Measures of psychological masculinity and femininity: A comment on Gaddy, Glass, and Arnkoff.

C. D. Gaddy et al (see record 1983-30152-001) studied the relationship between women's sex-role identity and career decisions. The ANDRO scales of the Personality Research Form were used to assess sex-role identity. This use of measures of psychological masculinity and femininity, which is not uncommon, is questioned by the present author in view of recent advances in the field. Basically, the assumption that scales labeled "masculine" and "feminine" are reliable and valid measures of sex roles, sex-role identity, sex-role orientation, or sex-role beliefs and behavior is viewed as untenable. Researchers are urged to consider extant measures of masculinity and femininity as assessing the socially desirable personality traits of instrumentality (self-assertion) and expressiveness (nurturance/interpersonal concern), respectively. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facial attractiveness, physique, and sex role identity in young children.

Examined the effects of facial attractiveness and physique on sex-role identity and constancy in 74 middle-class 3-9 yr olds. Measures included Ss' sex-role orientation, sex-role preference, sex-role adoption, parent salience, gender recognition, and sex-role constancy. Ratings for facial attractiveness and the ponderal index for body type were completed for each S. Analysis of variance using age, sex, and facial attractiveness as factors revealed no significant main effects for facial attractiveness on any of the measures. Interactions did appear, however, for Sex * Attractiveness * Age on sex-role adoption and for Facial Attractiveness * Sex on gender recognition. Analyses of variance for physique effects resulted in significant interactions of Physique Type * Age on both gender recognition and sex-role preference. Sex differences were present for sex-role orientation, preference, adoption, and parent salience, but not for gender recognition or sex-role constancy. Age differences appeared for sex-role orientation, preference, adoption, constancy, and gender recognition. Overall results fail to support the hypothesis that physical attractiveness and body stereotypes significantly influence sex-role development. It is concluded that these attributes may influence a child's perception of others, but they do not necessarily affect the child's gender assignment of others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceiving interpersonal conflict and reacting to it: the case for agreeableness

Two converging, multimethod studies probed the hypothesis that individual differences in Agreeableness are related to patterns of interpersonal conflict. In Study 1, participants (N = 263) evaluated the efficacy of 11 modes of conflict resolution within the context of 5 different interpersonal relationships. Across all relationships, high- and low-agreeable participants rated negotiation and disengagement tactics as better choices that power assertion tactics. However, low-agreeable participants rated power assertion as a better choice than did high-agreeable participants. In Study 2, participants (N = 124) were assigned partners and were asked to resolve jointly 2 social conflict problems. Partners were videotaped, and observers coded behaviors. Participants also completed ratings of perceived conflict, partner perception, and liking of their partner. Agreeableness differences, sex of participant, and type of dyad partner were related to patterns of interpersonal conflict. Results were discussed in terms of personality and social influences during interpersonal conflict.     

Sex differences in the correlations among field dependence, spatial ability, sex role orientation, and performance on Piaget's water-level task.

In a study with 8th-grade boys and girls, significant sex differences were found on measures of spatial ability (Card Rotations Test), water-level performance, and sex-role orientation (Bem Sex Role Inventory), but not field dependence (Group Embedded Figures Test). For boys, correlations among field dependence, spatial ability, and water-level performance were significant, while for girls they were not. In contrast, sex role orientation was significantly related to field dependence and water-level performance for girls but not for boys. Results suggest a sex difference in the basis for mastering the water-level task. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender, self confidence, and social influence strategies: An organizational simulation.

Investigated whether men and women in positions of equal power differ in the strategies they use to influence subordinates. 24 male and 24 female undergraduates were placed into a supervisory role in a simulated organizational setting and were compared on the frequency, range, and types of influence strategies they used to direct the work of 3 bogus subordinates. Although gender differences consistent with general sex-role stereotypes were found, most differences were weak and only of marginal significance. Relative to males, females made fewer influence attempts, used a more limited range of influence strategies, used fewer rewarding strategies, particularly promises of pay increases, and used more coercive strategies, especially pay deductions. Females displayed lower levels of self-confidence than did males, and sex-linked differences in self-confidence explained much of the gender difference observed in the frequency with which influence attempts were made and the extent to which coercive strategies were used. (50 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interaction of sex role self-concept with relationship quality and relationship beliefs in married, heterosexual cohabiting, gay, and lesbian couples.

Examined the relationship between sex-role self-concept (masculine, feminine, undifferentiated, and androgynous) and relationship quality and dysfunctional relationship beliefs among 44 married (mean age 29.68 yrs), 35 heterosexual cohabiting (mean age 28.68 yrs), 50 homosexual (mean age 31.28 yrs), and 56 lesbian (mean age 31.18 yrs) couples. Ss completed questionnaires on demographic and background information, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, a relationship beliefs inventory, and relationship quality assessments. Individual partner analyses revealed that relationship quality and relationship beliefs differed by Ss' sex-role self-concept. Androgynous and feminine Ss reported higher relationship quality than masculine and undifferentiated Ss; androgynous Ss had fewer "disagreement is destructive" beliefs than feminine Ss; and androgynous Ss had fewer "partner cannot change" beliefs than undifferentiated Ss. Couple analyses showed a relation between partners' sex-role self-concept only for the heterosexual cohabiting couples. For these couples, masculine men tended to pair with feminine or undifferentiated women, and androgynous partners tended to pair together. Relative to other couples, those in which one or both partners were androgynous or feminine reported the highest relationship quality; couples in which one or both partners were undifferentiated or masculine reported the lowest. These effects did not vary by type of couple. It is concluded that sex-role self-concept is a robust factor in appraisals of relationship quality. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of superior female performance and sex-role orientation on gender conformity.

Assessed the effects of gender, sex-role orientation, and demonstrated female task superiority on influenceability in 54 mixed-gender dyads. The dependent variable was the number of items changed on a social judgment questionnaire subsequent to the influence attempt. The female superiority manipulation rather than gender- or sex-role orientation emerged as the strongest factor in determining influenceability. As predicted, the gender-relatedness of the measuring instrument also played an important role, with females conforming more on masculine items and males conforming more on feminine items. Results are interpreted as consistent with expectation states theory. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex Role Orientation, Self-Disclosure, and Gender-Related Perceptions.

The level of self-disclosure and the sex-role orientation of 104 males and 91 females was determined in order to assess the impact of these characteristics on interpersonal judgments of gender-related behavior. The subject's own level of disclosure was found to have an impact on perceptions of males and females represented to be moderately high and moderately low in disclosure. Those more similar were viewed to be better adjusted, more likable, and preferred partners in an experiment. There was a failure to find differential standards in the evaluation of male and female disclosure, and a subject's sex role orientation (androgynous or sex role stereotyped) had no effect on perceptions. Gender, however, did have an impact on judgments made and interacted with the gender of the individual perceived. Male subjects rated male and female individuals differentially, whereas female subjects did not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex roles and psychological well-being: Perspectives on methodology.

Discusses some sources of problematic methodology in recent research designed to relate current measures of sex-role orientation to indices of psychological well-being. Practices and procedures in sex-role research are examined in relation to orthogonal scales of sex-role orientation that provide independent measures of masculinity, femininity, and a newer assessment of androgyny. Directions for increased conceptual and methodological clarity include theoretical and psychometric definitions of androgyny, the relationship of sex-role typing to other aspects of interpersonal functioning, and varying procedures in sex-role and gender distinction, population sampling, and construct validation. Issues are raised concerning the generality of sex-role measures and the desirability of direct behavioral validation criteria. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a theory of strategic self-presentation in counseling and psychotherapy.

Introduces an impression-management perspective of the therapeutic process. On the basis of the reciprocal view of social influence, a taxonomy is proposed for classifying certain kinds of client self-presentations as defensive and assertive strategies to influence counselors' impressions and behaviors. A defensive or protective strategy is one in which the client seeks to avoid blame or disapproval by the counselor, whereas an assertive strategy is characterized by attempts to gain approval, credit, or social power in the relationship. Four assertive strategies (ingratiation, supplication, self-promotion, and intimidation) and a defensive strategy ("facework") are described, along with their respective short-term tactics. The theoretical relevance of these strategies is described, including the therapeutic contexts that are likely to elicit each class of self-presentation and potential counselor reactions and interventions. 10 propositions are detailed as directions for future research, and earlier literature on the influence of clients' behaviors on counselors' impressions is reviewed from an impression-management perspective. (78 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex role complementarity versus similarity in married couples.

Surveyed 108 Australian married couples about the effect of sex roles on their marital happiness. Questionnaires included the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Measures of the sex-role orientation and happiness of each partner with the relationship permitted an evaluation of the similarity and complementarity hypotheses as well as an assessment of the general compatibility of sex-role combinations. Results provide substantial evidence for the importance of femininity in relationships; the happiness of the husband was positively related to the wife's femininity, and the happiness of the wife was positively related to the husband's femininity. Couples in which both partners were high on femininity (androgynous and feminine) were far happier than were couples in which at least one of the partners was low on this dimension. Although similarity of both masculinity and femininity between partners was associated with happiness, the complementarity hypothesis was convincingly refuted in terms of both happiness and choosing a partner. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On feeling good and getting your way: Mood effects on negotiator cognition and bargaining strategies.

Are happy people more likely to be cooperative and successful negotiators? On the basis of the Affect Infusion Model (AIM; Forgas, 1995a), Experiment 1 predicted and found that both good and bad moods had a significant mood-congruent effect on people's thoughts and plans, and on their negotiation strategies and outcomes in both interpersonal and intergroup bargaining. Experiment 2 replicated these results and also showed that mood effects were reduced for persons more likely to adopt motivated processing strategies (scoring high on machiavellianism and need for approval). Experiment 3 confirmed these effects and demonstrated that the mood of the opposition also produced more mood-congruent bargaining strategies and outcomes. The results are discussed in terms of affect priming influences on interpersonal behaviors, and the implications of these findings for reallife cognitive tasks and bargaining encounters are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The language of demand/withdraw: Verbal and vocal expression in dyadic interactions.

Associations between vocally expressed emotional arousal, influence tactics, and demand/withdraw behavior were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 130 seriously and stably distressed, married, heterosexual couples and in a community sample (N = 38) of 18 married heterosexual and 20 dating heterosexual couples. Fundamental frequency was used to measure emotional arousal, and computational linguistics were used to measure influence tactics. Higher levels of demand/withdraw behavior were associated with greater use of manipulative and controlling influence tactics, higher levels of emotional arousal, and less frequent use of cooperative and compromising influence tactics. Overall, demanders tended to express more arousal and to use more influence tactics than withdrawers. Both influence tactics and emotional arousal were uniquely associated with demand/withdraw behavior. Implications of results are discussed for refining theories of demand/withdraw interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex role identity, marital satisfaction, and response to behavioral marital therapy.

Explored the relationships among masculinity, femininity, marital satisfaction, and response to behavioral marital therapy (BMT) using 44 married nonclinic couples (mean ages of males and females 33.7 and 31 yrs, respectively), 54 maritally distressed clinic couples receiving BMT, and 18 maritally distressed clinic couples placed on a waiting list; the mean ages of males and females in both distressed clinic groups were 32.1 and 29.9 yrs, respectively. Ss completed the Marital Adjustment Scale and masculinity and femininity scales derived from the California Psychological Inventory. Results indicate that for each sex, both femininity and masculinity were significantly correlated with self-reported marital satisfaction; the magnitude of the correlations between femininity and marital satisfaction was higher than the correlations between masculinity and marital satisfaction. Among clinic couples, androgyny was the least frequent sex-role identity for either husbands or wives; conversely, among nonclinic couples, there were more androgynous husbands and wives than there was any other sex-role type. In the clinic group, both husbands and wives showed statistically significant but small increases in masculinity after receiving 10 wks of BMT. Masculinity and femininity level prior to treatment also significantly predicted response to BMT. The potential importance of both masculinity and femininity in successful marriages is highlighted, and treatment implications are discussed. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in the interpersonal behavior of married couples.

Self- and observer reports were used to assess performance frequencies of 800 acts in a sample of 93 married couples over a 3-mo period. Although numerous sex differences were found with respect to each data source, only 69 acts showed significant sex differences across both data sources. Subsequently, these 69 acts were factor analyzed separately for the 2 data sources to identify the major dimensions of sex difference. Four clear and comparable factors emerged from the 2 analyses: Coercive-Manipulative, Communal, Flashy Attire, and Initiative. The California Psychological Inventory Femininity scale correlated highly with most composites for the total sample, suggesting considerable predictive power in identifying dimensions of sex difference. The Extended Personality Attribute Questionnaire scales correlated strongly with the factor composites within sex, but less so for the total sample. Results are discussed in terms of strategies for assessing sex differences in interpersonal behavior, alternative foci of convenience for different masculinity and femininity scales, and the use of multiple data sources to transcend single-source limitations. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital quality, coping with conflict, marital complaints, and affection in couples with a depressed wife.

This study compared 3 groups of women--outpatient depressed, inpatient depressed, and community control--and their husbands on a range of variables including marital functioning and styles of coping with conflict. Outpatient depressed couples reported greater marital distress and more destructive and less constructive tactics for resolving conflict than did community control couples. They also were more likely to have been previously married and to express regrets about having married their current husbands. There were smaller and less consistent differences for couples with inpatient depressed spouses, although inpatient couples with younger wives were similar to outpatient depressed couples. Both groups of depressed women and their husbands reported fewer expressions of affection and more complaints about the marriage than did control couples. Results are discussed in terms of interpersonal perspectives on depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of sex role stereotyping among mental health professionals.

85 male and 40 female psychologists (mean age 47.9 yrs) and psychiatrists (mean age 54.8 yrs) were administered the Attitudes Toward Women Scale and the short form of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory to assess the effects of sex, sex role attitudes, professional affiliation, and therapeutic orientation on sex-role attitudes and sex-role stereotyping. In general, Ss demonstrated relatively liberal sex role attitudes. However, more liberal attitudes were endorsed by psychologists than by psychiatrists and, within disciplines, by younger Ss and those with fewer years of experience. Regarding sex role stereotyping, Ss with less liberal sex role attitudes exhibited stereotyping to a significantly greater extent than did those with more liberal attitudes. Female Ss endorsed as great a double standard of mental health as did males. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family planning in the Jewish population of Israel: correlates of withdrawal use

This report describes trends and differentials in contraceptive practices among Israeli Jews. Data from two fertility surveys show a heavy reliance on the IUD, little use of sterilization, and declining, but still significant use of withdrawal. The factors associated with the practice of withdrawal are explored. Evidence is found in support of Santow's hypotheses that the degree of sex-role differentiation within marriage and the belief that men hold the authority in reproductive decisionmaking are both positively related to the practice of withdrawal. Fear of oral contraceptives, a dislike of sterilization, and a reliance on the IUD only at greater parities imply a continuing role for withdrawal, especially among Israeli Jewish couples in which wives are less educated and have more traditional sex roles than the wives in other couples.