Subjects rated masculine and feminine first names on five connotative dimensions: evaluation, activity, potency, stability, and receptivity. The potency dimension (i.e., adjective pairs such as brave-cowardly, severe-lenient, strong-weak) was found to most strongly distinguish masculine and feminine names. No differences were found due to sex of…

A study of the use of sex-typed power bases indicated that, while speakers who used bases associated with the opposite sex were equally persuasive, women who demonstrated expertise and men who demonstrated helplessness were less liked and considered less competent than those who used appropriate sex-typed power bases. (Author/MJL)

The results of two studies indicate that males and females respond differently to persons who are out of sex role. Females more often chose the sex-role-inappropriate person when asked whether they would hire a male or a female for a particular job. (Author/GC)

Television programs were analyzed for frequencies of positive reinforcement and punishment exchanged among performers varying in age and sex. Females were found to more often exhibit and receive reinforcement, whereas males more often exhibited and received punishment. These findings have implications for children's learning of positive and…

The results of the study described support the argument that compliance (agreement with ideas expressed by others) is not a general trait associated with the female sex role. Instead, compliant behavior is affected by the extent to which the topic is relevant to subjects. (Author/GC)

Sex of author and the content of personal acknowledgments were analyzed for a sample of 97 single-author books in educational psychology. It was found that authors were disproportionately male, and acknowledgments to females were significantly more frequently related to clerical and sociopsychological support than to intellectual support. (GC)

Reports the results of a 1988 replication of a sex stereotype study done in 1972. There were minor qualitative changes such as the perception of women as more and men as less reality-oriented, but there was no evidence that the two stereotypes had become significantly less differentiated. (CJS)

Examined relationships between racial identity attitudes and gender role conflict for 95 African American men ages 23 to 80 years. Racial identity attitudes were differentially related to patterns of gender role conflict when racial identity was externally designed. Internally defined racial identity had no relationship to gender role conflict.…

Observers rated identically dressed boys with feminine behavior, conventionally masculine boys, and conventionally feminine girls as to apparent sex, on a five-point scale. The sample to which the child belonged was the most important determinant of ratings: feminine boys were judged to be neither distinctly feminine nor distinctly masculine.…

Examined the relationship between androgyny and self-disclosure (willingness to reveal significant aspects of oneself to others). Rejected hypothesis that androgynous males would self-disclose more intimately than sex-typed males. Discusses: (1) compliance with social norms regarding male disclosure to strangers; and (2) flexibility in the…

Investigates the phenomenon of assigning characteristics based on first names. Subjects were exposed to either a list of good and bad male first names or to the same names accompanied by photographs. Results argue against placing too much emphasis on possible deleterious effects of a particular name. (JS)

Content analysis of prime time television situation comedies examined body weights of female central characters, negative comments made by male characters about their weight or bodies, and audience reactions. Below-average weight females were over-represented in the programs. The heavier the females, the more negative comments made to or about…

Observation of televised toy commercials during holiday periods in 1977 and 1978 revealed that: 1) more boys than girls appeared in commercials in both years; 2) girls had more passive roles in 1977 commercials; and 3) vehicles and male dolls were primarily aimed at boys, while manipulative toys were aimed at both sexes. (Author/MJL)

Reviews the status of research on sex differences in causal attribution for success and failure. Suggests that the literature on sex differences in attributions is characterized by inconsistencies and has not yet fulfilled its promise as the key to understanding differential achievement in men and women. (Author/GC)

Expressivity and sex-role identification were examined in a study of men in either same-sex or other-sex close relationships. Expressivity was associated with sex roles to a greater extent in same-sex relationships. The masculine sex role was positively related to expressivity, with strength aspects of masculinity associated with greater…