Masters Thesis

Sex role attitudes in career choice : a replication of a 1978 study

The purpose of this study was to replicate a thesis conducted at the Humboldt State University campus, in 1978, which researched how women's attitudes towards female sex-role stereotypes in our society are associated with their choice of major. The current study was done on the same university campus, 27 years later. A main interest of the investigator is in finding out if the previous findings still hold today. The current study will then expand on the original research by examining whether men's attitudes towards female sex role stereotypes in our society significantly differ from women's and in addition, whether men's attitude towards women affects their career choice. A sample of 120 undergraduate students were administered the Attitude Towards Women scale (AWS). The original study (Copland, 1978) found that attitudes towards women's social sex-roles were not related to career choice. It was hypothesized in this study that students' attitude towards women as measured by the AWS would be different among students in traditional and non-traditional majors. The results of this study did not support this hypothesis. It was further hypothesized that differences in attitudes towards women would be found between men and women. The results of this study did support this hypothesis. In addition, a significant interaction was found between sex and major choice such that when considered together, they had a significant effect on students' attitude towards women.

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