Perceptions of Masculinity, Femininity, and Androgyny among a Select Cohort of Gifted Adolescent Males

1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan L. Wilcove
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Intellectual Development ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Adolescent Males ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Sex Role Identity

This qualitative study explored the gender schemata of a select cohort of 13 gifted adolescent males. It revealed these adolescents as having an androgynous sex-role identity. However, the findings identified among the adolescents three distinct constructions of androgyny. The data also pointed out some of the intrapsychic problems encountered by the boys in their sex-role identity development—most notably anxieties about femininity and women stemming from demands placed upon the boys by their awakening sexualities. Finally, the study examined the role of their intellectual giftedness in the negotiation of their sex-role identities. Most of the adolescents employed a sophisticated critical rationalism to construct their gender schemata. However, several of the subjects acknowledged the limits of this rationalism to achieve a complete understanding of these complex issues and expressed an awareness of an asynchrony between their emotional and intellectual development.

Psychological Gender, Hand Preferences, and Sex Differences in Book-Carrying Styles

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 815-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Alley ◽  
Jeanette I. Kolker
Keyword(s):  
Sex Role ◽  
Hand Preference ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Sex Role Identity ◽  
Psychological Gender ◽  
Personal Attributes Questionnaire ◽  
Hand Preferences ◽  
Item Scale

Individuals with stronger sex-role identities may be expected to show greater conformity to sex-typed behaviors. Proceeding from this assumption, the sex-role status and sex of students using different styles of carrying books were compared. This study also examined whether over-all hand preference or age were related to carrying styles or sex-role status. Subjects completed a questionnaire comprised of the 24-item Personal Attributes Questionnaire of Spence and Helmreich, a 6-item scale of hand preference and a self-rating of sex-role identity. Afterwards, each subject's carrying style was covertly observed and recorded. Most subjects carried their materials in a sex-typical way or in book bags (for which no sex-typed carrying styles were discovered). As in previous studies, men in this study scored higher than women on masculinity and androgyny and lower on femininity. Hand preference was not related to sex-role status. Carrying style was not significantly correlated with any of the predictor variables for men, perhaps because almost no variance in carrying style was observed among them. Women who used masculine carrying styles tended to be older, have greater instrumentality, and a more masculine identity.

Intimacy dating goals and relationship satisfaction during adolescence and emerging adulthood: Identity formation, age and sex as moderators

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck ◽  
Jillian Petherick
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Vocational Identity ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Sex Role Identity ◽  
Classic Theory ◽  
Dating Goals

Intimacy and identity are life tasks of the adolescent and emerging adult years. Erikson's (1969) classic theory signifies that young people should show progress in identity formation before intimate relationships are formed. Drawing from a motivational life-task perspective, others (Sanderson & Cantor, 1995) have proposed that there are individual differences in intimacy dating goals, while individuals make progress in identity formation. In the current study, associations among romantic relationship satisfaction, intimacy dating goals, vocational identity, and sex role identity were examined. Participants ( N= 242, age 17 to 21) who had relatively more formed sex role identities were higher in intimacy dating goals than others. Participants with relatively higher intimacy dating goals were more satisfied with their relationships. The association between intimacy dating goals and relationship satisfaction was stronger among (a) older participants, (b) those with more formed vocational identities, and (c) those with less formed sex role identities. Few main or moderating effects of participant sex were found.

scholarly journals The implications of sex role identity and psychological capital for organisations: A South African study

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Bernstein ◽  
Sara Volpe
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
African Study ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Sex Role Identity ◽  
South African Study ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: A large body of research evidence indicates that both sex role identity (SRI) and psychological capital (PsyCap) may have critical implications for individual and organisational well-being. As SRI is constituted of sex-based personality traits it is possible that SRI may have implications for individuals’ PsyCap.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between SRI and the positive psychological construct of PsyCap.Motivation for the study: Research on SRI and PsyCap has been explored independently of one another with a lack of research exploring the relationship between these two constructs. In addition, much of the previous research on SRI and organisational outcomes has only examined positive sex role identities, focusing almost exclusively on ‘positive’ or ‘socially desirable’ sex role identities. More recently, researchers have noted that this approach is theoretically and methodologically flawed, as it fails to account for negative traits or socially undesirable traits that may be contained within individuals’ SRI and which may have a number of deleterious implications for organisational outcome variables. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research within the South African context, which explores the adoption of positive and negative sexbased behavioural traits and their implications for PsyCap.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative study was conducted using a crosssectional design and a convenience sampling method to explore the relationship between SRI and PsyCap. Four hundred and seventy-eight respondents, all currently working in South African organisations, participated in this research. The composite questionnaire utilised for this research included a demographic questionnaire, The Extended Personal Attribute Questionnaire-Revised (EPAQ-R), and the PCQ-24 which measures PsyCap in terms of self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism.Main findings: Statistically significant differences were found between the positive and negative SRIs for levels of PsyCap. In particular, positive androgyny and positive masculinity scored the highest levels of PsyCap, whereas negative androgyny and negative femininity consistently scored the lowest levels. Although positive femininity fared significantly better than the aforementioned negative identities in most instances, this identity scored significantly lower levels on the positive PsyCap outcomes of hope and resilience, than the other positive identities of positive androgyny and positive masculinity. Furthermore, and counterintuitively, within this South African study, negative masculinity fared unexpectedly better on all dimensions of PsyCap, as compared to the poorer outcomes for negative masculinity evidenced in other international research.Practical/managerial implications: Given the pervasive impact of SRIs and PsyCap on interpersonal and organisational functioning, this research has practical and managerial implications for organisations with regard to recruitment, selection, training and development, and workplace counselling interventions.Contribution/value-add: The findings of this research contribute to the paucity of literature investigating both positive and negative SRIs and contribute further by exploring the interrelationship between these identities and PsyCap. As this study utilised a sample of individuals working in South Africa, its findings have a direct bearing on South African organisations.

scholarly journals Positives and Negatives: Reconceptualising Gender Attributes within the Context of the Sex role Identity and Well-Being Literature: An Examination within the South African Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Bernstein ◽  
Ruksana Osman
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
The South ◽  
Role Identities ◽  
Sex Role Identity

Orientation: There is a lack of research examining both positive and negative sex-based traits and sex role identities. Previous research has predominantly focused on positive sex role identities and their relationship to various outcome variables. Findings for such research have not always been consistent. It has been argued that research that only examines positive identities is methodologically flawed and that the inconsistent findings in such research may be attributable to the fact that the research conducted has not examined the extent to which individuals may have adopted negative sex role identities.Motivation for the study: With few exceptions, sex role identity (SRI) has been measured exclusively in terms of positive characteristics only. There is a dearth of research investigating both positive and negative sex role identities, particularly within the South African context.Research purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the extent to which individuals adopt both positive and negative sex-based traits and sex role identities. A theoretical argument is made for examining positive and negative gender attributes followed by a discussion of seven empirical studies, which demonstrate that significant proportions of samples are adopting negative sex role identities.Research design, approach and method: This research was conducted using a cross-sectional design and a convenience sampling method across seven different samples. A total of 3462 employees participated in this research. A revised version of the Extended Personal Attribute Questionnaire (EPAQ-R) and a demographic survey were used to collect the data.Main findings: Across all seven samples, a significant proportion of the respondents adopted negative sex role identities. These findings suggest that there is a need to measure both positive and negative identities in research on SRI. The proportion of respondents across the seven samples that adopted negative identities ranged from 44% to 49% whilst 46% to 54% indicated the adoption of positive identities.Practical/managerial implications: This research is important as it highlights that investigations of SRI must assess both positive and negative sex role identities. Negative SRIs may have implications for critical individual and organisational outcomes. Furthermore, measures that assess both positive and negative identities may have implications for organisational processes, such as recruitment, selection and training, learning and development.Contribution/value-add: The findings of this research contribute to the South African body of literature investigating sex role identities. The present study’s finding of a high proportion of individuals endorsing negative identities has implications for future research. Future research needs to explore the relationship between both positive and negative identities and a wide variety of individual and organisational well-being indicators.Keywords: Sex role identity; positive sex role identity; negative sex role identity 

Beyond sex

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho Kwan Cheung ◽  
Alex Lindsey ◽  
Eden King ◽  
Michelle R Hebl
Keyword(s):  
Gender Role ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Influence Tactics ◽  
Role Expectations ◽  
Performance Ratings ◽  
Occupational Commitment ◽  
Continuance Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sex Role Identity

Purpose – Influence tactics are prevalent in the workplace and are linked to crucial outcomes such as career success and helping behaviours. The authors argue that sex role identity affects women’s choice of influence tactics in the workplace, but they only receive positive performance ratings when their behaviours are congruent with gender role expectation. Furthermore, the authors hypothesize that these relationships may be moderated by occupational continuance commitment. Results suggest that femininity is negatively related to the use of influence tactics overall, and this relationship is moderated by occupational continuance commitment. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 657 women working in the construction industry were surveyed for their continuance occupational commitment and sex role identity and 465 supervisors whose responses are linked with the subordinates are surveyed for the women’s influence tactics and performance ratings. Findings – Results suggested that femininity was negatively related to the use of influence tactics overall, and this relationship was moderated by occupational continuance commitment. Results also showed that women’s use of influence tactics was only positively received in terms of performance ratings when the influence tactic was congruent with gender role expectations. Research limitations/implications – The results of this current study suggest that not all women are equally likely to use influence tactics and not all tactics result in positive perceptions of performance. Feminine women in general refrain from using influence tactics unless they are driven to stay in a given occupation, but they only receive positive results when their behaviours are congruent with society’s gender role expectations. Originality/value – Past research has mostly focused on broad differences between males and females, and this study has shown that there are more nuanced differences that can more accurately describe the effects of gender disposition (i.e. sex role identity) on influence tactics. It also emphasizes the importance of occupational commitment as a boundary condition, which influences women to step out of their gender roles even though they may be penalized with lower performance ratings.

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