Sex role self schema and psychological adjustment in coupled homosexual and heterosexual men and women

Abstract

This study examined the relation between dimensions of sex role self schema (assessed by four factor scores of the Bem Sex Role Inventory: Instrumentality, Expressiveness, Autonomy, and Masculinity-Femininity) and psychological adjustment (assessed by the Symptom Checklist-90-R) in 366 homosexuals (230 males and 136 females) and 241 heterosexuals (124 males and 117 females). All subjects were in a cohabitating relationship. Homosexuals and heterosexuals did not differ in psychological adjustment, but men were found to be more distressed by paranoid symptoms than women. Dimensions of sex role self schema varied by an interaction between gender and sexual orientation. Gender differences on Instrumentality, Expressiveness, and Masculinity-Femininity were more pronounced for heterosexuals than for homosexuals. Further, homosexual women were more Instrumental than heterosexual women, while homosexual and heterosexual men were equivalent; homosexual men were more Expressive than heterosexual men, while homosexual and heterosexual women were equivalent; and the discrepancy between homosexual and heterosexual women's Masculinity-Femininity score was greater than that between homosexual and heterosexual men. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that only education and the Autonomy dimension of sex role self scheme were the best nonredundant predictors of psychological adjustment, although the relations were weak. Findings are discussed in terms of current theory and research on sex role self schemas.