Self-Esteem and Sense of Attachment among Gays in Sto.

Tomas Batangas

A Research Paper
Presented to the Faculty of Fidelis Senior High
FAITH Colleges
Tanauan, Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Completion of Practical Research II
in Humanities and Social Sciences

Balahadia, Ralph
Carerra, Kharyl Shane
Dadural, Andrei Nicole .
Santos, Princess Dianne

April 2019
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Problem and its Background

Gays often experience discrimination and lack of acceptance that result to low self-

esteem. “Judge mental though and distressing feeling can lead to serious mental health problem

and low self-esteem (Cherry ,2018). Self-esteem is very important in the life of one person

especially to the gays because they are the one mostly experience unnecessary behavior from

other people because of their gender. This research will help the gay community to overcome the

problem about self-esteem.

Based on the book Cienc. Saude coletiva (2014) “homosexulity” is a natural expression

nowadays. A relationship between same sexuality is common in the present day, it also provide

emotional involvement in relationship not just sex with the same gender.

Gay men face many challenges throughout their lives. Emerging adult gay men (EAGM) are

particularly vulnerable. Minority stress theory posits that these individuals often experience

stigmatization, which is often internalized as self-hatred, and leads them to be at greater risk for

substance abuse, depression, suicide, and sexual health problems. This is known as internalized

homophobia. Secure attachment style has been found to improve one’s ability to navigate and

cope with emotional stress, including the ability to seek mental health services. Because one’s

attachment style is pivotal in how one interacts with the world, a young gay man’s ability to

navigate negative feelings about himself may influence and interact with his attitudes toward

seeking psychological services.

 Despite the overall social and sexual conservatism in Filipino culture , the Philippines is

often considered one of the more LGBT friendly countries in south-east Asia. Despite centuries

of colonial rule, same-sex sexual behaviour has never been criminalised, unlike in neighbouring

Malaysia and Singapore. Indigenous constructions of gender diversity that blend same-sex

sexuality and transgenderism exist and are widely known , such as bakla and bayot, terms in the

Tagalog and Bisaya languages that may refer to either same-sex attracted men, especially

feminine gay men, or to male-to-female transgender individuals (Nadal & Corpus, 2013).

Self-esteem, that is contingent on success and competence, triggers fundamentally different

habitual though and behavior patterns than contingent self-esteem, that involves seeking

compensation from emotional support and acceptance. These behaviors and attitudes have in

recent studies been linked to distinctive patterns of coping with social threats and differential

health outcomes. This research has been supported by grants from The swedish Research

Council 1998-2003, 2005-2009 (Johnson,M., & Rasouli ,2005).

Low self-esteem is not an official mental health diagnosis. But because of the fact that it

result in judgemental thoughts and distressing feelings about oneself, its easy to understand how

low self esteem can lead to more serious problem (Mental Health Problem Solver).Self-esteem is

used to describe a person’s overall sense of persoal value. In other words, how much you

appreciate and like yourself defined by ( Cherry ,2018).

Sense of attachment will also visible on this study because the researcher wants to

investigate how sense of attachment related to self-esteem and how they interact with each other.

“Emotionally dis-regulated emerging adults are not expected to manage their emotional arousal,

subsequently becoming overwhelmed by feelings of shame. Therefore, emerging adults who

have a fragile sense of self-esteem experience the strongest subjective impact of negative self-

exposure and will be afraid to be attach to others.

This fragile sense of self-esteem predisposes them to respond by feeling shameful. For the

above mentioned reasons, educators’ and clinicians’ efforts should be directed at assisting these

youths in becoming more self-confident and less preoccupied with relationships or attachment

others. This will help these young adults in exploring fears, anxieties and worries about their

developmental tasks that might be expressed through low self-esteem and pathological shame

(Lo Cascio, Guzzo, Pace, & Pace , 2013).

This research aims to help the gays to have a realization on how to boost their self esteem

and how to overcome the fear to be attach to others.

Research Locale

This study was conducted in the Sto. Tomas Batangas area. The respondents will be

interviewed in their hair salon or any comfortable place that the respondents will choose, the will

be interviewed personally. The researchers choose the hair salon as the place of implementation ,

because hair salon has a more number of gays employee and customers.The study will be

conducted in march 2019 particularly on Sto.tomas area only. The researcher will give two

questionnaire about self-esteem and sense of attachment.

Statement of the Problem

This study generally aims to identify the level of self-esteem and sense of attachment, and the

relationship between the two variable

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

 1. What is the level of Self-esteem among gays of Sto.Tomas Batangas?

2. What is the Sense of Attachment level among gays of Sto.Tomas Batangas?

3. What is the relationship between self-esteem and sense of attachment?

Theoretical Framework

This chapter presents the relevant theories, review or related literature and related studies that

investigates the main variables, theoretical framework, significance of the study and definition of

term.

Attachment Theory

Attachment theory says that from birth, children seek proximity to their caregivers, through

which they create an attachment bond with them (Bowlby, 1969). The nature of those

relationships varies depending on what the child has learned in regard to the availability and

responsiveness of their caregiver. One of the tenets of attachment theory is that individuals

develop internal working models (Bowlby, 1969). Internal working models are the schemas that

people have about themselves and others that have developed over time based on experiences

with significant attachment figures (e.g. caregivers). These internal working models form the

basis for their attachment style. For instance, a child with consistently warm and responsive

caregivers would develop an internal working model that he/she is worthwhile, loveable, and/or

important and that others are generally safe and caring. This would translate into a secure

attachment style. A child with inconsistent, unresponsive, or rejecting caregivers might have an

internal working model that he/she is unlovable, worthless, or unimportant and that others are

generally rejecting or unsafe. This would translate into an insecure attachment style (Bowlby,

1969). When applied to romantic relationships, theory suggests that if an individual has a
positive internal working model of self, then he/she is more likely to view himself/herself

positively while in a romantic relationship and is more likely to view the world positively

(Bowlby, 1973), which may then lead to increased relationship quality (Lemay & Spongberg,

2014; Starks et al., 2015). Theoretically, self-esteem has been defined as “the imagination of our

appearance to (an)other person; the imagination of his judgment of that appearance; and some

sort of feeling, such as pride or mortification” (Cooley, 1902). Because the internal working

model of self is how one views him/herself, it is likely that self-esteem is linked with the internal

working model of self. Multiple studies show that there is a link between self-esteem and internal

working models (Cassidy, 1988; Collins & Read, 1990; Bylsma et al., 1997; Schmitt & Allik,

2005). Because self-esteem is linked to internal working models of self, and is a consistently

reliable predictor of relationship quality (Orth et al., 2012; Erol & Orth, 2013; Erol & Orth,

2014, Mund et al., 2015; Sciangula & Morry, 2009; Erol & Orth, 2013), I hypothesized that self-

esteem

Self-esteem theory

William James (1890)

James describes self esteem as how we view our self image, and whether or not we approve of it.

The idea of self esteem is defined by our concepts and how well we like ourselves. It also links

in with our inner values which define our ego that was mentioned before. The self image is

further described as being our social roles, body image, and personality traits.The way that self

esteem is derived is by measuring the gap between the ideal self and the self image. The ideal

self is a person's concept of what the perfect person should be, as well as what they see as their

full potential (usually a potential that cannot be achieved). This ideal self may be close to a

person's self image, which would mean that this person has a high self esteem. The greater the
difference between someones self image and ideal self, the lower the resulting self esteem. 

Conceptual Framework

A. Self-esteem

Gays
B. Sense of
Attachment

Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows the gays determining their self-esteem and sense of attachment. At the end of

the study, the researchers will determine the level of self-esteem and sense of attachment among

gays of Sto.Tomas, Batangas.

Scope and Limitation

The research will be conducted within Sto.Tomas area only where most hair salon is located

and that will help the research to be succesful. The questionnaire will be given into selected hair

salon where the gays are employed. The possible problem that the researcher will encounter is

lack of respondent that is willing to be interviewed and struggle in finding a hair salon with gays.

Significance of the study

The effect of acceptance on the gays will be shown after the study.The result of study will

give benefit to the following.

 Family. The given data will help them to have realization on how to gve support and help to

the gays. The findings would also help them learn the actions for the gays.

Future Researcher.This can serve as a reference for the future researchers if they are going to

study Self-esteem and Sense of Attachment among gays.

Definition of Terms

Gays. sexual interest in and attraction to members of one’s own sex. The term gay is frequently

used as a synonym for homosexual; female homosexuality is often referred to as gay.

(www.britannica.com)

Self-esteem. The term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or

personal value. In other words, how much you appreciate and like yourself. (Very well

mind.com)

Sense of Attachment. The emotional bond that typically forms between two person.

(Psychology Today)

Homophobia. Homophobia definition is the fear, hatred, discomfort with, or mistrust of people

who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual.(Planned Parenthood.org).

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough and in-depth search

done by the researchers. This will also present the synthesis of the art, fully understand the

research .
 Foreign Studies

Mrudu, Nagarajaiah, and Janardhana (2012) did a descriptive study to assess the parental

attachment and self-esteem among adolescents. Convenient sampling was used to select a sample

of 100 adolescents between the age group of 15-18 years. Socio Demographic Data Schedule,

Parental Attachment Questionnaire and Self-Esteem Inventory were used for the data collection.

The findings revealed that, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between overall

parental attachment and self-esteem among the adolescents.

Vidya (2012) conducted a study to evaluate the effect of a planned series of activity sessions

on positive peer relationship and self esteem among adolescent students using pre experimental

design. Simple random technique was used and 60 adolescents were selected. Peer Relation

Scale and the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Inventory were used to collect data. The subjects

participated in the planned series of activity in eight different sessions. The results showed that

the subjects developed high positive peer relation and self esteem after participation in the

activities and it was also found that there was a positive correlation between the level of positive

peer relation and self esteem of the adolescents.

Another research area relevant to attachment researchers' conception of IWMs concerns

infants' understanding of statistical probabilities. When considering individual differences in how

mothering contributes to attachment quality, conception of “good enough” mothering; that is,

mothering which assures a child that probabilistically, and often enough, the mother will prove

responsive to the child's signals. Implicit in such a perspective is the assumption that an infant

can make probabilistic inferences. Only recently has there been a surge in interest in the methods

available to evaluate this assumption of attachment theory (Krogh et al., 2013).

 Ghorbani Amir and Ahmadi Gatab (2011) did a descriptive and correlaton study to investigate

the relationship between child rearing styles and student self-esteem among both male and

female students. The sample group consisted of randomly selected 100 students including 50

girls and 50 boys. The tool used was self-esteem Eysenck Questionnaire and a question was

added to determine the rearing style.The researcher concludes that the role of parents in

providing mental health, academic achievement and self-esteem is far beyond anything that has

been fulfilled.

Hayes (2014) stated that our research shows that low self-esteem correlates with poorer

mental health outcomes across the board, increased likelihood of suicide attempts, and difficulty

developing supportive social relationships. Research also shows that trying to raise low self-

esteem artificially comes with its own set of problems including tendencies toward narcissism,

antisocial behavior, and avoiding challenging activities that may threaten one’s self-concept.

According to Burton (2014) Low self-esteem can be deeply rooted, with origins

in traumatic childhoodexperiences such as prolonged separation from parent figures, neglect, or

emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. In later life, self-esteem can be undermined by ill health,

negative life events such as losing a job or getting divorced, deficient or frustrating relationships,

and a general sense of lack of control. This sense of lack of control may be especially marked in

victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or victims of discrimination on the grounds

of religion, culture, race, sex, or sexual orientation.

Morin (2019) a 2018 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, revealed

that individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to seek indirect support—like sulking,

whining, or showing sadness in an effort to get support.Ironically, those strategies tend to

backfire and are more likely to prompt a negative reaction from others.When their bids to get

support aren't effective, individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to believe their partners

are unresponsive to their needs.Researchers concluded that the individuals with low self-esteem

were trying to protect themselves from outright rejection due to their fears that they couldn't

handle being brushed off by their partners. Saying, "I really need your support right now," for

example, might lead to a flat out rejection.But, their attempts to show they wanted attention—

without asking—led to greater negative interactions and further undermined the feelings of

acceptance that they desperately craved.

According to Morin(2019) If you have low self-esteem it's important to recognize the ways in

which you might be inadvertently sabotaging yourself. Some of your short-term strategies that

are meant to protect you from pain may actually cause you more distress in the long-term.Once

you recognize the problem, you can take steps to create positive change and banish the belief that

you're not good enough. Then, you can focus on getting your needs met in a healthy way without

depending on others to make you feel good.

Work on building mental strength one step at a time. As you grow stronger, you'll

gain confidence in yourself and your abilities and you can improve your interactions with others.

Brenner (2018) clarify the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult attachment

style, Widom, Czaja, Kazakowski, and Chauhan (2017) conducted research with 650 adults.

They were specifically interested in determining whether the type of maltreatment (abuse versus

neglect) is associated with future attachment style. In reviewing the literature on maltreatment,

attachment, and health outcomes, they note that prior research has suggested that

family environment predicts adult attachment style, and that children from abusive homes are
more likely to have insecure attachments. Neglect and abuse, and different forms of abuse, have

different emotional and psychological meaning.

Mark and colleagues (2017), note that much of the prior research on relationships has looked

at a narrow demographic sample, focusing on primarily college-age adults in heterosexual

relationships. Do findings in such research samples extend to a more diverse population?. They

report from prior work that sexual satisfaction is predictive of relationship success. Improving

sexual satisfaction has been shown to improve overall relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, in

homosexual couples, attachment style has been noted to affect sexual satisfaction and

relationship satisfaction. People with an avoidant attachment style tend to avoid intimacy, be

emotionally withdrawn, and try to be more self-reliant, including in sexual matters.

With anxious attachment, on the other hand, people tend to feel unsure of their worth and seek

reassurance, but are also more likely to be preoccupied with their own needs over the needs of

their partners.

Sexual self-concept refers to the totality of oneself as a sexual being, including positive and

negative concepts and feelings. Sexual self-concept is described well along three dimensions,

according to theorists (Snell & Papini, 1989) sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual

preoccupation. Because attachment style moderates sense-of-self in general, and one's

expectations about and strategies for approaching relationships, sexual self-concept may be a

good indicator of what kinds of relationships we tend to get into, and how we tend to behave

within relationships, with an emphasis on sexual satisfaction.In their recent research paper,

"Sexual self-concept, sexual satisfaction, and attachment among single and coupled

individuals," authors Anticevic and colleagues (2017) examine the less-well studied intersection
of partnering status, attachment style, and sexual self-concept

Muller (2014) state that the quality of adult interpersonal relationships is a significant domain

affected by insecure attachments, with effects often seen in establishing intimacy, or in trusting

others. Psychologists Nancy Collins and Lynne Cooper found that couples (in which at least one

member was insecurely attached) were more likely to experience problems related to intimacy,

communication, and trust. Similarly, studies have shown that individuals who exhibit secure

attachment report higher relationship satisfaction and display more positive interpersonal

interactions when observed.Overall mental health is also strongly affected by attachment

security. Psychologist Hipólito Merino and colleagues at the University of Santiago reported that

individuals who suffered from insecure attachments yielded higher scores on measures

of depression. Researcher Shelley Riggs at the University of North Texas reported similar

results: Individuals with problems related to attachment were more likely to suffer from anxiety,

low self-esteem, irrational beliefs, and depression.

According to Heshmat (2015) the attachment system plays an important role in emotion

regulationallowing individuals to deal with distressing events. When individuals (infants,

children, or adults) are threatened or challenged, the attachment system becomes activated and

triggers efforts to alleviate distress and restore felt-security. In response, the attachment figure

provides comfort and reassurance, thereby allowing distressed individuals to regain a sense of

calm.A sense of felt security provides confidence that one is worthy of others’ love and that

significant others will be responsive/supportive when needed. This sense of security is

a resilience resource in times of need and a building block of mental health and social

adjustment. Secure people perceive themselves as valuable, lovable, and special. They feel
understood, validated/accepted by their attachment figures.

Brogaard, Berit. (2015) state that although in childhood you may have learned habits of

insecure attachment, it may be possible for you to override them with effort as an adult.

Practice being aware of how you interact in relationships to determine what you’d like to

improve. Determine what emotions you feel when you experience insecurity with a romantic

partner (anxiety, anger, distrust?) and how they diminish your interactions. Learn ways to 

regulate these emotions through practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness.

According to Essig (2013) the study also claimed to find that people who were out of the

closet were less stressed and less depressed than people who were not out about their sexuality.

Over at Huff Post live, I appeared on a show that argued that happiness comes from coming out

publicly about your sexual secrets, whatever they are.  Guests on the show argued that if you like

to be spanked, tell everyone and you'll feel better. 

Alas, none of this good news for gays and spanking fetishists is really backed up by the data in

the original study, which, while intriguing, is hardly evidence that it is being out and gay that

makes men happier (let alone women). The original study, published in Psychosomatic

Medicine, doesn't really show much of anything for the general public.  For one, the study

recruited participants in Montreal, a large and fairly progressive city where being openly gay

does not come with high social or economic costs. For another, it is based on 87 participants who

were: primarily white, primarily with a post-secondary education and/or students, and very

young (average age was 24.61). While gay men in the study seemed to experience less stress

and depression than straight men, there are a variety of alternative explanations that might

explain this fact (like whether they worked out or not; whether they had children or not; income
level and stability). And while closeted people were supposedly more stressed out than non-

closeted people, the way "closet" was measured was if the participant was not out to every single

person in his/her life. In other words, you might be out at work and at home, but if your

grandparents donnot know you're gay, then you're marked as closeted. Although this method

allowed the study authors to claim fourteen "closeted" participants, I am not completely

convinced that this is a good way to figure out whether someone is in the closet or not.

Furthermore, the closet might be more an effect of economic security (Will a person get fired if

they're out? Will he/she get cut off from familial support?) than disclosure status.

According to Joseph (2017) Lesbian, gay, bisexual and same-sex-attracted (LGB/SSA)

individuals in conservative religions often experience stigma, shame, and psychological distress

in reconciling their religious and sexual identities, yet religion can also provide existential

comfort and social support. We investigated relationships among self-esteem, participation in the

Mormon Church, and sexual identity acceptance among 348 LGB/SSA Mormons and ex-

Mormons in 2013–2014 and found that the two groups reported similar self-esteem. By testing

plausible mediators (family support, gay/SSA identity acceptance, and agreement with Mormon

Church policy prohibiting same-sex behaviour) through a path model, results revealed different

pathways to self-esteem.

According to Seaman(2016) a new study suggests. Attempts to hide sexual orientation are

generally unsuccessful, and the result is more abuse and more depression, the authors say in the

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.Research shows that adults fare better after disclosing their

sexual orientations, but there was little evidence on how being “out” in middle or high school

affects mental health later on.

 Coallition des familles (2017) stated that Lesbians, gays and bisexuals without children have

some choice in deciding when and with whom they will come out. They may feel that they are

completely out of the closet and suffer no homophobia in their daily lives. Maybe the whole

family knows. Or most people at work probably know, but it isn’t discussed. Some might feel

that their sexual orientation is personal and private and can pick and choose who they share this

information with. When we really look at how we behave, we see layers and layers of half-truths,

omissions, and white lies. We subconsciously and innocently create protective mechanisms to

shelter ourselves (and others) from potential discomfort. Our way of presenting ourselves

without revealing our sexual identity doesn’t hurt anyone and can even preserve our sense of

privacy. Many lesbians, gays and bisexuals live happily in this grey zone until one day children

come into their lives.

Accordiing to University of Arizona (2015) Despite the risk of being bullied, coming out in

high school is better for students' well-being in the long-run, according to a new study. Students

who were open about their sexual orientation or gender identity in high school reported higher

self-esteem and life satisfaction as young adults than those who did not disclose, or who tried to

conceal, their sexual orientation or gender identity from others at school.

According to Tobias (2019) low self-esteem can lead to higher rates of depression, suicidal

thoughts, risky behavior and problematic substance use.  This is not something that should be

taken lightly. And it’s not something you have to just grin and bear.There is no quick fix to

improve your self-esteem.  Many have tried with drugs, alcohol, sex or working out.  When you

think poorly of yourself on a deep level, external changes rarely help.  Working on your self-

esteem is an inside job.Looking at your negative thought patterns is a good place to begin the
internal work needed to improve self-esteem.

Foreign Literature

If a person feel good about themselves and have a healthy sense of self-worth, they may be

more likely to seek help when encountering a situation that does not feel safe. They may also

have more positive friendships and spend more time with their friends, thereby increasing

opportunities for getting help. Furthermore, promoting healthy self-esteem and self-compassion

may also serve to prevent individuals from offending in the future. Research revealed that

offenders are often plagued with low self-esteem, which is exacerbated by intense experiences of

shame (Marshall, et al., 2009).

Generally, the concept of self-esteem anchor by various researchers in the realm of emotions

as a socially built emotion representing perceptions and feelings about individuals’ various self-

images and self concepts which are based upon the psychosomatic need for the aspiration of

authentic and efficacious functioning, belonging and acceptance within one’s social group,

achievement and competence in contrast to other members of individuals’ group (Bruno &

Njoku, 2014).

 According to Henriques (2013) So, we must be careful about being too critical, or having

them feel like they are lesser compared to their peers. This, of course, is a simple, basic idea, and

I certainly hope my kids have high self-esteem. And it is essential that kids are provided a deep

sense of emotional security, provided a general positive regard, and are not fundamentally

shamed or controlled in an authoritarian way. But how people are thinking about self-esteem

(and the flip side, disappointment, negative feelings, etc.) is largely confused.

The extent that the remunerations, work organization and faculty welfare allow, work can
assist as a tonic for individuality that helps in enhancing the self-esteem. When an individual

does an expressive work, he in reality develops a sense of self, dignity and worth. “Work is,

above all, an activity through which an individual fits into the world, creates new relations, uses

his talents, learns and grows to develop his identity and a sense of belonging” (Safura et al.,

2014).

Supporting the definition of what self-esteem is, the factors that influence self-esteem include

genetics, personality, life experiences, age, health, thoughts, social circumstances, the reactions

of others, and comparing the self to others (Ackerman & Brown, 2018).

According to Thomaes et al. (2010), children's current identification of their personal self-

esteem depends on his or her current experiences and approval by others. The experiences a

child has are rooted in his or her history of social interactions.

Even a meta-analysis study showed that an increase in self-esteem can reduce depression

symptoms (Sowislo & Orth 2013)

Alexander (2010) views self-esteem as a syndrome and a set of indicators for mental well

being. The core of self-esteem is an unconditional appreciation of oneself,

The relationship between secure peer attachment and positive self-esteem has been found to be

strongly mediated by prosocial behaviour and empathy, with adolescents who reported higher

levels of empathy scoring lower on measures of aggressive behaviour, and higher on prosocial

behaviour (Walker & Bright , 2009).

There is growing evidence to suggest that a secure infant attachment is dependent on the

mother’s ability not only to respond consistently to their infant but also to respond sensitively to

their needs (Barker & Maughan, 2009).

 Attachments styles have been shown to relate to many different aspects of wellbeing, as well

as many mental and interpersonal difficulties. These issues have direct and indirect effects on the

ability of individuals to regulate emotions, communicate, and manage relationships. One

example of this is the relationship of attachment style and Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms

(PTSS) ( Clark and Owen , 2012) .

Hayes (2014) the simple fact is, we cannot always prevent young people from experiencing

insecurity and low self-esteem. Heck, we cannot eliminate those feelings in ourselves. All people

feel inadequate or imperfect at times. And in an ever-evolving, ever more complex world, there

is simply no way we can protect our young people from events that threaten their self-esteem—

events like social rejection, family problems, personal failures, and others.

Burton(2014) stated that self-esteem evolved as a barometer of status or acceptance in the

social group, or else to lend us the strength to act in the face of fear and anxiety.

This literature is closely related to the current study for it directly mentions the role of self-

esteem and sense of attachment.

Local Studies

Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences in Rizal Technological University, Mandaluyong

City, Philippines , Olea et al. (2012) both the male and female student respondents showed

positive perception of their self-esteem. The researchers used Rosenberg self-esteem test to

measure the respondent level of self-esteem.

Majority of the respondents are students, the goal of the study is to check the students self-

confidence and background .  The two most important things about self-esteem isthis is the

first step in believing in oneself, it builds self-confidence and one cannever compare themselves

to others (Doris Ann,  2011).

People in romantic relationships are getting social affirmation. They have their social

inclusion, their new role, and their progress toward what may be an important life goal. But none

of that is enough to enhance their self-esteem if the relationship don’t last very long, or if it is a

lousy relationship. In fact, people who get into a new romantic relationship, only to experience a

breakup before a year is over, end up with worse self-esteem than those who stay single

(Luciano, 2017).

Children with high self-esteem, usually feel good about themselves and better able to resolve

their conflicts with other children and are resistant to deal with problems. One of the most

important human traits to achieve objectives is self-esteem. The term self-esteem means

“reverence for self.” The “self” pertains to the values, beliefs, and attitudes that we hold about

ourselves. Having a strong will and self-confidence, decision-making power and originality,

creativity, sanity and mental health is directly related to self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It

also refers to an individual’s sense of his or her value or worth, or the extent to which a person

values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself. During childhood, if individual’s

feelings are respected, thoughts valued and abilities recognized then self-esteem strengthens.

When feelings are trampled upon, thoughts belittled and ability criticized then the individual’s

self-esteem remains at a low point of development and is therefore weak. During the course of

time, an individual faces many life situations (University of Asia Pacific, 2017).

Adults who have secure attachment styles are more likely to have sex in order to achieve

intimacy with their partners. Secure individuals are less accepting of casual sex and promiscuous
partners. Those who have insecure attachment styles, on the other hand, are most likely to

engage in affairs or in short-term mating rituals (Macapagal, Ofreneo, Montiel, & Nolasco,

2013).

A survey by Metro Manila Pride revealed that the Philippines' LGBTQ+ community has 3

main issues: lack of acceptance and violence in the home, discrimination in the workplace, and

bullying in schools (Gutierrez, 2017).

The Spanish model of homosexuality is different from the Philippine. Spain was a firmly

patriarchal culture . The culture valorized males, including their sexual practices. Although

homosexual relations were definitely stigmatized, a segment of the Spanish culture seemed to

allow it . Tolerance was also dependent on the roles played by the participants in the act of

homosexual sex itself. (Berco, 2008).

Throughout Philippine history, homosexual behavior has already existed and people are

discriminated for loving a person in the opposite sex. Homosexuality can be traced back in

theancient Greece. During those times, however, homosexuality has been seen as a sin and has

beenwidely condemned. Judaism and Christianity view homosexuality as a sin. During the

Spanishera, homosexuality was seen as a sin and during the Americans; it is regarded as

an illness (Revadulla, 2011).

Homosexuals in the Philippines are viewed as people who are out of the

ordinary.Homosexuals are divided into two groups. Gay is a term used to describe men and

womenattracted to the same sex as theirs, although the term lesbian  is more commonly used for

women (Revadulla, 2011).

 According to Melissa Corpus (2013) Contemporary research has shown that a significant

portion of gay men have traits, interests, occupations, and behaviors that are consistent with the

stereotype of gay men as effeminate, androgynous, or unmasculine. A great number of gay men

exhibit gender nonconformity during childhood; most, however, “defeminize” during

adolescence, possibly in response to stigmatization and society's gender-role prescription. Only a

relatively small percentage of gay men continue to be gender-nonconforming in their adulthood,

often at a price, as they also tend to have lower psychological well-being.

Last 2009 Ritchie Jovero Rubio conduct a Adherence and Conflict with Expectations of

Masculinity Questionnaire to assess 7 male role dimensions, as well as the Mehrabian Trait

Anxiety and Depression Scales and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale. Analyses indicated

that Filipino gay men conformed less to, and experienced greater conflict with, norms for family

orientedness and for respectful deference to spouse, women, and elders. Gay men’s anxiety was

associated with less conformity to the male role prescription to be strong. Heterosexual men’s

depression was associated with less conformity to the role prescription to be family oriented. The

discussion explores the divergent attitudes of gay and heterosexual men regarding family life, as

well as implications for clinical practice and public policy.

Public opinion also suggests that anti-gay prejudice is alive among Filipinos. In the analysis

conducted by Manalastas and del Pilar , a nationally representative survey found that 1 out of 4

Filipinos would reject gay people as neighbors and that 28% of Filipino adults consider being

gay as “unacceptable.” The views regarding homosexuality in the Philippines are somewhat

attributed to the dominant culture of heterosexuality and religious teachings. Cultural norms are

built around the dominant culture of heterosexuality defining same-sex relationships as deviant
and immoral while defining man-woman relationships as good,“normal and natural”(Manalastas,

2013, p. 4).

The lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) community in the Philippines have

always make a stand for the equality and respect from our society. The 2011 Philippine National

LGBT Conference official statement said that despite the growing tolerance towards LGBT

people, acceptance is still yet to be achieved. LGBT persons in the Philippines still face violence

and discrimination from the family, from civil society organizations, from medical and health

institutions, in schools, in employment and from the government.

International Journal of Asian Studies. (2014) stated that the concept of self-esteem anchor

by various researchers in the realm of emotions as a socially built emotion representing

perceptions and feelings about individuals’ various self-images and selfconcepts which are based

upon the psychosomatic need for the aspiration of authentic and efficacious functioning,

belonging and acceptance within one’s social group, achievement and competence in contrast to

other members of individuals’ group (Bruno & Njoku, 2014). The researchers distinguished the

self-esteem dimensions as personal, social and general self-esteem for teachers. When combined,

these three subcomponents equal to overall self-esteem. The low self-esteem signs include:

feeling incompetent, worthless, exaggerated perfectionism and unrealistic about our abilities,

being overwhelmed with fear and negative thoughts, feeling unloved, fear of change, being

unrealistic about goals, constant need for validation and recognition and distorted view of self

and others (Esmaeil et al., 2014).

According to Francisco(2018) Self-esteem is the mirror that reflects how people view

themselves.They either see someone beautiful or someone ugly. Low self-esteem in children may
seem to be a normal trait or quality as we often see shy, timid and unsociable. When children

regard themselves negatively, they become unhappy, withdrawn and disconnected, thereby

experimenting on the things that may lead to more serious problems such as drug dependency

and depression.

Local Literature

Too often LGBTQ young people’s doubts about themselves holds them back from

improving their lives—doubts instilled and make their self-esteem low by the hateful messages

they have experienced. When you treat a young person like they’re less than deserving or human,

they begin to doubt their own abilities. Far too many will even doubt they deserve anything

positive or good at all.I too have struggled with doubts and fear, leading me to search for role

models of strength and inspiration. I look to people who are fighters. I look to the experiences

and words of people who have had to confront struggles of their own, who overcame loss and

then were able to go on and celebrate a personal victory of growth and achievement in the face of

adversity (Valencia, 2013).

Barer (2009) state that As more and more research is done in this renaissance period of the

LGBT culture and the enlightenment period of Western societies in regards to lesbian, gay,

bisexual, and transgender culture, researchers are trying to address the numerous social factors

and concerns that address LGBT issues. By understanding the LGBT individual and the steps

they are taking to come out of the closet, researchers are able to determine various reasons that

these individuals choose to or not to come out. By addressing these issues behind the coming out

process, researchers are able to assist others in helping the LGBT individual take that first step

with those closest to them by assisting the family and friends of the LGBT individual in
accepting them just as they are, and if one is so inclined, to try and understand why they have the

bitterness, resentment, prejudice, hatred and bigotry toward the LGBT community. The

psychologist will then be able to assist this person in understanding why they are non-accepting

and guide them in learning how to accept others as they are.

According to Caitlin (2009) In the past, very few adolescents “came out” to their families or

told others they were gay. Most lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGB) waited until they were

adults to talk about their LGB identity with others. Fear of rejection and serious negative

reactions kept many LGB adults from openly sharing their lives.

Celis (2014) state that unfortunate reality that people within the lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) community have a harder time accepting and loving

themselves. Society's message toward anyone who is not straight or cisgender (a person whose

sex matches their gender) is often negative and harshly critical. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and

transgender people are seen as outcasts and freaks. I am pansexual and I have, in my history, felt

like one of those freaks.

Briton (2013) state that Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning

(LGBTQ) population are more vulnerable to psychological issues than heterosexual individuals

simply because of the stigma and perceptions surrounding their sexual preferences. Research has

shown time and again that LGBTQ individuals experience less stress, depression,

and anxiety when they come out to family members and friends, and more importantly, when

they are emotionally supported by peers.

CHAPTER III
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, population and sampling, resech instruments, data

gathering procedure, and the statistical treatment of data.

Research Design

Quantitative research design was used in this study because it requires scientific and

statistical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by

manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques in order to obtain

accurate data in this study. Non-experimental research means there is a predictor variable or

group of subjects that cannot be manipulated by the experimenter. Typically, this means that

other routes must be used to draw conclusions, such as correlation, survey or case study.

Furthermore, the study also attempted to know the level of self-worth and sense of

attachments of Gays in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The researchers used a descriptive research

because it is mostly wording and the data gathered is based on the survey that the researchers

disseminate to the respondents. Descriptive research describe situations. They do not make

accurate predictions, and they do not determine cause and effect. There are three types of

descriptive methods: observational methods, case-study methods and survey methods.

Population and Sampling

The participants of this study were the Gays of Sto.Tomas, Batangas. A total of fifty (50)

respondents were used in the conduct of the study. Moreover, purposive sampling was used in

this study because the researchers gets their respondents by observing their respondents who will

be qualified or possessing the traits that the researchers are looking for. Purposive sampling is a

non-probability sample that is selected based on characteristis of a population and the objective
of the study. Purposive sampling is also known a judgmental, selective, or subjective sampling.

The researchers picked fifty (50) respondents from Sto. Tomas, Batangas that are considered

themselves as a Gay.

Research Instrument

In order to gather data, the researchers provided two questionnaires which can determine the

level of self-worth and sense of attachments. The instrument was consist of two questionnaires,

the Adult Attachment Test (AAT) is a test wherein you can determine the level of an individuals

attachment, the Adult Attachment Test (AAT) is consist of 18 questions. This test was officially

developed in 1990 but built on the earlier work of Hazen & Shaver (1987) and Levy & Davis

(1987) into a series of 18 items. The scale consists of 18 items scored on a 5 point likert-type

scale. It measures adult attachment styles named "Secure", " Anxious" and "Avoidant", define as

Secure high scores on Close and Depend subscales, low score on Anxiety subscale
Anxious high scores on Anxiety subscale, moderate scores on Close and Depend
Avoidant scores on Close, Depend, and Anxiety subscales
Table 1. Attachment subscale

(S)=Secure, (Av)=Avoidant, (Ax)=Anxious/Ambivalent;

and the Rosenberg Scale by Dr. Morris Rosenberg, is a self-esteem measure widely used in

research. This questionnaire measure the self-esteem of an individual. The scale ranges from 0-

30. Scores between 15 and 25 are within normal range;scores below 15 suggest low self-esteem.

{Scoring:SA=3, A=2, D=1, SD=0. Items with an arterisk are reverse scored, tht is SA=0, A=1,

D=2, SD=3. Sum the scores for the items. The higher the score, the higher the self-esteem.}

Data Gathering Procedure

The chosen topic for the researchersis about gays wherein they were assigned to determine
the level of the self-esteem and sense of attachment among gays in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. They

did a further research to fill their work with a reliable answers. They looked for the possible

respondents that posses the traits that the researchers are looking for, they also looked for the

questionnaires that will mesure the self-esteem and sense of attachment of gays. The researchers

distributed two (2) kinds of questionnaires to the respondents. The researchers had explained

what are the two questinnaires all about and after the explaining part, they are asked to answer

the two questionnaires that are given to them. Lastly, when the respondents had finish answering,

the data will be tallied, analysed and interpreted. Also, the researchers will took full

responsibility in the data gathered and confirmed that the results of the participant's test will be

confidential and will be discussed privately only by the researchers involved.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data gathered were classified in order to present the results of the study, the following

statistical tools used were:

1. Percentage. This was used to determine the demographic profile of the respondents. A portion

of a whole expressed as a number between 0 and 100 rather than as a fraction. All of something

is 100 percent, half of it is fifty percent, none of something is zero percent.

2. Frequency. This was used to determine the most numbers of result that are contented, happy

and already found their purpose. Frequency measures how often things repeat over time.

CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data gathered. To
determine the level of self-esteem and sense of attachment among gays of Sto.Tomas Batangas,

the primary attempt of this research, the researchers’ gathered data on the validated

questionnaire.

1. The level of self-esteem among gays.

Table 2. level of self-esteem among gays.

SOP 1 Composite Mean Verbal interpretation

Self-esteem 3.03 High

{Rating Scale:0 to 0.8 are Very low;1 to 1.8 Low;1.9 to 2.7 are Averagel; 2.8 to 3.6 are

High; 3.7 to 4.5 are Very high.}

The table above shows that self-esteem of gay of Sto.Tomas obtained a composite mean of

3.03 with a verbal interpretation of high..

In support to this according to Marshal(2009) if a person feel good about themselves

and have a healthy sense of self-worth, they may be more likely to seek help when

encountering a situation that does not feel safe. They may also have more positive attitude

and spend more time with their friends, thereby increasing opportunities for getting help.

According to Henriques (2013) So, we must be careful about being too critical, or having

them feel like they are lesser compared to their peers. This, of course, is a simple, basic idea,

and I certainly hope my kids have high self-esteem. And it is essential that kids are provided

a deep sense of emotional security, provided a general positive regard, and are not

fundamentally shamed or controlled in an authoritarian way. But how people are thinking

about self-esteem (and the flip side, disappointment, negative feelings, etc.) is largely

confused.
 This means that having a high level of self-esteem among gays have a great impact in

their lives.

2. The level of sense of attachment among gays.

Table 3. level of sense of attachment among gays

SUBSCALE WEIGHTED MEAN VERBAL INTERPRETATION

AVOINDANT 3.03 Low
ANXIOUS 2.94 Average
SECURE 2.8 Average
{Rating Scale: 1 to 1.8 are Very low; 1.9 to 2.7 are Low; 2.8 to 3.6 are Average; 3.7 to 4.5

are High; 4.6 to 5.4 are Very high;}

The table show the ranking of the three (3) subscale from highest to lowest. Avoindant rank

first with the weighted mean of 3.03, anxious rank second with the weighted mean of 2.94,

secure rank third with the weighted mean of 2.8.

According to Valencia (2013) LGBTQ young people’s doubts about themselves holds them

back from improving their lives—doubts instilled and make their self-esteem low by the hateful

messages they have experienced. When you treat a young person like they’re less than deserving

or human, they begin to doubt their own abilities. Far too many will even doubt they deserve

anything positive or good at all.I too have struggled with doubts and fear, leading me to search

for role models of strength and inspiration. I look to people who are fighters. I look to the

experiences and words of people who have had to confront struggles of their own, who overcame

loss and then were able to go on and celebrate a personal victory of growth and achievement in

the face of adversity . According to Luciano (2017) People in romantic relationships are getting

social affirmation. They have their social inclusion, their new role, and their progress toward

what may be an important life goal. But none of that is enough to enhance their self-esteem if the
relationship don’t last very long, or if it is a lousy relationship. In fact, people who get into a new

romantic relationship, only to experience a breakup before a year is over, end up with worse self-

esteem than those who stay single.

This means that having a high level of sense of attachment have a great impact in the

lives of the gays.

3. Relationship of Self-esteem and Sense of attachment

Table 4. Relationship of Self-esteem and Sense of attachment

Self-esteem Sense of attachment

Self-esteem 1
Sense of attachment 0.0.263089214 1

The table above shows that there is a significant relationship between self-esteem and sense of

attachment among gays of Sto.Tomas.

Vidya (2012) conducted a study to evaluate the effect of a planned series of activity sessions

on positive peer relationship and self esteem among adolescent students using pre experimental

design. Simple random technique was used and 60 adolescents were selected. Peer Relation

Scale and the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Inventory were used to collect data. The subjects

participated in the planned series of activity in eight different sessions. The results showed that

the subjects developed high positive peer relation and self esteem after participation in the

activities and it was also found that there was a positive correlation between the level of positive

peer relation and self esteem of the adolescents.Another research area relevant to attachment

researchers' conception of IWMs concerns infants' understanding of statistical probabilities.

When considering individual differences in how mothering contributes to attachment

quality, conception of “good enough” mothering; that is, mothering which assures a child that

probabilistically, and often enough, the mother will prove responsive to the child's signals.

Implicit in such a perspective is the assumption that an infant can make probabilistic inferences.

Only recently has there been a surge in interest in the methods available to evaluate this

assumption of attachment theory (Krogh et al., 2013).

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The following chapter concludes this report. The summary of the research is presented and the

findings are discussed further and interpreted. The significance of this research in finding the

level of self-esteem and sense of attachment mong gays of Sto.Tomas, Batangas.

Recommendations for further research and to the next researcher end the chapter. The conclusion

of this research is discussed further at the end of the chapter.

SUMMARY

The study dealt on the correlation of self-esteem and sense of attachment among gays of

Sto.Tomas.

The study made us use of correlation method of research design. A standardized test

qustionnaire was utilized in gathering the data. The sample size of 50 gays respondents was

determined through the use of purposive sampling. The statistical treatment use in the study was

frequency and percentage,weighted mean and composite mean.

This study aimed to determine the level of self-esteem and sense of attachment among gays of

Sto.Tomas and also to identify the relationship beetween self-esteem and sense of attachment.
RECOMMENDATION

1. Organize an accurate and smart plan.

2. Observe properly on the target respondents if they posses the traits you are looking for and;

3. Make it possible or do the easiest way you to easily achieved the target results.

4. For the LGBTQ be free and take discrimination as a positive challenge.

5. For the future researchers try to gather data as early as possible, distribute equally the paper

works to make it easy.

CONCLUSION

According to the gays of Sto.Tomas, Batangas and from the data gathered in the study, they

are having a hard time to trust others but they also want to have an intimate relationship. They

want to have self-respect and others to respect them, also in addition for this, they are easily

attached to others if they share a good relationship for them and they still think positively even

though they experienced discrimination and inequality. Self-esteem has record a 3.03 weighted

mean it shows that the the self-esteem of gays is high, and sense of attachment record a 2.8 for

secure, 2.94 anxious, and 3.03 for avoidant.