Self-Esteem, Gender-Role Perception, Gender-Role Orientation and Attributional Style as a Function of Academic Competence: Smart Girls are Different, But a Boy is a Boy is a Boy

This investigation examined adolescent self-esteem, gender-role perception, gender-role orientation, and attributional style as a function of academic achievement by having 3 groups of 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade males and females (n = 540) respond to (a) a self-esteem inventory under 2 sets of instructions, a standard set and a set in which participants responded as they thought a member of the same age and grade but of the opposite gender would respond; and (b) to an attributional style and a gender-role inventory under the standard set of instructions. The results of the self-esteem inventory under standard instructions revealed a significant difference in favor of males. Under opposite-gender instructions, academically below average and average females ascribed significantly higher levels of self-esteem to males. Males at all academic levels ascribed significantly lower levels of self-esteem to females. However, females in the above average academic group constituted an exception in that they attributed significantly lower self-esteem to males. Reported levels of self-esteem, positive attributional style, and androgynous gender-role orientation all significantly increased commensurate with higher academic achievement for both genders.