Abstract
The relationship between perceived sex role characteristics and self-rated anxiety and self-efficacy in both opposite-sex and same-sex interactions was evaluated. Forty-five male and 45 female undergraduates were administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and male or female versions of the Survey of Heterosexual Interactions, the Interpersonal Interaction Survey, and a Same Sex Interaction Inventory developed for the study. For both male and female subjects, reported discomfort in both opposite-sex and same-sex situations was significantly negatively related to masculinity, and unrelated to femininity. Congruently, self-efficacy ratings were positively related to masculinity and unrelated to femininity. Androgynous and masculine subjects did not differ in reported social discomfort or self-efficacy in either type of situation. These results suggest that social difficulties are associated with a deficit in some of the characteristics associated with the masculine sex role and add to a growing body of literature finding that only masculinity is associated with mental health and adjustment. Ratings in opposite-sex and in same-sex situations were strongly correlated with each other for both male and female subjects, suggesting that dating anxiety may be part of a broader pattern of social difficulty for both men and women.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bandura, A. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavior change. Psychological Review, 1977, 84, 191–215.
Bassoff, E. S., & Glass, G. V. The relationship between sex roles and mental health: A meta-analysis of twenty-six studies. Counseling Psychologist, 1982, 10, 105–122.
Baumrind, D. Gender-differences and sex-related socialization effects. Cited in D. Baumrind, New directions in socialization research. American Psychologist, 1980, 35, 639–652.
Bellack, A. S. A critical appraisal of strategies for assessing social skills. Behavioral Assessment, 1979, 1, 157–176.
Bellack, A. S., Hersen, M., & Lamparski, S. M. Role-play tests for assessing social skills: Are they valid? Are they useful? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1979, 47, 335–342.
Bem, S. L. The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1974, 42, 155–162.
Bem, S. L. Sex role adaptability: One consequence of psychological androgyny. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 31, 634–643.
Bem, S. L. Probing the promise of androgyny. In A. G. Kaplan & J. P. Bean (Eds.), Beyond sex-role stereotypes: Readings toward a psychology of androgyny. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1976.
Bem, S. L. On the utility of alternative procedures for assessing psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1977, 45, 196–205.
Bem, S. L. Gender-schema theory: A cognitive account of sex-typing. Psychological Review, 1981, 88, 354–364.
Berzins, J. I., Welling, M. A., & Wetter, R. A. A new measure of psychological androgyny based on the Personality Research Form. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978, 46, 126–138.
Burchardt, C. J., & Serbin, L. A. Psychological androgyny and personality adjustment in college and psychiatric populations. Sex Roles, 1982, 8, 835–851.
Cacioppo, J. T., Glass, C. R., & Merluzzi, T. V. Self-statements and self-evaluations: A cognitive response analysis of heterosocial anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1979, 3, 249–262.
Curran, J. P. Skills training as an approach to the treatment of heterosexual-social anxiety. Psychological Bulletin, 1977, 84, 140–157.
Gauthier, J., & Kjervik, D. Sex-role identity and self-esteem in female graduate nursing students. Sex Roles, 1982, 8, 45–55.
Goldfried, M. R., & D'Zurilla, T. J. A behavioral-analytic model for assessing competence. In C. D. Spielberger (Ed.), Current topics in clinical and community psychology (Vol. 1). New York: Academic Press, 1969.
Goldfried, M. R., & Robins, C. On the facilitation of self-efficacy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1982, 6, 361–379.
Goldfried, M. R., & Robins, C. Self-schema, cognitive bias and the processing of therapeutic experiences. In P. C. Kendall (Ed.), Advances in cognitive-behavioral research and therapy (Vol. 2). New York: Academic Press, 1983.
Goldfried, M. R., Padawer, W., & Robins, C. Social anxiety and the semantic structure of heterosocial interactions. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1984, 93, 87–97.
Helmreich, R., Wilhelm J., & Stapp, J. Life History Questionnaire (short form): Instrument, norms and intercorrelations. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 1975, 5, 327. (Ms. No. 1098.)
Himadi, W. G., Arkowitz, H., Hinton, R., & Perl, J. Minimal dating and its relation to other social problems and general maladjustment. Behavior Therapy, 1980, 11, 345–352.
Jones, W. H., Chernovetz, M. E. O'C., & Hansson, R. O. The enigma of androgyny: Differential implications for males and females? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978, 46, 298–313.
Kelly, J. A., O'Brien, C. G., Hosford, R. L., & Kinsinger, E. C. Sex roles and social skills: A behavioral analysis of “masculinity,” femininity,” and “psychological androgyny.” Paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New York, December 1976.
Lavin, P. F., & Kupke, T. E. Psychometric evaluation of the Situation Test of heterosocial skill. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 1980, 2, 111–121.
Lee, A. G., & Scheurer, V. L. Psychological androgyny and aspects of self-image in women and men. Sex Roles, 1983, 9, 289–306.
Markus, H. Self-schemata and processing information about the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977, 35, 63–78.
Markus, H., Crane, M., Bernstein, S., & Siladi, M. Self-schemas and gender. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1982, 42, 38–50.
Martinson, W. D., & Zerface, J. P. Comparison of individual counseling and a social program with nondaters. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1970, 17, 37–40.
Mills, C. J., & Bohannon, W. E. Personality, sex-role orientation and psychological health in stereotypically masculine groups of males. Sex Roles, 1983, 9, 1161–1169.
Robins, C. J. Social perception and heterosocial self-efficacy: A multidimensional scaling analysis. Unpublished manuscript, New York University, 1985.
Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. Ratings of self and peers on sex role attributes and their relationship to self-esteem and conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 32, 29–39.
Twentyman, C. T., & McFall, R. M. Behavioral training of social skills in shy males. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1975, 43, 384–395.
Wallander, J., Conger, A., Mariotto, M., Curran, J., & Farrell, A. Comparability of selection instruments in studies of heterosexual-social problem behaviors. Behavior Therapy, 1980, 11, 548–560.
Whitley, B. E. Sex-role orientation and self-esteem: A critical meta-analytic review. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1983, 44, 765–778.
Williams, C. L., & Ciminero, A. R. Development and validation of a heterosocial skills inventory: The Survey of Heterosexual Interactions for Females. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978, 46, 1547–1548.
Zigler, E., & Phillips, L. Social effectiveness and symptomatic behaviors. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1960, 61, 231–238.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This report is based on part of a doctoral dissertation submitted by the author to the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the members of the dissertation committee: Marvin Goldfried, Ruth Hamill, Marcia Johnson, and John M. Neale, and the assistance of Cory Newman and Mike Peters in data collection.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Robins, C.J. Sex role perceptions and social anxiety in opposite-sex and same-sex situations. Sex Roles 14, 383–395 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288423
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288423