Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sex-Typed Personality Traits and Gender Identity as Predictors of Young Adults’ Career Interests

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Gender segregation of careers is still prominent in the U.S. workforce. The current study was designed to investigate the role of sex-typed personality traits and gender identity in predicting emerging adults’ interests in sex-typed careers. Participants included 586 university students (185 males, 401 females). Participants reported their sex-typed personality traits (masculine and feminine traits), gender identities (gender typicality, contentment, felt pressure to conform, and intergroup bias), and interests in sex-typed careers. Results indicated both sex-typed personality traits and gender identity were important predictors of young adults’ career interests, but in varying degrees and differentially for men and women. Men’s sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality were predictive of their masculine career interests even more so when the interaction of their masculine traits and gender typicality were considered. When gender typicality and sex-typed personality traits were considered simultaneously, gender typicality was negatively related to men’s feminine career interests and gender typicality was the only significant predictor of men’s feminine career interests. For women, sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality were predictive of their sex-typed career interests. The level of pressure they felt to conform to their gender also positively predicted interest in feminine careers. The interaction of sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality did not predict women’s career interests more than when these variables were considered as main effects. Results of the multidimensional assessment of gender identity confirmed that various dimensions of gender identity played different roles in predicting career interests and gender typicality was the strongest predictor of career interests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abele, A. E. (2003). The dynamics of masculine-agentic and feminine-communal traits: Findings from a prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 768–776.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. (2003). Women at work. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 155–162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Betz, N. E. (1995). Gender-related individual differences variables: New concepts, methods, and findings. In D. J. Lubinski & R. V. Dawis (Eds.), Assessing individual differences in human behavior: New concepts, methods, and findings (pp. 119–143). Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.

  • Betz, N. E., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1987). The career psychology of women. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bletz, A. M., Swanson, J. L., & Berenbaum, S. A. (2011). Gendered occupational interests: Prenatal androgen effects on psychological orientation to Things versus People. Hormones and Behavior, 60, 313–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011a). Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.pdf.

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011b). Women in the labor force: A databook (2010 edition). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-intro-2010.htm.

  • Diekman, A. B., Brown, E. R., Johnston, A. M., & Clark, E. K. (2010). Seeking congruity between goals and roles: A new look at why women opt out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Psychological Science, 21, 1051–1057.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diekman, A., Clark, E., Johnston, A., Brown, E., & Steinberg, M. (2011). Malleability in communal goals and beliefs influences attraction to STEM careers: Evidence for a goal congruity perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 902–918.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diekman, A. B., & Eagly, A. H. (2008). On men, women, and motivation: A role congruity account. In J. Y. Shah & W. L. Gardner (Eds.), Handbook of motivation science (pp. 434–447). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109, 573–598.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S. (1994). Understanding women’s educational and occupational choices. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 585–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egan, S. K., & Perry, D. G. (2001). Gender identity: A multidimensional analysis with implications for psychosocial adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 37, 451–463.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fulcher, M. (2011). Individual differences in children’s occupational aspirations as a function of parental traditionality. Sex Roles, 64, 117–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottfredson, L. S. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28, 545–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, J. L. (1959). A theory of vocational choice. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 6, 35–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational possibilities and work environments. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huston, A. C. (1983). Sex typing. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 387–467). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leaper, C., & Van, S. R. (2008). Masculinity ideology, covert sexism, and perceived gender typicality in relation to young men’s academic motivation and choices in college. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 9, 139–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemkau, J. P. (1984). Men in female-dominated professions: Distinguishing personality and background features. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 24, 110–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenton, A. P., Blair, I. V., & Hastie, R. (2001). Illusions of gender: Stereotypes evoke false memories. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 3–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liben, L. S., & Bigler, R. S. (2002). The developmental course of gender differentiation: Conceptualizing, measuring, and evaluation constructs and pathways. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 67, vii–147.

  • Lippa, R. A. (1998). Gender-related individual differences and the structure of vocational interests: The importance of the people-things dimension. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 996–1009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lippa, R. A. (2005). Gender, nature, and nurture. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lips, H. M. (2003). The gender pay gap: Concrete indicator of women’s progress toward equality. Analysis of Social Issues and Public Policy, 3, 87–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahalik, J. R., Perry, J. C., Coonerty-Femiano, A., Catraio, C., & Land, L. N. (2006). Examining conformity to masculinity norms as a function of RIASEC vocational interests. Journal of Career Assessment, 14, 203–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, C. L., & Dinella, L. M. (2002). Children’s gender cognitions, the social environment, and sex differences in cognitive domains. In A. McGillicuddy-De Lisi & R. De Lisi (Eds.), Advances in applied developmental psychology (Vol. 21, pp. 207–239). Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.

  • Martin, C. L., & Dinella, L. M. (2012). Congruence between gender stereotypes and activity preference in self-identified tomboys and non-tomboys. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 599–610.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, C. L., Eisenbud, L., & Rose, H. (1995). Children’s gender-based reasoning about toys. Child Development, 66, 1453–1471.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, C. L., & Halverson, C. F. (1981). A schematic processing model of sex typing and stereotyping in children. Child Development, 54, 1119–1134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, C. L., Ruble, D. N., & Szkrybalo, J. (2002). Cognitive theories of early gender development. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 903–933.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Metzler-Brennan, E., Lewis, R. J., & Gerrard, M. (1985). Childhood antecedents of adult women’s masculinity, femininity, and career role choices. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 9, 371–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Academy of Sciences. (2006). Beyond bias and barriers: Fulfilling the potential of women in academic science and engineering. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11741.html.

  • Patterson, M. (2012). Self-perceived gender typicality, gender-typed attributes, and gender stereotype endorsement in school-aged children. Sex Roles, 67, 422–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, D. G., & Pauletti, R. E. (2011). Gender and adolescent development. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21, 61–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rand, L. (1968). Masculinity or femininity? Differentiating career-oriented and homemaking-oriented college freshmen women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 15, 444–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruble, D. N., & Martin, C. L. (1998). Gender development. In W. Damon & N. Eisenburg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3, Social, emotional, and personality development (5th ed., pp. 933–1016). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

  • Ruble, D. N., Martin, C. L., & Berenbaum, S. A. (2006). Gender development. In N. Eisenberg (Ed.), Handbook of child development (pp. 858–932). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruble, D. N., Taylor, L. J., Cyphers, L., Greulich, F. K., Lurye, L. E., & Shrout, P. E. (2007). The role of gender constancy in early gender development. Child Development, 78, 1121–1136.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spence, J. T. (1993). Gender-related traits and gender ideology: Evidence for a multifactorial theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 624–635.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1953). A theory of vocational development. American Psychologist, 8, 185–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space, approach to career development. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career choice and development (pp. 167–261). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tokar, D. M., & Jome, L. M. (1998). Masculinity, career choices, and vocational traditionality: Evidence for a fully mediated model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 424–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisgram, E. S., & Bigler, R. S. (2006). Girls and science careers: The role of altruistic values and attitudes about scientific tasks. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 27, 326–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisgram, E. S., Bigler, R. S., & Liben, L. S. (2010). Gender, values, and occupational interests among children, adolescents, and adults. Child Development, 81, 778–796.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisgram, E. S., Dinella, L. M., & Fulcher, M. (2011). The role of masculinity/femininity, values, and occupational value affordances in shaping young men’s and women’s occupational choices. Sex Roles., 65, 243–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, L., Lippa, R. A., & Zheng, Y. (2011). Sex and sexual orientation differences in personality in China. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 533–541.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded, in part, by Monmouth University’s Grant in Aid of Creativity and by the Lenfest Grant. The authors would like to thank Ryan Laswell, Sara Rae, Lauren Kaniewski, and Amanda Grunwald of UWSP, and Deanna Stango, Brittney Austin, Erin Barrett, Jenna DeLozier, Lina Jaramillo, and Maria Mereos of MU for their assistance with data collection and entry and bibliographic assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave. West, Long Branch, NJ, 07764, USA

    Lisa M. Dinella

  2. Department of Psychology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA

    Megan Fulcher

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, USA

    Erica S. Weisgram

Authors
  1. Lisa M. Dinella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Megan Fulcher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erica S. Weisgram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa M. Dinella.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dinella, L.M., Fulcher, M. & Weisgram, E.S. Sex-Typed Personality Traits and Gender Identity as Predictors of Young Adults’ Career Interests. Arch Sex Behav 43, 493–504 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0234-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0234-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation