The relationship of creativity variables to sex role types for males and females

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between creativity and sex roles, i.e., masculine, feminine, androgynous, and undifferentiated. The correlation between each sex role outcome and each creativity variable was determined. Five creativity dimensions were measured: fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, and total creativity. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant correlation between sex role outcome and any creativity variable. Subjects were 148 university students, 94 females and 54 males, who were enrolled in sophomore psychology classes. These students were administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Figural Form A (Torrance, 1974). Biographical data was also collected. Bivariate analyses revealed that originality was significantly, but negatively correlated with an androgynous sex role for the total sample and for females. Elaboration was significantly and negatively correlated with the undifferentiated sex role for total sample and for females. The masculine sex role was positively and significantly correlated with originality for the total sample and with all five creativity variables for the female subsample. The feminine sex role was significantly and positively correlated with elaboration for the total sample and with originality, elaboration, and total creativity for females.