MEASURES OF CHILDRENS SEX-TYPING IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD .2.

This paper reports on a further set of measures of sex-typing suitable for use with 8- to 14-year-olds (see Antill, Russell, Goodnow, & Cott on, 1993). They involve stereotyping, egalitarianism, reactions to cro ss-sex behaviours, preferences for sex-typed occupations, and desire t o be the same or the other sex. The measures fit conceptually into Hus ton's (1983) categories Concepts or beliefs (related to gender) and Pr eferences, attitudes and values (for self or others). The sample compr ised first- and second-born children from 191 two-parent families (193 males, 189 females). The children in 161 families were assessed on a second occasion, on average 16 months after the first testing. The mea sures were shown to have suitable psychometric properties: moderate to high alpha coefficient values, sex differences in the expected direct ion where appropriate, and moderate consistency over time. Where chang es in means occurred, they indicated greater flexibility in sex roles. Intercorrelations among the measures revealed some coherence within s ubgroups of measures, particularly within Huston's category Concepts o r beliefs (related to gender). However, the results support a multidim ensional view of sex-typing, and draw attention to the limitations of studies which use single measures of this variable.