Research on women in atypical occupations has generally focused on highly educated women and has neglected to compare atypically employed women to equally educated women in sex-typical occupations. Since the median American worker has only 13.6 years of schooling, the lack of research on the personality characteristics of noncollege-degreed women…

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)

A study was undertaken to compare the relationship of the masculinity/femininity scale scores with age, sex, and acceptance of sex role stereotyping in 56 behaviorally disordered and 56 nonhandicapped adolescents (13 and 15 year olds). (PHR)

Discourses surrounding the notion of femininity are explored through two stories told in the play of three 4-year-old girls. The author considers whether it is possible to reconcile different discourses about femininity in the classroom and whether one can generate alternative discursive practices. (SLD)

Tested the hypothesis that adult readers would identify with story characters who display a similar gender role orientation to themselves. Findings indicate an interaction between reader's gender role and character's gender role behavior. Davis's (1983) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Empathic Concern subscale) significantly predicted…

Claims that sexual battles are inevitably associated with radical "sexchanges," as well as with notably sexualized visions of change and exchange, in the lives and works of both literary women and men. Argues that this is the case because as sex roles change, sex (that is, eroticism) itself changes. (RAE)

Explored the roles of genes and environment in masculinity and femininity during pre- and early adolescence in 70 twins of 8-14 years. Results revealed significant genetic influences in all measures. Environmental influences were specific to each individual and not shared by members of the same twin pair. (RJC)

Survey responses from 280 British students aged 11-16 found girls well disposed toward physical education and almost as confident in their physical abilities as boys. They demonstrated no conflict between participation and notions of femininity and were more willing than boys to question the gender stereotypes assigned to sports. (SK)

Examined use of new 32-item version of the Femininity scale (Fe) of the California Psychological Inventory in group of 111 male and 104 female college graduates in Taiwan. Findings suggest a movement away from traditional gender-role orientation among Taiwan college graduates resulting from increasing exposure to Western ideas and lifestyle. (NB)

Content analysis of children's Halloween costumes explored how children's fantasy dress reproduces and reiterates conventional gender messages. Both male and female costumes contained high proportions of heroes. Feminine costumes were clustered in a narrow range depicting traditional femininity, with higher proportions of animals and foodstuffs.…

Determines whether the gender identities of African American male and female middle-class subjects are the same as the gender identities of their Anglo-American counterparts. Responses from a total of 1,740 individuals from both races reveal Anglo-American have a greater tendency to find gender-appropriate traits to be self-descriptive. (GR)

Three studies explore similarities between attachment style typologies and sex role typologies. Both are defined by pairs of dimensions: self model and other model (attachment styles); masculinity, or agency, and femininity, or communion (sex role orientations). Discusses results. (KW)

As couples choose to have fewer children, to have their first child later in their adult life, or to remain childfree, there is growing interest in the antecedents of these fertility choices. To examine the hypothesis that couples who choose to remain childfree have less traditional sex-role orientations than couples who choose to become parents…