FAMILY INTERACTION EFFECTS ON MASCULINITY-FEMININITY

COMPARED THE RESPONSES OF 160 COLLEGE FEMALES FROM GIRL-GIRL AND GIRL-BOY 2-CHILD FAMILIES WITH THE RESPONSES OF THEIR ACTUAL SIBLINGS, MOTHERS, AND FATHERS ON THE GOUGH SCALE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FEMININITY (FE). MAJOR INTERACTION EFFECTS RESULT FROM THE SEX OF THE SIBLING AND FROM THE EFFECTS OF SIBLING SEX ON THE FATHER'S FE SCORE. IN THE GIRL-GIRL FAMILY, THE SCORES OF THE FEMALES INTERCORRELATE, BUT THE FATHER IS A RELATIVE ISOLATE AND HAS LOWERED FEMININITY SCORES. IN THE GIRL-BOY FAMILY, THE SCORES OF THE BOY, MOTHER, AND FATHER INTERCORRELATE, BUT THE GIRL IS A RELATIVE ISOLATE, AND HEIGHTENS HER IDENTIFICATION WITH THE MOTHER. THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE INTERACTION EFFECTS IS CONTRASTED WITH TRADITIONAL SEX-ROLE THEORY WHICH SUGGESTS THAT SEX-ROLE CHARACTERISTICS ARE ACQUIRED ONLY FROM THE SAME-SEX PARENT. (25 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.