Adult Sex-Role Self-Concept as a Function of Age & Marital Status

Literature on adult sex-roles and androgyny, the stages of adult personality development, and the effect of marital status on personality and sex-roles was reviewed. Since no research had been reported previously using the Bern Sex Role Inventory to measure differences in adult sex-roles related to age and life-situation, the present study was undertaken. The Bern Sex Role Inventory was administered to 69 men and 137 women who were enrolled in upper level education and psychology courses at Western Kentucky University. The subjects were classified into three age groups and two life-situations related to marital status. The results provided no support for the hypothesis that differences in adult sex-role self-concept are related to differences in age an suggested that adult sex-role may tend to vary as a function of life-situations, such as marital status. Possible interpretations of the data were suggested, and directions for future research were proposed