Using the circumplex model to examine the relationship between gender, gender-role identity, and attachment style
type: CreativeWork
description: The relationship between gender, gender-role identity, and attachment style was examined using the circumplex model. Participants included 490 college students who completed the Bem Inventory, the Relationship Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Adjective Scales. Primary hypotheses were formulated to explore parallels within the gender-role and attachment literature. Secondary hypotheses were formulated to: (a) explore, by gender, the masculinity effect in gender-role research along the dimensions of dominance and affiliation; (b) differentiate cross-sex gender-role-types (i.e., masculine females and feminine males) from same-sex gender-role-types (i.e., masculine males and feminine females); and, (c) distinguish, by gender, undifferentiated gender-role types from the remaining gender-role types. Circulinear grouped frequency distributions were prepared and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Polar vectors among hypothesized types were compared using a circulinear test of significance. As predicted, androgynous gender-role and secure attachment types endorsed dominant and affiliative traits with parity. Masculine gender-role types endorsed more dominant traits than remaining gender-role and attachment types. Also as predicted, preoccupied attachment types and feminine gender-role types endorsed more affiliative traits than remaining types. However, contrary to the hypothesis regarding fearful avoidant attachment and undifferentiated gender-role types, these types endorsed a trait pattern similar to preoccupied and feminine types. Dismissing avoidant attachment types endorsed a trait pattern similar to androgynous and secure types. The unusual grouping of dismissing avoidant types with more socially adept androgynous and secure types was attributed to an artifact in assessment methodology. When trait endorsement patterns were examined by gender, it was found that: (a) masculine males endorsed more dominant and fewer affiliative traits than remaining types; (b)…
abstract: The relationship between gender, gender-role identity, and attachment style was examined using the circumplex model. Participants included 490 college students who completed the Bem Inventory, the Relationship Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Adjective Scales. Primary hypotheses were formulated to explore parallels within the gender-role and attachment literature. Secondary hypotheses were formulated to: (a) explore, by gender, the masculinity effect in gender-role research along the dimensions of dominance and affiliation; (b) differentiate cross-sex gender-role-types (i.e., masculine females and feminine males) from same-sex gender-role-types (i.e., masculine males and feminine females); and, (c) distinguish, by gender, undifferentiated gender-role types from the remaining gender-role types. Circulinear grouped frequency distributions were prepared and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Polar vectors among hypothesized types were compared using a circulinear test of significance. As predicted, androgynous gender-role and secure attachment types endorsed dominant and affiliative traits with parity. Masculine gender-role types endorsed more dominant traits than remaining gender-role and attachment types. Also as predicted, preoccupied attachment types and feminine gender-role types endorsed more affiliative traits than remaining types. However, contrary to the hypothesis regarding fearful avoidant attachment and undifferentiated gender-role types, these types endorsed a trait pattern similar to preoccupied and feminine types. Dismissing avoidant attachment types endorsed a trait pattern similar to androgynous and secure types. The unusual grouping of dismissing avoidant types with more socially adept androgynous and secure types was attributed to an artifact in assessment methodology. When trait endorsement patterns were examined by gender, it was found that: (a) masculine males endorsed more dominant and fewer affiliative traits than remaining types; (b)…
author: Broadhurst, Virginia F. Haigler
language: en_US
keywords: Psychology, Attachment, Circumplex model, Gender, Identity
date published: 2001-08
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:05:26Z
provider: Texas Woman's University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Texas Woman's University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/11274/11429