Androgyny and self-esteem in the upper-middle class: A replication of Spence.

O’Connor, Kevin; Mann, David; Bardwick, Judith M.

doi:10.1037/0022-006x.46.5.1168

Cited by 57 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…These data apparently conflict with research data from the 1960s (Crandall, 1969). However, the results are consistent with more recent studies of college students, which used the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (Stericker & Johnson, 1977) and the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (O'Connor, Mann, & Bardwick, 1978). Recent androgyny research may be helpful in interpreting these results.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Self-esteem, self-concept, and the life goals and sex-role attitudes of college students1

Zuckerman

1980

J Personality

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Questionnaires that assessed self-esteem, self-concept, educational goals, career goals, preferred and expected career commitment, and sexrole attitudes were completed by 884 male and female undergraduates representing two racial groups and two age groups. Men and women did not differ significantly in terms of self-esteem, but the men described themselves as more attractive than did the women in their age group. For the 18-25-year-old white women, an intelligent, unconventional, and/or nonreligious self-concept predicts nontraditional goals and feminist attitudes, and the interaction between self-esteem and socioeconomic status influences educational goals and sex-role attitudes. For the 18-25-year-old white men, a physically strong and intelligent self-concept predicts higher educational goals and traditional career goals, and lower self-described strength and religiousness and greater intelligence predict more feminist attitudes. Physical self-concept is unrelated to goals or attitudes for the female samples. Self-concept is less strongly predictive of goals and attitudes for the black women and the older men and women. Possible reasons for the sample difierences and implications for related research are discussed.The rebirth of the American feminist movement has stimulated increasing interest in the life goals and sex-role attitudes of college women. Changes in women's goals and attitudes during the last three decades and comparisons between the women who choose nontraditional goals and those who are apparently content with traditional women's roles have been the major foci ofthis research.In studies conducted during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, the majority of college-educated women were interested in traditional women's careers and roles (Zuckerman, 1977). Although the sex differences in "fear of success" that were discussed by Horner have not been replicated in most studies (Tresemer, 1976), there 1. This article is based in part on tbe author s doctoral dissertation. The Obio State University, Department of Psychology, Golumbus, Ohio. The author wisbes to thank committee members

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Self-esteem, self-concept, and the life goals and sex-role attitudes of college students1

Zuckerman

1980

J Personality

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“…Spence and Helmreich (1978) recommended inclusion of performance measures, sucb as grades, in future studies, and clearly implied tbat some sex-role orientations are "healthier" than otbers, althougb healtb bas so far been assessed only in terms of self-esteem (e.g., Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1975;O'Connor, Mann, & Bardwick, 1978). Mental and physical health symptoms have not yet been assessed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Tbe present study was designed to replicate Spence and Helmreicb's work in anotber part of tbe country, and to explore relationsbips between sex, masculinity, and femininity, on tbe one hand, and college performance and health on tbe otber. Spence and Helmreich (1978) recommended inclusion of performance measures, sucb as grades, in future studies, and clearly implied tbat some sex-role orientations are "healthier" than otbers, althougb healtb bas so far been assessed only in terms of self-esteem (e.g., Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1975;O'Connor, Mann, & Bardwick, 1978). Mental and physical health symptoms have not yet been assessed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Masculinity, femininity, academic performance, and health: Further evidence concerning the androgyny controversy1

Olds

Shaver

1980

J Personality

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Spence and Helmreich's (1978) claim that individual differences in four components of achievement motivation (mastery, work, competitiveness, and personal unconcern) are attributable to masculinity and femininity rather than to gender was generally supported, with one exception: Masculinity was associated with competitiveness for males but not for females. Furthermore, competitive women were more likely than noncompetitive women to have mental and physical health problems, but there was no such difference for males. In general, masculinity emerged as a beneficial constellation of traits for both males and females, correlating negatively with achievement conflicts and stress symptoms, and positively with mastery and work. Femininity, on the other hand, appeared to be a detrimental cluster of traits for both sexes, at least in terms of academic performance and health. Implications for the controversial concept of androgyny were discussed, and it was suggested that, in the future, research inspired by an ideal conception of adult behavior confront the ideal directly rather than describe it in terms of the traditional concepts of masculinity and femininity. Any such research effort will have to deal with the pivotal role of competitiveness.

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“…Initial studies showed that androgynous individuals were better adjusted than sex-typed individuals on a number of measures. These measures included behavioral flexibility (Bern, 1975;Bern & Lenney, 1976;Falbo, 1975;Orlofsky & Windle, 1978;Martyna & Watson, 1976), achievement motivation (Spence & Helmreich, 1978), and self-esteem (Bern, 1977;O'Connor, Mann, & Bardwick, 1978;Spence et al , 1975;Spence & Helmreich, 1978). These results were enthusiastically received, and by 19 77 introductory psychology textbooks informed college students that research showed androgynous people to be more well adjusted than other sex-role groups (McNeill & Rubin, 1977).…”

Section: A Brief History Of Androgyny Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Androgyny and sex role measurement: A personal construct approach.

Baldwin

Critelli

Stevens³

et al. 1986

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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In this article we report the results of two studies that used a new sex role instrument, the Sex-Rep. The Sex-Rep uses ideographically elicited sex role constructs, rather than stereotypes, to determine classification. Results from the first study indicated that personal feminine constructs may be healthier than feminine stereotypes in some contexts. The second study showed that the Sex-Rep discriminates gender as well as does the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and that these two instruments are nonredundant. Results also indicated that the apparent positive relation between masculinity and adjustment may be a measurement artifact. The different purposes of the Sex-Rep and the BSRI are discussed.Recent research into sex roles has focused on psychological androgyny, the combination of both masculine and feminine traits in a person of either sex. Androgynists maintain that this balanced, adaptable character structure is preferable to the onesided masculinity or femininity of the sex-typed individual.Androgyny theory led to the development of sex role inventories in which self-descriptions could encompass both masculine and feminine traits. To this end the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bern, 1974) was created. Other similar inventories have followed, most notably the Personal Attributes Questionnaire

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Androgyny and self-esteem in the upper-middle class: A replication of Spence.

Cited by 57 publications

References 2 publications

Self-esteem, self-concept, and the life goals and sex-role attitudes of college students1

Self-esteem, self-concept, and the life goals and sex-role attitudes of college students1

Masculinity, femininity, academic performance, and health: Further evidence concerning the androgyny controversy1

Androgyny and sex role measurement: A personal construct approach.

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