Skip to main content
Log in

Changes in Attitudes Toward Women's Roles: Predicting Gender-Role Traditionalism Among College Students

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

National college student data derived from the 1996 Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey and the 2000 College Student Survey were used to assess longitudinal changes in gender-role traditionalism across 4 years of college. Applying the Input–Environment–Outcome model to blocked stepwise regression analyses, the predictive value of students' precollege characteristics and predispositions, and various college environments and experiences, were assessed for men and women. Findings indicated that students' levels of traditionalism declined during college. Although men and women tended to change similarly on this dimension, women held more egalitarian views than did men at college entry and 4 years later. Regression results pointed to the relevance of peers, academic engagement, women's studies courses, and diversity experiences for students' gender-role attitudes 4 years after college entry.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Astin, A. W. (1993a). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Astin, A. W. (1993b). Assessment for excellence: The philosophy and practice of assessment and evaluation in higher education. Phoenix, AZ: American Council on Education/Oryx Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Astin, A. W., Parrott, S. A., Korn, W. S., & Sax, L. J. (1997). The American freshman: Thirty year trends, 1966–1996. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, C. A., & Annis, L. V. (1980). Sex-role stereotyping and the feminism of education undergraduates. Southern Journal of Educational Research, 14, 79–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bargad, A., & Hyde, J. S. (1991). Women's studies: A study of feminist identity development in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 181–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bers, T. H. (1980). Perceptions of women's roles among community college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 492–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckner, D. R. (1981). Developing coed residence hall programs for sex-role exploration. Journal of College Student Personnel, 22, 52–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corbett, M., Rudoni, D., & Frankland, E. G. (1981). Change and stability among college students: A three-year panel study. Sex Roles, 7, 233–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etaugh, C. (1975). Biographical predictors of college students' attitudes toward women. Journal of College Student Personnel, 16, 273–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etaugh, C. (1977, May). Development of sex-role attitudes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

  • Etaugh, C., & Spandikow, D. B. (1981). Changing attitudes toward women: A longitudinal study of college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 5, 591–594.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etaugh, C., & Spiller, B. (1989). Attitudes toward women: Comparison of traditional-aged and older college students. Journal of College Student Development, 30, 41–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Funk, R. B., & Willits, F. K. (1987). College attendance and attitude change: A panel study. Sociology of Education, 60, 224–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geffner, R. A., & McClure, R. F. (1990, April). Changing sex-role attitudes with education: Can it be done? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, Dallas, TX.

  • Harris, K. L., Melaas, K., & Rodacker, E. (1999). The impact of women's studies courses on college students of the 1990s. Sex Roles, 40, 969–977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lottes, I. L., & Kuriloff, P. J. (1992). The effects of gender, race, religion, and political orientation on the sex-role attitudes of college freshmen. Adolescence, 27, 675–688.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lottes, I. L., & Kuriloff, P. J. (1994). The impact of college experience on political and social attitudes. Sex Roles, 31, 31–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovejoy, M. (1998). "You can't go home again": The impact of women's studies on intellectual and personal development. NWSA Journal, 10, 119–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyson, T. A. (1986). Race and sex differences in sex role attitudes of southern college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 10, 421–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • McHale, M. T. (1994, November). The impact of college on students' attitudes toward women's roles. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Tucson, AZ.

  • Morinaga, Y., Frieze, I. H., & Ferligoj, A. (1993). Career plans and gender-role attitudes of college students in the United States, Japan, and Slovenia. Sex Roles, 29, 317–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzetti, C. M. (1987). New wave or second stage? Attitudes of college women toward feminism. Sex Roles, 16, 265–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoads, R. A. (1995). Whales tales, dog piles, and beer goggles: An ethnographic case study of fraternity life. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 26, 306–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stake, J. E., & Rose, S. (1994). The long-term impact of women's studies on students' personal lives and political activism. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 403–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. C. (1981). The influence of feminist subculture in changing sex-role attitudes. Sex Roles, 7, 627–633.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, L. K., & Chambliss, C. (1998). Educating students about cultural differences in attitudes toward women: Comparing American and Japanese college students and their parents. Collegeville, PA: Ursinus College. (ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED 421 671).

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomsen, C. J., Basu, A. M., & Reinitz, M. T. (1995). Effects of women's studies courses on gender-related attitudes of women and men. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 419–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vedovato, S., & Vaughter, R. M. (1980). Psychology of women courses changing sexist and sex-typed attitudes. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 587–590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weeks, M. O., & Botkin, D. R. (1987). A longitudinal study of the marriage role expectations of college women: 1961–1984. Sex Roles, 17, 49–58.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alyssa N. Bryant.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bryant, A.N. Changes in Attitudes Toward Women's Roles: Predicting Gender-Role Traditionalism Among College Students. Sex Roles 48, 131–142 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022451205292

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022451205292

Navigation