Predictors of Adult Men's Gender-Role Conflict: Race, Class, Unemployment, Age, Instrumentality-Expressiveness, and Personal Strain

Gender-role conflict exists when socialized gender roles result in personal restriction, devaluation, or violation of others or self. This research assesses the ways in which 13 demographic, psychological, and strain variables predict adult men's gender-role conflict. It was hypothesized that these variables would differentially predict four patterns of gender-role conflict that have been documented in earlier research (O'Neil, Helms, Gable, David, & Wrightsman, 1986). Men (N = 134) of different ages, races, classes, personality characteristics and work statuses were assessed with the Gender Role Conflict Scale, the Personal Strain Questionnaire, and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire. Two meaningful and independent male constellations linking 9 of the predictor variables with 3 patterns of gender-role conflict accounted for 88% of the variation in gender-role conflict. Methodological limitations and future research are discussed.