Poster 2003 Stander Symposium University of Dayton - Feminist Identity and Thoughts about Assertiveness

8/9/2019 Poster 2003 Stander Symposium University of Dayton - Feminist Identity and Thoughts about Assertiveness

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Feminist Identity and

Attitudes TowardAssertiveness :

Karolyn J. BudzekUniversity of Dayton

Explaining the Association

Between Sex-role Orientation

and Assertive Behavior.


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Abstract

Assertiveness has been correlated with many aspects of positive

mental health. Assertive people often are more likely to be extroverted

and have high self-esteem. A strong, positive relationship has been

established between assertive behavior and a masculine sex-role

orientation. The cause of this strong relationship is not clear. Women

with a high level of feminist identity score high on measures of

assertiveness, which may be due to their high level of gender-related

self-esteem. Further, highly feminine women may perceive assertive

behaviors as unfeminine, and thus are less likely to act assertively.

The current study uses a series of self-report questionnaires to test

these constructs. I expect to find a positive relationship between

masculinity and assertiveness, and I hypothesize that, when attitudes

toward assertiveness and feminist identity are controlled, the

relationship between masculinity and assertiveness is reduced.


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Introduction

Assertiveness has been found to negatively

correlate with many mental health problems,

including depression and low locus of control(Rolon, 1999).

Several studies suggest a strong, positive

relationship between masculinity and assertive

behavior(e.g. Nix, Lohr, & Stauffacher, 1981).

The cause of this strong relationship, however, is

not clear.


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Introduction continued

Women with a high level of feminist identity

often score high on measures of assertiveness(Finlay & Scheltema, 1999).

The perceived value of assertive behavior

often influence assertive behavior.

Feminine women may perceive assertivebehaviors as unfeminine, and thus are less likely

to act assertively (Gervasio & Crawford, 1989).


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Hypotheses

A positive relationship will be found between

masculinity and assertive behavior.

No relationship will be found between femininity

and assertive behavior.

These two relationships will be reduced when

feminist identity and attitudes toward

assertiveness are statistically controlled.


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Method

A series of self-report questionnaires were administered

to female undergraduates (N=79) at a private, Midwestern

university. Ages ranged from 18 to 22, (M=19.4, SD=1.09). Ninety-

two percent of the participants were Caucasian, 4% Hispanic, 4%African-American.

Sex role orientation

Attitudes toward assertiveness

Feminist identity

Assertive behaviors

Additionally, a close friend of the participant reported the subjects

assertive behaviors.


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Descriptive Statistics for Study Measures__________________________________________________________________

Variable Mean SD Min. - Max.

__________________________________________________________________

Self-ratedAssertiveness 132.97 15.47 97 - 167Partner-ratedAssertiveness 136.12 15.65 101 - 175

Masculine Sex-Role Orientation 94.16 14.81 62 - 128

Feminine Sex-Role Orientation 98.65 14.64 62 - 127

Feminist Identity: PassiveAcceptance 27.00 5.59 15 - 40

Feminist Identity: Revelation 29.03 5.83 11 - 40Feminist Identity: Embeddedness 20.10 4.70 10 - 29

Feminist Identity: Synthesis 21.13 4.56 13 - 35

Feminist Identity: Active Commitment 18.85 4.27 11 - 29

Negative Thoughts about Assertiveness 43.88 4.41 31 - 54


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Zero-Ordered Correlations Between Sex- Role Orientation,

Assertiveness, Feminist Identity, and Assertive Thoughts__________________________________________________________________

Masc. Femi. Self- Partner-SRO SRO Assert. Assert.

__________________________________________________________________

Masculine Sex-Role --Feminine Sex-Role .119 --

Self-report Assertiveness .402** .157 --

Partner-reportAssertiveness .069 -.098 .090 --

Feminist Identity: PassiveAcceptance -.102 -.172 -.143 -.014

Feminist Identity: Revelation .204 .278* .315** -.115

Feminist Identity: Embeddedness .129 .243* .135 -.164

Feminist Identity: Synthesis -.115 -.029 -.001 -.130

Feminist Identity: Active Commitment -.019 .146 .067 -.103

Negative Thoughts about Assertiveness .023 .159 .005 .027

Note. * p < .05. **p < .01.


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Documents

Poster 2003 Stander Symposium University of Dayton - Feminist Identity and Thoughts about Assertiveness