Subjective Reactions to Sex-Linked Language

Summary Sex-linked lexical forms were presented in writing to 41 female and 21 male white, middle class, adult Ss who were attending a PTA meeting. Ss were asked to associate the forms with 10 attributes represented by adjective scales, each scale having a male and a female pole. It was found that female and male language evoked associations of stereotypic female and male traits respectively. Both men and women harbored similar associations for a given language form. If language is actually produced by the two sexes in accord with peoples' beliefs about the sex appropriateness of certain linguistic forms, then the two sexes as speakers, through their respective gender-based linguistic varieties (their gender-dialects), may be elicitng perceptions of dominance or subordination from their listeners, thus perpetuating their societally defined roles.