The relationship among giftedness, androgyny, and parental gender role expectations in a college sample

The current study looked at the relationship between giftedness, androgyny, and the gender role expectations placed on participants by their parents. I am interested in the differences in masculinity and femininity between gifted and non-gifted students. Additionally, I looked at the differences in how parents teach their children about gender role expectations and gender identity among gifted and non-gifted students. Participants were 190 undergraduate students at Ball State University. Eighty-one participants were members of the Honors College and 109 participants were students enrolled in an introductory level psychology course. Participants completed two questionnaires: the Bem Sex Role Inventory to measure levels of masculinity and femininity and a measure created by the author to assess the role that parents play in the development of gender identity. Preliminary analyses revealed a significant association between gifted females and the masculinity sex role group and gifted males and the undifferentiated sex role group. Further analyses showed that males' parents had more traditional gender role beliefs than females' and that students in the Honors College were raised with less traditional beliefs about physical development than those in the psychology course. The study was limited by its low sample variability, but helped make connections as to the impact that parents have with regards to gender role development and academic achievement.