Psychological Separation of Older Adolescents and Young Adults From Their Parents: An Investigation of Gender Differences

Gender differences were examined in 182 freshman college students who had completed a packet of questionnaires and inventories to address the impact of separation from their parents and to test the relevance of self‐in‐relation theory. Instruments administered included the Social Support Questionnaire‐Short Form (SSQ‐6); the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales‐Revised (FACES‐R); and the Separation‐Individuation Inventory. A multivariate analysis of variance performed on each instrument administered revealed significant differences between men and women on the SSQ‐6 and the FACES‐R. Differences indicated that, as expected, women reported establishing more of all kinds of support, were better satisfied with its quality, and viewed their families as more cohesive than did men. Unexpectedly, men and women viewed their families as equally socially desirable, and both men and women reported few disturbances in the separation‐individuation process.