The onset of femininity is observable in the preoedipal period. The early development of a girl's sense of femaleness is an essential foundation on which subsequent gender identity is built. Of the multiple factors contributing to core gender identity, the ego capacity to differentiate is a necessary condition as are cognitive functions.…

Subjects classified into one of five sex-role endorsement categories were tested for competitive trait anxiety. Results showed "masculine" males less anxious than other subjects, "feminine" males more anxious, and no significant differences among female groups. (CMG)

Parents of firstborn male and female infants completed questionnaires concerning their perceptions of their infants. One question focused on how important it was for their children to become either very masculine or very feminine. It was predicted that the less parents stressed the importance of gender appropriateness, the less they would view…

Shows how adolescent femininity is constructed in 34 adolescent romance novels written from 1942-1982. Most feature the "good girl" characterized by filial obedience and adherence to male-dominated romantic conduct, although sixties and seventies novels showed strain in gender relations. Narrative versions of femininity are fictional…

In a survey of 508 undergraduates, males reported significantly lower levels of emotional intimacy in same-sex friendship than females. Masculinity, defined in terms of "instrumental" qualities, had little effect on the degree of reported intimacy, while femininity, defined in terms of "expressive" qualities, was positively…

The Gough Femininity Scale was administered to undergraduates at an urban community college over an 11-year period. Means for male and female students remained relatively the same, which may suggest that although sexual behaviors have changed, psychological attitudes and traits have not. (CJM)

Examines the relationships among gender, gender identity, and coping in late adolescents. Females endorsed greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies than males. Late adolescents who were high in masculinity endorsed higher levels of problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, gender identity made an important and independent contribution to…

FACTOR ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED UPON FOUR MASCULINITY-FEMINITY (MF) SCALES AND UPON THE 136-ITEMS COMPRISING THESE SCALES. RESULTS OF THE FIRST ANALYSIS ILLUSTRATED THE DIFFICULTY OF INTERPRETING FACTORS BASED ON HETEROGENEOUS SCALES. THE ITEM FACTORING REVEALED THE MULTIDIMENSIONALITY OF MF. CERTAIN ITEM FACTORS WERE UNCORRELATED WITH SEX STATUS…

In this study, androgynous and masculine individuals reported less fear of success than feminine or undifferentiated individuals, and fear of success was related more to absence of masculine traits than presence of feminine ones. Only certain components of masculinity were unrelated to fear of success. (CMG)

Examined relationship between sex-role orientation and willingness to confront existential issues in undergraduate students (N=88). Results indicated masculine men and feminine women reported the least willingness to confront existential issues; androgynous men were most receptive to facing existential issues. (Author/ABL)

Surveyed male and female adults to test several hypotheses about the relationship between sex, gender, personality, and social support. Overall, gender, but not sex, significantly correlated with patterns of social support. Femininity in both sexes associated with seeking and receiving emotional support, and with seeking and receiving support from…

Two studies examined differences in intellectual ability associated with masculinity and femininity in high school and college students. Available from: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 355 Chestnut Street, Norwood, New Jersey 07648. (CL)

Analyzes recent research on sex and gender in terms of (1) sex as a subject variable; (2) individual differences in masculinity, femininity, and androgyny; and (3) sex as a social category. Finds main effect differences of subject sex to be small, the status of androgyny uncertain, and the impact of gender stereotyping considerable. (CMG)

The study suggests that sexuality constitutes a continuum which is largely colinear with P (psychoticism) and with masculinity. The P Scale appears to be closely related with the masculinity femininity dimension. (Author)