Men’s self-compassion and self-esteem: The moderating roles of shame and masculine norm adherence.

Abstract

Self-compassion, a relatively new but increasingly popular alternative to self-esteem, has been found to vary by gender, with men reporting greater levels than women. The current study furthers this emerging area of inquiry by addressing the relationships among conformity to masculine norms, trait shame, self-esteem, and self-compassion for 145 heterosexual men. Results demonstrated that higher levels of self-compassion were related to lower masculine norm adherence, lower trait shame, and higher self-esteem. In addition, 2 significant interactions emerged, with shame moderating the relation between masculine norm adherence and both self-esteem and self-compassion. These findings highlight the complex interdependence between emotional disposition and gender orientation in men's self-concepts.

Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Compassion

“…In fact, research indicates that adherence to masculine gender norms is associated with lower levels of self-L.M. Yarnell et al 500 compassion (Reilly, Rochlen, & Awad, 2014). Male socialization patterns emphasizing emotional restrictiveness and stoicism (Levant, 2011;Riggs, 1997) may also mean that self-compassion is less accessible to men than women.…”

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Men for Mental Health and the Impact of Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

“…The norms are: winning, emotional control, risk-taking, violence, dominance, playboy image, self-reliance, primacy of work, power over women, disdain for homosexuality, and pursuit of status (Mahalik & Talmadge, 2005). Men with higher levels of education represented lower scores of conformity to masculine norms (Reilly, Rochlen, & Awad, 2013).…”

An evolutionary model to conceptualise masculinity and compassion in male teenagers: A unifying framework

“…Reilly, Rochlen, and Awad () conducted the first study examining self‐compassion and masculinity, which comprised 145 heterosexual men (mean age of 26 years), and the sample was predominantly Caucasian/White (61%). The study was cross‐sectional, measuring self‐compassion, shame, self‐esteem, and conformity to traditional masculine norms.…”