Need Affiliation and Achievement: Declining Sex Differences

Abstract

This study replicated one in Bardwick's 1971 Psychology of women which showed that women were strictly interpersonal and affiliative. Ss were 465 college students who responded anonymously to a brief projective survey for which a coding-by-example scheme had been developed to measure need affiliation and need achievement. Of four χ³ tests of differences between the sexes in the 2 needs under 2 stimulus conditions, only one reached significance, although all differences were in line with traditional expectations. It was concluded that sex-stereotypes in regard to these needs are changing in the college population both by men becoming more concerned with interpersonal relationships and women with pride in school and work.