Variability in the relational self and self-esteem: College students

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to construct scales measuring motives toward the self-concept depending on social relations and the sense of variability in that aspect of self-concept, and to examine gender differences in the relation between these scales and self-esteem. Questionnaires that included scales evaluating the degree of their perceived variability, motives toward and sense of variability, and self-monitoring, as well as independent and interdependent self-construal were completed by 742 college students. The main results were as follows: (1) Factor analysis on motives toward variability yielded 4 factors (maintaining social relations, unintentional/unconscious, acting/masking, and relationship quality), whereas factor analysis on sense of variability yielded 2 factors (positive and negative sense of variability). Reliability and validity of those scales were confirmed. (2) Women scored higher than men on maintaining social relations, unintentional/unconscious, and relationship quality. (3) Negative sense of variability and self-concept variability by way of acting/masking were negatively correlated with self-esteem for the women only, which suggests that a gender difference may exist in the relation between variability of relational self and self-esteem.