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The purpose of this study was to examine more fully the relationship between masculinity, femininity and satisfaction among dating couples. A multivariate causal model was developed and tested to assess Ickes' (1985) conceptual model of gender-role influences on relationship satisfaction. Dating couples ( N = 174) completed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Results indicated that for both males and females, relationship satisfaction was related to their own expressive competence and to perceptions of their partner as feminine. Also, levels of expressive competence mediated the relationship between self-perceptions of femininity and satisfaction. For females, perceptions of partners' femininity were predicted by males' and females' self-perceived femininity. For males, perceptions of partners' femininity were predicted by females' self-perceived femininity and males' self-perceived masculinity. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings not only for the specific model of gender-role influences in dyadic interactions, but also for more `broadly conceived theories of relationship development.

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Identity styles represent strategies individuals use to explore identity‐related issues. Berzonsky (Berzonsky, M. D. (1992). Identity style and coping strategies. Journal of Personality, 60, 771–788) identified three styles: informational, normative, and diffuse. In three studies, this paper presents (a) the identity processing style Q‐sort (IPSQ), a new measurement technique for assessing identity styles, along with the reliability and validity of three criterion sorts that represent “ideal types” for the three respective styles, (b) a description of the styles in a sample of 480 college students along with direct comparisons with the paper–pencil measure of identity styles originally developed by Berzonsky, and (c) an examination of convergent and discriminant validity of the IPSQ in a sample of 321 college students based on correlations with measures tapping identity status, family relationship quality, social competence, coping styles, and social desirability. The general discussion concludes that the reliability and validity of the sort are supported and future directions and potential uses are described.

This study rated the communication behaviours, verbal and non-verbal, of women who discussed topics of low intimacy with a same-sex other (either an intimate friend or an acquaintance) and with an opposite-sex other (either an intimate friend or an acquaintance). Results indicated that there were interactions of gender of target person with degree of acquaintance. In discussions with both same-and opposite-sex acquaintances, the female participants seemed to take responsibility for keeping the conversation going; however, their verbal behaviours differed depending upon the gender of the target person. Opposite-sex interactions produced more questions from the women while same-sex interactions produced more subtle verbal behaviours such as active listening responses. Opposite-sex intimates were responded to more warmly and openly than were same-sex intimates, probably due in part to the greater closeness reported with the opposite-sex intimate than with the same-sex intimate. Results were discussed in terms of sex-role appropriateness of behaviours as well as the apparent complexity of communication behaviours.