On the Gender-Typed Nature of Dominant and Submissive Acts

Two studies were conducted to determine whether dominant and submissive acts could be considered gender-typed behaviors. These studies were designed to test three key assumptions stemming from contemporary views of gender role socialization: that self-reported dominant and submissive acts are bidimensional (as opposed to bipolar), that dominant and submissive acts are perceived to be equally desirable for men and women to perform, and that dominant acts are perceived to be more stereotypic of men whereas submissive acts are seen as more stereotypic of women. Each of these assumptions was supported. Discussion focuses on the development of shorter versions of the dominant and submissive act reports, as well as possible directions for determining construct validity.