Social Position and Self-Evaluation: A Reanalysis of the Yancey, Rigsby, and McCarthy Data

A great deal of the sociol'al literature involves the reporting of a relationship between 1 independent variable & 1 dependent variable with no controls. Yancey, Rigsby, & McCarthy (see SA 21:5/73G4033) move beyond this, but because their analysis did not allow for interaction among most of their independent variables, the importance of these variables & the pattern of the effect are largely masked. The data from the Yancey et al study was reanalyzed to determine how the variables of sex, marital status, race, & location interact with rates of psychiatric symptoms & low self-esteem. Data is presented in % rates after being adjusted for diff's in place of residence (Nashville or Philadelphia), educ, age, race, & participation in the work force. Findings indicate that white, married women have a higher rate of mental illness: black, married women have a lower rate of mental illness & their level of self-esteem is higher than married, white women. Shifts in location are shown to have a diff in the rates of mental illness of women of both races. Married men are shown to have lower rates than unmarried men. Sex, marital status, race, & location are shown to interact in an important & predictable manner in relation to rates of psychiatric symptoms & low self-esteem. It is noted that these data are not a representative sample, & the number in some of the categories is quite small. Therefore, the analysis must be viewed as suggestive & not definitive. William L. Yancey (Temple U, Philadelphia Pa), Leo C. Rigsby (Temple U, Philadelphia, Pa), & John D. McCarthy (Vanderbilt U, Nashville, Tenn) express gratitude for the assist in the analysis of the original data. Issue is taken with the criticisms that the interaction effects of the independent variables were ignored, that assumptions were made that were inconsistent with other res, & that the interaction of sex, marital status, race, & location & measures of self-evaluation are masked. Inspite of consideration of comments in the reanalysis, the major conclusions of the original study are reiterated. 5 Tables. Modified Author's Summary.