Androgyny,stress, and satisfaction: Dual- career and traditional relationships

Forty-one female and 61 male assistant professors, of whom 46% were involved in dual-career relationships, responded to a mail questionnaire that assessed (1) androgyny; (2) satisfaction at work, home, and in their personal life; (3) stress at work, home, and in their personal life. A 2×2×2 analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the effects of relationship status, androgyny, and sex of subject. The results indicated that being androgynous was associated with increased work stress, but simultaneously increased personal satisfaction. A significant interaction between androgyny and relationship status demonstrated that androgynous dual-career persons reported highest personal satisfaction; androgynous nondual-career persons reported highest work satisfaction. Dualcareer status increased personal and work stress, as well as relationship satisfaction. The importance of considering each person's specific life situation when evaluating androgyny as a positive or negative attribute is discussed.