Gender Roles and Human Sexuality

Abstract

Summary: Personality differences among three self-ascribed gender-role types (predominantly masculine, predominantly feminine, or no predominant orientation) were investigated within a group of 128 male and female homosexuals. The results, utilizing the Adjective Check List (ACL) and a specially designed questionnaire placed all groups within plus or minus one standard deviation of the mean on all ACL scales except abasement. A multiple discriminant analysis demonstrated that 10 of the ACL scales significantly discriminated between self-ascribed gender-role types. It was suggested that homosexuality may be appropriately conceived of as an alternate life style rather than a nosological entity, and that gender-role may, in some instances. be more important than biological sex as regards one's self perceived personality characteristics.