Carol J. Mills

Sex Roles, Personality, and Intellectual Abilities in Adolescents.

The relationship between personality variables associated with sex roles and the cognitive variables of math and verbal ability was examined in three groups of adolescents. Masculinity and femininity of interests, behavioral traits, and values were examined using three inventories: the Femininity Scale from the California Psychological Inventory, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Study of Values. Results indicate that there is some evidence for a positive relationship between masculine traits and values and math ability, and feminine traits and values and verbal skills (for both sexes). Certain traits indicative of maturity were found to be positively related to both high math and high verbal scores, while certain highly sex-typed traits and interests were found to be negatively related to both cognitive variables. A different relationship for males and females was found between high intellectual scores and indicators of self-concept and emotional well-being. The differing relationship between each of the three personality variables indicative of sex roles (e.g., interests, values, traits) and cognitive variables emphasizes the need to view masculinity and feminity, as well as “sex-role,” as a complex combination of the many different aspects of sex roles as they exist in our society.

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES AND UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS OF TWO MEASURES OF MASCULINITY/FEMININITY

The psychometric properties and assumptions underlying the terms masculinity and femininity were examined using two psychometrically and conceptually different measures of masculinity/femininity, the Femininity Scale from the California Psychological Inventory and the Bern Sex-role Inventory. Participants were 221 male and 221 female undergraduate and graduate college students. The results of principal components and correlational analyses indicated that (a) the Femininity Scale is not a unidimensional, bipolar measure, (b) the scale primarily measures stereotypic sex-role orientations, (c) the Bern scale measures two independent, unipolar personality styles (an instrumental and agentic personality style and an expressive and communal personality style), as well as social maturity, and (d) the two scales share a stereotypic notion of masculinity/femininity. It was also suggested that the Femininity Scale may be utilized to index changes in societys definitions of masculinity and femininity and that the investigation of the role which social maturity plays in regulating sex-role related behaviors is warranted.

Sex-Role-Related Personality Correlates of Intellectual Abilities in Adolescents.

A recent study illustrates the interrelatedness of personality variables and intellectual ability for both boys and girls.

Evolution of a College Program for Gifted Adolescents

: gifted student program that has since grown into serving 32 ’ school districts across a four-county area. Modeled in part after the highly successful program offered by the Maryland Academy of Sciences (Hyman, 1981) and the Study for Mathematically Precocious Youth at Johns Hopkins University (Stanley, 1977), the initial program objectives included: 1. To identify gifted and talented junior-high students who might benefit from an intellectually enriching experience such as a college-level course. 2. To provide seminars in the science/math areas to be taught by Franklin and Marshall faculty and administration. 3. To institute an evaluation process to assess the value of the seminars from both students’ and instructors’ point of view, in order to make changes and redirect priorities. 4. To provide feedback to school counselors and gifted coordinators on student test profiles as well as course content-feedback that would be useful in counseling students, integrating course content into regular class-