Sex-role identity and “being-inrelation”: The implications for women counsellors

Abstract

Abstract In order to assess whether women are predisposed to make better counsellors than men, a group of 53 women and men were tested for differences in sex-role identity, and relational/autonomous qualities as defined in the the theory of the Stone Center, Massachusetts. There was no significant difference between men and women in terms of sex-role identity. Individuals lacking any clear sex-role identity showed significantly lower levels of relational/autonomous qualities. While the research did not demonstrate that women are predisposed to make better counsellors than men it indicated the following possible trends: changing sex-role identity in both men and women; the prevalence of sex-role identity biological sex as a determinant of psychological characteristics; the importance of sex-role acquisition for psychological well-being.