MASCULINE TRAITS AND REPORTS OF SOCIAL FUNCTIONING - EVIDENCE FOR A POSITIVITY BIAS

Previous reviews have concluded that there is a significant positive relation between masculine traits and measures of adjustment, including social adjustment. It is suggested that this relation be viewed with caution because it is based on studies that have relied on only one type of personality data-self-reports of one's own behavior, feelings, and personality characteristics. The recent study by Aube et al. (1994) suggests that the inclusion of other kinds of data, such as peer reports or behavioral observation, may yield different results. Two experiments (participants were predominately white) were conducted to examine the relation of self-reported masculine traits to subjective vs. objective indicators of social functioning. Study 1 found that masculine traits were significantly positively associated with self-reported popularity of teenagers, but that these same traits were unrelated to sociometric ratings made by classmates. Study 2 found that masculine traits were significantly associated with reporting better social-expressive skills among college students, but that these traits were unrelated to actual performance on a test of nonverbal encoding skills. Both studies found significant relations between masculine traits and discrepancy scores calculated between the subjective and objective indicators of social functioning. Together, these studies suggest that the relation between masculine traits and better adjustment may be more perceived than real.