Measuring Change in Sex-Role Self Perceptions

The Problem. The problem of this study was to determine the changes in participants' sex-role self perceptions following their participation in the interpersonal and male/female component of the human relations training model in Drake University's Teacher Education Program. The research was designed to investigate the effectiveness of the program in changing student's self perceptions toward androgyny. Procedure. Experimental and control samples were identified and administered the Bem Sex-Role Inventory in a pretest, posttest, and posttest-2 sequence. The experimental group experienced the training model. The control sample did not. Raw scores were converted to t-scores for each subject. A mean difference change score was computed for both samples representing the difference between pretest and posttest-l and between pretest and posttest-2. One-tailed t-tests for independent samples were calculated for a Difference Between Mean Change Scores and were considered significant at the .05 level of probability (p< .05). Findings. The study found no significant difference as measured by the B.S.R.I. between the mean change in sex-role self perceptions of the group participating in the human relations component and the mean change in sex-role self perceptions of the group not participating. This was also true for males and females when considered separately in both situations. Conclusions. Possible conclusions to be drawn from the study are: 1) A two week model may not have an impact sufficient to offset years of socialization. 2) Changes may occur at developmental levels different from androgyny and thus may not be measurable by the B.S.R.I.; 3) Enough students may have been androgynous to begin with so that the stability of their personalities contributed to the results of "no difference". Recommendations. Continued experimentation with methodologies for enhancing androgynous potential is needed. Further research lS needed to determine methods of evaluation appropriate to different developmental levels so that change can be measured more accurately. Continued research is needed specifically on ways to affect change in the sex-role perceptions of late adolescence e.g., college students.

Grantor dc:publisher

Drake University

Year dc:date.issued

1980

Author dc:creator

• Huffman, Betty J.

• Teachers--Training of
• Sex role

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Dc Identifier Other

1980 .H872

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:escholarshare.drake.edu:2092/730