The Social Development of Contingent Self-Worth in Sexual Minority Young Men: An Empirical Investigation of the "Best Little Boy in the World" Hypothesis

Young sexual minority men might cope with early stigma by strongly investing in achievement-related success. Sexual minority men (n=136) reported deriving their self-worth from academics (d=0.33), appearance (d=0.33), and competition (d=0.35) more so than heterosexual men (n=56). Length of early sexual orientation concealment predicted investment in these domains (=0.19, 0.22, 0.24) and an objective measure of stigma predicted the degree to which young sexual minority men sought self-worth through competition (=0.26). A nine-day experience sampling approach confirmed that investment in achievement-related domains exacts negative health consequences for young sexual minority men.