Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Fall 1992

Degree Name

Education Specialist (Ed.S)

Department

Advanced Education Programs

Advisor

Thomas T. Jackson

Abstract

The purpose of the current research was to examine: (a) if a relationship existed between an individual's sex-role orientation and that individual's method of coping; and (b) which sex-role orientation was most adaptive in coping with stress. According to Bern (1974), extreme amounts of masculinity or femininity "become negative and even destructive", while the androgynous sex-role is related to "adaptiveness" and "psychological health". There were four hypotheses in the current research: (a) the androgynous sex-role orientation will have higher problem-focused and emotion-focused coping scores than the other three sex-role orientations; (b) the androgynous group will have a higher adaptive coping score than the other three sex-role orientations; (c) androgynous individuals will have a higher total coping score than the other sex-role orientations; and (d) undifferentiated individuals will tend to use a significantly greater amount of less useful coping strategies than the other three sex-role orientations. Ninety-eight college students enrolled in courses at Fort Hays State University were asked to complete two questionnaires: (a) a Short Bern Sex-Role Inventory, and (b) the COPE questionnaire. The Short Bern Sex-Role Inventory is designed to measure an individual's sex-role stereotype. The COPE questionnaire is designed to measure general types of coping methods and specific coping strategies. Results indicated that sex-role orientation tended to be an important factor in an individual's method of coping, although the results failed to conclusively support the androgyny theory. The androgynous sex-role orientation employed greater use of problem-focused plus emotion-focused coping than did the other sex-role orientations with the exception of the masculine sex-role orientation. The androgynous sex-role orientation displayed greater coping adaptiveness than did the undifferentiated sex-role orientation. A total coping score indicated that the androgynous sex-role orientation utilized a greater number of coping methods than did the masculine and undifferentiated sex-role orientations.

Comments

For questions contact ScholarsRepository@fhsu.edu

Rights

© 1992 Elizabeth A. Billinger

Download

Off Campus FHSU Users Click Here

Share

COinS