Sex role, instrumental-expressive behavior, and psychopathology in females.

The previously equivocal relationship between sex-role identity (masculinityfemininity) in late-adolescent females and adjustment was investigated. Peer ratings of 30 college Ss, obtained after a period of small-group interaction, indicated that masculine girls tended to be both goal oriented (instrumental) and socially sensitive (expressive), whereas feminine girls tended to be socially sensitive but to lack a goal orientation. Comparison of the personality attributes of these masculine and feminine girls with their maladjusted counterparts found little difference between the feminine groups. However, comparison of the masculine groups identified more extended differences, primarily indicating a lack of instrumental behavior in the maladjusted group. Masculinity in the maladjusted group may appear as social independence which may actually mask social alienation and social approach-avoidance conflicts. As long as the adoption of culturally prescribed masculine or feminine sex-role behaviors receives systematic social reinforcement, there is reason to expect psychological adjustment to vary with appropriate attainment of masculine or feminine sex-role identity. Ample evidence is available to support this expectation for males; masculine males are better adjusted than feminine males (Brown,