Change and stability in sexism among college students: A three-year panel study

Results are reported of a 3-year panel study of sex-role attitude changes among Ball State University students. Two questions were posed: (1) To what extent do students change their sex-role attitudes? (2) What types of students are more likely to change their attitudes? Contrary to expectations, students did not become progressively less sexist each year they were in college. Apparently, changes in student sex-role attitudes were more reflective of changes in local public opinion rather than following the Bennington College pattern. An important finding of the study is that those who were initially the most sexist displayed the greatest degree of change in their attitudes. A mixed pattern prevails with regard to relationships between changes in attitudes and background characteristics, personal orientations, and political orientations.