Gender-Typed Behaviors in Friendships and Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Study of Chinese and American Boys

Taveeshi Gupta, Niobe Way, Rebecca K. McGill, Diane Hughes, Carlos Santos, Yueming Jia, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Xinyin Chen, Huihua Deng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This 3-year, longitudinal analysis examined the psychological and social correlates of adhering to gender-typed behaviors in friendships among boys during middle school in United States (N = 446, Mage = 11.37 years) and in China (N = 368, Mage = 12.20 years). Results indicated that boys did not differ by nationality in the mean levels or in the increase over time in adherence to gender-typed behaviors. Furthermore, adherence over time was associated with higher depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, and lower friendship quality for boys in both countries. However, the associations between gender-typed behaviors and friendship quality and depressive symptoms were stronger for boys in the United States. Our study suggests that gender-typed behaviors play an important role in the well-being of youth in different parts of the world.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)57-68
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Research on Adolescence
Volume23
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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