Gender differences in the link between self-esteem and social self-efficacy in emerging adulthood

Abstract

The current study examined gender differences in self-perceptions in emerging adulthood. Specifically, associations between social self-efficacy and two indices of self-esteem (self-perceived appearance and global self-worth) were explored. Participants (N = 803; 205 men, 598 women) consisted of university students between the ages of 18 and 29 (M[subscript age] = 20.48). Results revealed that self-perceived appearance and global self-worth were significantly higher among men than women. In addition, self-perceived appearance was positively correlated with social self-efficacy for men, but not for women. A positive correlation was also found between global self-worth and social self-efficacy for both men and women. The results suggest that self-perceived appearance plays a greater role for men as compared to women in regard to how well they think they can socialize with others. The findings highlight the importance of understanding gender differences in the link between self-esteem and social self-efficacy for emerging adults.