RE. These findings supported the notion that maladaptive and adaptive aspects of perfectionism are related to the quality of same- sex friendships and the level of psychological distress associated with male gender-role conflict.