The present study investigated the hypothesis that in addition to perceptions of one's global self-worth as a person, individuals evaluate their self-worth differently across relational contexts. Perceptions of self-worth among adolescents were examined in 4 such contexts: with parents, teachers, male classmates, and female classmates. The factor pattern revealed a clear, 4-factor solution with negligible cross-loadings. Approximately three-fourths of the participants reported differences in self-worth, ranging from small to large, across contexts. To examine the basis for differences and similarities across relationships, self-worth in each context was predicted by the validation support reported by adolescents in that context. Support in a given context was significantly more highly correlated with relational self-worth in the corresponding context than in any of the other contexts. Adolescents could be divided into subgroups based upon the high correlation between self-worth in one particular context and global self-worth. These findings suggest that how an individual evaluates the self in certain relationships is critical to his or her overall sense of worth as a person.

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Adolescence brings with it displays of false self-behavior, including the suppression of opinions. C. Gilligan (1993) argued that lack of "voice" is problematic for girls when they enter adolescence. In the present study, the authors examined level of self-reported voice with parents, teachers, male classmates, female classmates, and close friends among both female and male high school students. Findings revealed no gender differences nor evidence that voice declines in female adolescents. For both genders, perceived support for voice was predictive of level of voice. Moreover, feminine girls reported lower levels of voice than did androgynous girls in public (but not private) relational contexts. Lower levels of voice were associated with more negative evaluations of self-worth. Discussion focused on the need to understand the causes of individual differences in voice within each gender, cautioning against generalizations about either gender as a group.

The present study investigated the hypothesis that in addition to perceptions of one's global self-worth as a person, individuals evaluate their self-worth differently across relational contexts. Perceptions of self-worth among adolescents were examined in 4 such contexts: with parents, teachers, male classmates, and female classmates. The factor pattern revealed a clear, 4-factor solution with negligible cross-loadings. Approximately three-fourths of the participants reported differences in self-worth, ranging from small to large, across contexts.To examine the basis for differences and similarities across relationships, self-worth in each context was predicted by the validation support reported by adolescents in that context. Support in a given context was significantly more highly correlated with relational self-worth in the corresponding context than in any of the other contexts. Adolescents could be divided into subgroups based upon the high correlation between selfworth in one particular context and global self-worth. These findings suggest that how an individual evaluates the self in certain relationships is critical to his or her overall sense of worth as a person.

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This study identified a trichotomy of styles that characterize adults' relationships with partners: self-focused autonomy, other-focused connection, and mutuality. Each style was defined by several dimensions; dominance-submission, whose needs are met, sensitivity to the partner's feelings, clarity of feelings, separateness vs intimacy, and concern with the relationship. Participants were adults, aged 18-70 years, who responded to a newspaper survey in which they identified their own style of relationship and that of their partner. Mutual individuals most often reported that their partners shared the same style. Other-focused women most often reported self-focused male partners, and self-focused men most often identified their female partners as other-focused. Correlates of these partner combinations included perceived validation by one's partner and the ability to be one's authentic self within the relationship. Findings revealed that mutual individuals with mutual partners reported the highest levels of perceived validation and authentic-self behavior. Other-focused women paired with self-focused men reported the lowest levels of validation and authentic-self behavior, with self-focused men paired with other-focused women falling in between. Discussion emphasized the liabilities of the two more extreme styles, self-focused autonomy and other focused connection, as well as the dynamics of the different partner combinations.

The present study investigated the hypothesis that in addition to perceptions of one's global self-worth as a person, individuals evaluate their self-worth differently across relational contexts. Perceptions of self-worth among adolescents were examined in 4 such contexts: with parents, teachers, male classmates, and female classmates. The factor pattern revealed a clear, 4-factor solution with negligible cross-loadings. Approximately three-fourths of the participants reported differences in self-worth, ranging from small to large, across contexts. To examine the basis for differences and similarities across relationships, self-worth in each context was predicted by the validation support reported by adolescents in that context. Support in a given context was significantly more highly correlated with relational self-worth in the corresponding context than in any of the other contexts. Adolescents could be divided into subgroups based upon the high correlation between self-worth in one particular context and global self-worth. These findings suggest that how an individual evaluates the self in certain relationships is critical to his or her overall sense of worth as a person.

In this chapter, we attempt to explore the motivational questions that arise when we view the psychology of women through the lens of objectification theory, which highlights the centrality of appearance concerns, or “body projects,” for girls and women today. We examine theoretical perspectives on what motivates the sexual objectification of women, considering the ways this treatment may reflect an adaptive evolutionary mating strategy, may serve as a tool for the maintenance of patriarchal power, or may lend existential “protection” against the creaturely, death reminders that women's bodies provide. We then investigate both developmental processes and situational/contextual features that motivate girls and women to internalize a sexually objectifying view on their physical selves. And, finally, we review evidence that self-objectification, though motivating in itself, carries significant consequences for their health and well-being.