|
Masculinity and the Sex-Specific Function of Dieting among
Russian Students
Barbara Klingenspor
The causes of bulimic symptoms and eating disorders are still unknown. One limitation of previous research is
that non Western populations were rarely examined. Since bulimic disorders primarily affect girls and women,
the underlying causes are thought to be gender-related. Many studies have examined typical attributes that are directly and indirectly associated
with gender. In contrast to the traditional idea that bulimic symptoms come from an actual or perceived deficit of feminine-typed traits,
my findings show a suppression of masculine-typed traits. In order to cross-validate this hypothetical link between bulimic symptoms and the suppression of masculine-typed traits
in a non-Western sample, we replicated an anonymous questionnaire study in Ekaterinburg
- a remote part of Russia that was closed to foreign influences
for decades - in 1993, before the market-type reforms could take
hold. Measurements of the relevant variables - feminine
and masculine traitsfeminine
- cheerful
- soft spoken
- understanding
masculine
- ambitious
- dominant
- independent
click to see all
, self-esteem,
frequency of dieting,
and bulimic symptoms - were obtained from 619 students. Food
restrictions due to economic limitations were measured independent
of self-imposed restrictions in order to lose weight. Mean and
covariance structures were analyzed with the computer program
EQS. The specified model
was confirmed and new findings were integrated: 1. Women dieted
for general self-esteem and physical attractiveness, whereas
men only dieted for the latter. 2. The correlation between dieting
and masculinity was close to zero in both groups. However, the
structural equation analyses uncovered that there was a significant
relationship between dieting and the perception of masculine
traits in women. The correlation was insignificant because masculinity
was a suppressor variable in this group. 3. The direction of
the effect of dieting depended on whether a woman´s masculinity
score was above or below the average. Dieting had a negative
effect (-.25) on masculinity for those who were high on masculinity,
whereas it had a positive effect (+.25) for those who were low.
Fig. 1. Structural model with standardized maximum
likelihood parameter estimates for women and men (in parentheses).
Note: Circles represent latent variables, unidirectional
arrows depict hypothesized causal links, and bidirectional arrows
reflect correlations between variables. Blue (m) or red (r) lines
symbolize relationships that are only signficant for men or for
women.
Russian Students´ Actual and Ideal Means on Selected BSRI-Items
|
Women´s
Actual
Score |
Women´s
Ideal
Score |
Men´s
Actual
Score |
Men´s
Ideal
Score |
Feminine Items |
|
|
|
|
feminine |
5.72 |
6.67 |
1.82 |
1.90 |
love children |
5.90 |
6.45 |
5.53 |
6.01 |
cheerful |
5.44 |
6.41 |
5.26 |
6.05 |
Masculine Items |
|
|
|
|
masculine |
3.76 |
4.35 |
4.88 |
6.31 |
independent |
4.99 |
6.02 |
5.17 |
6.28 |
have leadership abilities |
3.78 |
4.93 |
3.85 |
5.52 |
For us to get the science we need,
independent research
that does not ignore or trivialize
cultural and social variables
must continue.
|
Gender
identity is linked
to bulimia
Gender-related self-discrepancies and bulimic eating behavior (Sex Roles, 2002)
Multivariate Software, Inc.
EQS. Structural Equation Modeling Software
In Search of Golden Rules (SEM, 2004)
Suppressor Variables
Statistical Mediation
|