Abstract

This study was investigated the developmental change and sex differences in sex-related occupation and activity stereotypes. The sample included 231 males and 231 females at each of five grade levels including the first grade, the fourth grade in elementary school, the first grade in middle school, the first grade in high school and college students. In terms of their attitude about which sex has the abilities to do each job and activity, all subjects were asked to rate each of 24 adult occupations as male, female, or neutral. Forced choice responses inchuded categories ranging from extremely sex typed, moderately sex typed, to neutral. Additionally they also stated their own future occupational goals. The results are as follows : For the male and female dominant occupations and activities, older subjects tended to have less rigid gender stereotypes and females more liberal than males. For the gender neutral occupations, males rated neutral jobs as more male oriented and female rated the same neutral jobs as more female oriented. In considering the future occupational goals, male's response more closely matched adult cultural norms and most of the females made culturally sex-inappropriate choice. This results are discussed in view of a sex-role development model which utilizes cognitive developmental processing changes proposed by Piaget in conjunction with our cultural stereotypes.