Abstract
Two theories addressing the relationship between the socially desirable and undesirable elements of agency and communion have been proposed. In their 1979 study, Spence, Helmreich, and Holahan suggest that agency is negatively related to an unmitigated, or undesirable, sense of communion, while communion is negatively correlated with a sense of unmitigated agency. On the other hand, Wiggins and Holzmuller, in their study of 1978, believe the desirable and undesirable aspects of agency are related to one another in a bipolar manner and that a similar relationship exists for the two domains of communion. While most appear to treat the differences between these two theories as a psychometric issue, the implications each has for understanding issues such as the socialization of gender-typed personality characteristics remain unaddressed. This paper provides a direct and comprehensive comparison of the two approaches. A sample of mostly Caucasian participants completed a variety of gender role measures and support emerged for aspects of both theories. Discussion centers on the meaning of the undesirable gender role concept.
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We are indebted to Russell Day for his collection of the data used here, and we would also like to thank Susan Markle for her input into the study.
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McCreary, D.R., Korabik, K. Examining the relationships between the socially desirable and undesirable aspects of agency and communion. Sex Roles 31, 637–651 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01544285
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01544285