Changes in Speech Pathology Students over the Decade 1975–1986

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was conducted to compare backgrounds, ambitions and sex role attitudes of incoming female speech pathology students in 1976 (N = 43) and 1986 (N = 62). The back-grounds of the two groups were similar. Students expressed significantly greater career commitment in 1986 in terms of aspiring to higher status positions and planning to remain in the workforce. Students in 1986 wanted fewer children and had more egalitarian attitudes towards sex roles but their androgyny scores (Bem, 1974), were not significantly different than in 1976. Implications of the findings for students' future work histories are discussed.