A multicomponent, developmental analysis of sex typing

Abstract

A study of the sex-typed self-descriptions of subjects from five grade/age levels (kindergarten through early college) addressed whether (a) levels of sex typing change developmentally, and (b) the attributes on which individuals are most strongly sex typed change with age. Subjects were asked to rate themselves on 24 sex-relevant attributes, including personality traits, physical characteristics, roles or behaviors, and occupations. Overall levels of sex typing did not change developmentally, but the attributes on which subjects were most strongly sex typed were influenced by age: kindergartners, 3rd graders, 7th graders, and college students showed strongest evidence of sex typing on physical attributes, while 10th graders did so on behaviors. Males in general were most likely to distinguish themselves physically from females, while female distinguished themselves behaviorally from males. Findings are discussed in regard to a componential model of the gender concept.