An Empirical Test of the Modeling Theory of Sex-Role Learning

Sex-role learning has been linked to modeling and to Parsons' reciprocal role theories of parental identification. It was proposed that modeling theory would be sufficient to account for sex-role development even granting the validity of Parsons' basic principles of greater sex-role diferentiation for the father and instrumental-expressive qualities as the essence of masculinity-femininity. It was predicted, on the basis of a modeling hypothesis, that sex-role distinctions between males and females would be maximal given an identification with a high-masculine father. Results based upon the behavioral self-descriptions of 279 college normals supported this prediction. Of the behaviors distinguishing males and females identified with each parent type, the following percentages were judged to be appropriately sex-typed: high-masculine father, 88 per cent; high-feminine mother, 58 per cent; low-feminine mother, 47 per cent; and low-masculine father, 43 per cent.