Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1981

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Psychology and Guidance

Major Professor

Robert L Williams

Committee Members

Priscilla White, Don Dickinson, Luther Kindall

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effect of gender and sex role orientation on behavior change approaches, locus of control, and overall effectiveness in self-management. Two hundred male and female undergraduate students at Western Kentucky University were the volunteer subjects for the study. These subjects completed the IDI from the PRF ANDRO Scale, Approaches to Behavior Change Inventory, the Self-Description Form and the Levenson Locus of control Scale. From responses on the IDI, the median split method grouped the subjects into four classifications: androgynous, masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated. Two factors were thus formed, gender and sex role identity.

Previous research suggested that androgyny is associated with effective behavior. It was hypothesized, therefore, that androgynous men and women would be more effective self-managers than sex-typed persons; that is, more likely to select approaches to problem solving that involved altering the environment to bring about change and would evidence a balanced involvement in the four self-management areas of work, social, health and leisure activities. It was expected that masculine men and women would score higher in the area of work than individuals from the other sex role identity groups and feminine men and women would score higher in the social area. It was further hypothesized that androgynous men and women would have an internal locus of control since previous research suggested that these individuals do not conform to the stereotyped attitudes regarding sex role orientation.

A two factor multivariate analysis of variance was used in the first phase of the analysis. Univariate analyses of variance were used to determine the contribution of the dependent variables to significant multivariate differences. In order to determine how the groups differed, Duncan's New Multiple Range Test to group means with unequal numbers was used.

The results did not support the hypotheses. The possibility was explored that the reevaluation of sex roles in our society has resulted in the removal of culturally imposed boundaries and a freedom to choose more flexible roles and personal styles.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS