Date of Award

Fall 12-1-1984

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication Disorders and Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

First Advisor

Stanley J. Gross

Second Advisor

J. Laurence Passmore

Third Advisor

Walter Sullins

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate three questions: (1) Does there exist a significant relationship between assertion and sex-role orientation? (2) Does assertion training affect the sex-role orientation of its participants, and if so, in what direction does this effect occur in terms of the participants' sex-role orientation? (3) Does a relationship exist between those who benefit from assertion training with increased assertion and their levels of sex-role identification? Procedure: (1) The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the College Self-Expression Scale (CSES) was given to 188 undergraduate college student volunteers. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine gender and measures of masculinity and femininity (BSRI) as predictors of self-reported assertion (CSES). (2) Thirtyone men and 33 women, who had been randomly selected, completed a six-week, two-hour-per-week, assertion training program. Equal numbers of control group subjects were randomly selected. A second administration of the BSRI and CSES was performed. A series of two-way analysis of variance was used to compare pre and post treatment scores of assertion, masculinity, and femininity. Chi-square statistics as tests of independence were used to compare the actual frequency of androgynous treatment and control subjects before and after treatment. (3) Subjects consisted of those students who were selected for and had completed the assertion training program. The standard deviation of the difference scores for pre and post treatment assertion was utilized to determine which treatment subjects had significantly increased in assertion. A series of two-way analysis of variance was utilized to compare pre and post treatment scores of masculinity and femininity between gainers and non-gainers in assertion. Results. The results indicate that: (1) Sex-role orientation, specifically a high level of identity with masculine sex-role characteristics, does have a strong positive relationship with assertion. In addition, there does appear to be a weak, but significant negative relationship between femininity and assertion. (2) Assertion training does offer an effective tool in helping both males and females to develop a more flexible sex-role orientation by moving toward psychological androgyny. (3} There does not appear to be a direct relationship between those who benefit from assertion training with increased assertion and corresponding increases in levels of masculinity and femininity.

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