Tomboys,Masculine Characteristics,and Self-Ratings of Confidence in Career Success

Abstract

Previous research focusing on gender-roles and self-concept suggests a positive relationship between masculinity and self-concept. The present study explores self-perceptions of being a “tomboy,” gender-role and ratings of self-confidence in later success. Higher self-ratings on the tomboy scale correlated with confidence in career success but not with confidence in passing a college course or jogging for 20 min. There was a positive correlation between masculinity scores but not femininity scores with tomboy ratings. Masculine characteristics such as independence, aggression, competitiveness, leadership ability, ability to defend, stand by beliefs, mediated by compassion appear to be positively correlated with perceptions of success.

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