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Sex Differences in the Multidimensional Self-Concepts of African American Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Gender Identity

Debra H. Zand

Missouri Institute of Mental Health

The present study investigates whether the gender identities of African American adolescents mediate sex differences found in their multidimensional self-concepts. The sample included 174 African American adolescents who completed the 21-item Children's Personal Attributes Questionnaire and the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Results indicated that two dimensions of gender identity, Independence and Leadership, mediated the relationship between sex and self-evaluations in the areas of Friendship/Acceptance and Romantic Appeal. The findings of this study fill significant gaps in the current literature by providing data on African American adolescents' self-evaluations in multiple self-concept domains and by offering an empirical explanation for how biological sex influences these self-evaluations. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Key Words: self-concept • gender identity • African American adolescents

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