In a sample of 240 high school students cognitive performance differences related to sex, sex-role stereotype, and dissonance between perceived and ideal levels of masculinity/femininity were investigated. Three-way analysis of variance (Scheffé follow-up tests) showed significant interactions on three cognitive variables when stereotype was combined with dissonance. Students scoring higher on cognitive variables expressed dissonance in the direction of valuing more masculine personality traits. Results suggest that a catalyst with regard to individual differences in cognitive performance is the value placed on sex-related personality characteristics rather than sex or sex-role stereotype.
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