Motivating and reinforcing functions of the male sex role: Social analogues of partial reinforcement,delay of reinforcement,and intermittent shock

After listening to a masculine male, female subjects learned an instrumental escape response reinforced by the opportunity to listen to an androgynous male. The results of three experiments revealed a striking correspondence between conventional learning variables and social analogues of acquisition, partial reinforcement, delay of reinforcement, and intermittent shock. Subject responses to a postconversation questionnaire indicated that the comments made by the androgynous male were judged as more appropriate and more honest, and he was rated as more likable, more intelligent, more moral, and more mentally healthy, than his masculine counterpart. Discussion focused on the importance of investigating male sex role action using additional theoretically relevant social analogues of conventional learning variables and other familiar learning paradigms.