Sex role orientation in marriage: An integrative process model

This study investigates the relation between sex role orientation and marital satisfaction. After reviewing the literature on the sex role orientation--marital satisfaction relationship, a theoretical model is described which includes the following constructs: femininity, masculinity, gender schematicity, sex role attitudes, perceived skills at sex typed tasks, perceived ideal sex roles, sex typed behavior, and marital satisfaction. This model specifies a number of processes by which sex role orientation may be related to marital satisfaction. Four specific hypotheses regarding the theoretical model were tested in a sample of 122 recently married couples. Gender schematicity was found to moderate the relation between femininity and marital satisfaction for wives. Gender schematicity did not moderate the relation between femininity or masculinity and sex role attitudes or perceived skills at sex typed tasks. Perceptions of ideal sex roles predicted behavior among husbands but not among wives. Perceptions of skills at sex typed tasks predicted interactional behaviors for both husbands and wives. Some support for the proposed theoretical model was obtained as links between several previously unrelated constructs were demonstrated. The implications of these findings for future research on gender roles in marriage are explored.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio