Levels of Ego Development and Attitudes toward Women in Authoritative Positions among Adolescent Males

Abstract

Results from research conducted with 18-26 year-old male undergraduatesin 1984 and 1995-1999 suggest that they were nonacceptingof women entering authoritative positions because they viewed womenas biologically less capable than men. This pattern remained consistentacross developmental levels and suggests that perceptions of biologicaldifferences between the genders continue to create an environment inwhich women are stereotyped.Over the past 35 years, women’s roles in society have changed significantly.These changes are particularly evident in the area of employment,as more women have assumed full time jobs and careers. Despitethe increasing numbers of women in the work force, generally, thosenumbers have remained disproportionately low in upper-level administrative/managerial positions. Early research on women’s assumption ofadministrative positions reflected markedly low numbers of women inupper-level positions, especially in higher education (Clement, 1977;Irvine & Robinson, 1982). These researchers reported that male attitudestoward women in authoritative positions contributed to a negative uninvitingclimate for women who aspired to higher-level positions. Morerecent research also reinforces the assertion that gender inequity exists inhigher education (Hensel, 1991) and in upper-level management