To create our gender diagnosticity scores, we went beyond the traditional measures, using information that Linda, Donna, James, Paul, and the others provided (at around age thirty) about their preferences and interests in various types of occupations. The participants had rated their degree of preference—like, indifference, or dislike—for about a hundred occupations. We then used statistical techniques to calculate gender diagnosticity scores from these preference ratings. Working backward, in order to avoid stereotypes, we computed the probability that a participant was male or female, given his or her occupational preferences. Mechanical engineer, factory manager, and chemist were male-type occupations, preferred by the Terman men. Interior decorator, florist, social worker, and librarian were female-type occupations, generally preferred by the women. By working in reverse, we were able to discover the masculine men and the more feminine men, as well as the more masculine women and the feminine women. And we were able to avoid stereotypes. Who lived the longest?
Masculine and Feminine Men
Paul (the sardonic jokester), predictably, scored as highly masculine—he gave higher preference ratings to the occupations that other Terman men chose, and gave low interest ratings to the occupations that were typically chosen by women. Outgoing and something of a loudmouth, Paul was a classic “man’s man.” Although his career path took him in various directions, not all of them stereotypically masculine (recall that he drifted from newspaper reporter to salesman, proofreader, and finally bookstore manager), his interests and identity were far from feminine. He was an active child, reported by his mother as having an “extraordinary amount of physical energy, ‘pep’ and animation. Dynamic and tireless.” He was curious and mischievous, which sometimes got him into trouble. Though he didn’t suffer any serious accidents in childhood, he had a lot of skinned knees. His mother also noted that he was punished “rather frequently” and that physical punishment seemed to work best. An avid sports fan, both as a participant and a spectator, Paul played shortstop on baseball teams from the time he was in third grade until he finished college. He also played intramural football throughout his college years and was a supporter of the local sports teams. His other hobbies included sportswriting, camping, hunting, electronic gadgetry, and sports cars.
The ever-tactful James, in contrast, was lower on the masculinity scale. A thoughtful husband to his wife, Irene, and involved father to his three children, the sensitivity James’s mother had noted many years earlier (“sensitive to approval or disapproval of other children. Can’t endure to be disliked”) had developed into something more akin to empathy. Rather vain as a child (he was described in elementary school as one who “fishes for praise”), his awareness of the perceptions of others probably helped him to excel later in his job as a public relations officer. Though of average musical talent, James enjoyed music, and he demonstrated an extraordinary appreciation for beautiful colors and forms; his mother noted that at an early age he had “natural taste.” Original and resourceful in childhood, James was described as a nonconformist by his wife, and indeed his hobbies failed to conform to traditional male stereotypes—he listed art, movies, music, and attending plays as his favorite pastimes. All told, James scored fairly high on femininity, showing more interest in the occupations that women tended to choose than Paul had.
Masculine and Feminine Women
Donna, who as a child enjoyed playing marbles, watching sports, and collecting arrowheads, moved easily in a traditional man’s world. She smoked, she did not hesitate to drink, and she competed well on the job. Unlike many women of her generation, she didn’t keep quiet. When we computed her likes and dislikes, Donna scored quite high on masculinity, though not as high as Paul; she showed a good deal of interest in and preference for jobs that Terman men had tended to prefer.
In contrast with Donna, whose interests and activities earned her the reputation of a “romp,” Linda, who married when she was twenty, was anything but a tomboy. Her interests centered around homemaking and her children. Although she enjoyed socializing, her family was at the top of her priority list. Giving to a fault (her parents, in fact, described her as “too generous” in 1936), she was also somewhat sensitive, and she indicated in her self-evaluation that her feelings could be easily hurt. Fortunately, she and her husband only occasionally disagreed, communicating well as they planned the family budget, made arrangements together for holidays, confided their worries to one another, and exchanged jokes.
Linda was highly feminine, choosing occupations that most other women also endorsed as the most desirable. James, who also scored fairly high on femininity, did not score as high as Linda—he showed more interest in the occupations that women tended to choose than Paul did, but not as much interest in those jobs as Linda did.
If you were free to pursue any occupation you desired (that is, if the length of time you’d need to be in school or the cost of tuition were not factors to be considered), what would you choose? What are you passionate about? Which hobbies or jobs would you find wholly unappealing? On the list below, assign a number to each of the seventeen types of jobs and activities in accordance with your preferences.
To compute your score, first cross off physician, bank teller, and bookkeeper. Terman men and women were equally likely to endorse these occupations—they are neither “masculine” nor “feminine.” College professor and novelist were slightly correlated with gender in our sample—men were a little more likely to endorse professor and women to endorse novelist (but not by much). So cross those off, too. Now, for interior decorator (the most “feminine” occupation listed), social worker, interpreter, working with children, hearing about other people’s problems, watching figure skating, and landscape gardener, reverse your scores. That is, change your minus to plus (or plus to minus); if you marked 0 leave it as it is. Mechanical engineer is the most “masculine” occupation on this list; it is followed by inventor, pilot, athletic director, and playing competitive sports. For these, do not make any changes to your score. Now, simply add up your total.
The most masculine score is +24, while the most feminine is -24. Although there are various limits in this type of assessment, preferences for the occupations and leisure activities that are listed can give some idea about how masculine or feminine you are, in terms relevant to understanding the Terman participants. To give you a contemporary comparison, college students at the lowest quartile (more feminine) today score about -12 while those at the highest quartile are at +15 (more masculine).