Professional Self-Favorability Compared with Perceived and Actual Evaluations of Others

Abstract

Women majors in home economics and physical education responded to an adjective-checklist Self-Favorability Scale, indicating adjectives they believed to be characteristic of women in their field. They then responded as they perceived a general college sample would toward their majors. Finally, a general college sample evaluated its own women majors, majors in home economics and women in physical education. As hypothesized, the general sample was more favorable to its own women majors than to the others. Also, women home economics majors perceived their majors would be more favorably rated than did the women physical education sample. These perceptions were correct. Contrary to expectations, women home economics and physical education majors were equally favorable to their own majors and self-favorability, perceived favorability, and actual assigned favorability differed significantly from each other.