Gender stereotypes and mental health revisited

The work of Broverman, Braverman, Clarkson, Rosenkrantz, and Vogel (1970) on gender and judgments of mental health was revisited with 75 student nurses. Health-illness differences were explored in addition to male-female-adult differences. The average age of students was 20.9 years, and 89% were female. The results were different from those of Broverman and colleagues. Images of the healthy male, female, and generic adult were similar. Differences perceived overall between health and illness were more substantial than gender differences. Gender differences which did occur reflected gender stereotypes, but were unflattering to masculinity. The image of the healthy generic adult had more in common with healthy femaleness than with healthy maleness. Possible explanations for the findings are presented.