Describes a survey of toy catalogs and packages, which focused on stereotypes in depictions of children playing with toys. Reports that toys that were previously rated by students as strongly or moderately sex-typed were generally shown with a child of the "appropriate" sex. (KH)

Analysis of prime-time television portrayals of nurses and physicians (1950-80) shows extreme levels of both sexual and occupational stereotyping. TV nurses are 99 percent female; TV physicians are 95 percent male. The TV image of female professional nurses is of total dependence on and subservience to male physicians. (Author/CMG)

Measured attitudes of female subjects toward gender roles, gender inequality, and the women's movement using a 24-item attitudinal inventory. Subjects were highly aware of gender inequality and supportive of the women's movement, although they were reluctant to identify themselves as feminists. (Author/LHW)

At-home observation of 40 sibling dyads was conducted to describe sex-role characteristics of school-aged same-sex and cross-sex siblings. Male dyads interacted less than other sibling groups, while older sisters in female or male-female dyads engaged in the most teaching and managing. Older sister dyads exhibited the greatest role asymmetrics.…

In a study of differences between perceptions of men's and women's language, undergraduates read short stories with speakers using seven categories of "male" and "female" language. Among the findings were that subjects rated males who spoke women's language as homosexual and tended to rate females who spoke men's language as uppity. (KH)

Longitudinal relationships between protest participation and attitude toward the female role are examined in data from a 1967-71 national panel of college students. No evidence is found for expected three-variable interactions involving gender, sex-role attitude, and protest participation. These findings suggest a need for reinterpretation of…

Made spot observations of 83 infant to six-year-old children. Examined sex and age differences in children's typical play and nonplay activities and in the people with whom they interacted. There were fewer sex differences in children's activities, activity partners, and general social settings than expected. (Author/LHW)

A large sample of adults rated a videotape of the activities of an infant whose gender was labeled differently with different subject groups. Labeling the infant "male" resulted in significantly more activities being rated masculine than feminine, whereas the converse was true when the infant was labeled "female." (KH)

Presents results of two studies supporting the hypothesis that attribution of more aggression to boys may be a function of observer bias. Reports that some forms of instruction eliminate sex-typed biases while others yield significant biases. Discusses implications pertaining to the socialization of aggression and to research on sex differences in…

Socialization messages about women's work options in "established" and "new" women's magazines were analyzed. Findings suggest that established magazines are more likely to profile women in traditional occupations and that women profiled in the new magazines are more likely to feel more responsible and powerful at work. (KH)

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…

Male students worked under a supervisor who was male or female, autocratic or democratic, and possessed a sex-role congruent or incongruent job title. For female supervision only, the more traditionally incongruent the situation, the more unfavorable were the verbal reactions elicited. Task performance and written evaluation of the supervisor were…

A test for gender discrimination in response to familiar labels was developed and given to 17- to 42-month-old children. There were no sex differences in performance, but among the youngest children, more boys than girls were unable to perform the discrimination task. The tests measure the ability of children to gender-label. (KH)

Two measures of gender role conflict with acceptable test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire were administered to 527 male college students. Initial results support previous speculation about gender-role conflict and may eventually provide a basis for empirical validation for the sex role strain…

A study of 119 middle-class father-son pairs revealed that fathers' beliefs and expectations (which were found to be unexpectedly traditional in nature) clearly influenced their sons'. (KH)