Two studies investigated the influence of sex-role identification: (a) on the feelings and expectations of female college students (N = 66) regarding the possibility of their own marriage and subsequent divorce; and (b) among divorced women (N = 32), on their reasons for divorce, and the trauma they experienced during the post-divorce adjustment period. Among college students, femininity was related to pessimistic expectations regarding marriage and divorce, while masculinity was related to more positive expectations. In the divorced sample, less conventional (more masculine) women seemed to adjust more easily. Femininity was related to more passive and conventional reasons for divorce, while masculinity was related to more frequent reports that the divorce was partly due to the women's own needs and behaviors.
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