Egalitarian Sex-Role Attitudes and Female Income

A revised version of Scanzoni's model of female status attainment is presented. Analyzing Scanzoni's data from a sample of women who were interviewed at two points in time provides strong support for the revised model. Fully 51% of the variance in 1974 income can be explained. While sex-role attitudes did not have a significant effect on 1971 income, by 1974 they emerged as the pivotal factor in explaining both income and continuity in the labor market. Where the woman's education and age at marriage were the keys to her 1971 income, the influence of these factors on her 1974 income was mediated by her sex-role attitudes.