Sex-Role Orientation and Smoking

Abstract

Smoking behavior and sex-role orientation were investigated in two groups of women ( Ns, 487 and 376) and two of men ( Ns, 234 and 150). The hypotheses that persons with an androgynous orientation (high on both masculinity and femininity) would be less likely to smoke and better able to stop smoking were not confirmed. In the older female sample (median age 34 yr.), masculine orientation was associated with high rates of smoking and cessation, and feminine orientation with a low smoking rate. The data were discussed relative to women's smoking and difficulties in cessation, sex-role socialization and conflict, and the measurement of sex-role orientation.