,V79

A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

SEX-ROLES AND SUCCESS IN

COMPETITIVE FENCING

THESIS

Presented to the Graduate Council of the

North Texas State University in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

By

Janet C. Grauso, B.S.

Denton, Texas

August, 1979

Grauso, Janet C., A Study of the Relationship

Between Sex-roles and Success in Competitive Fencing.

Master of Science (Physical Education), August, 1979,

43 pp., 2 tables, references.

This investigation was designed to determine

whether a relationship existed between sex-roles

(masculinity, femininity and androgyny) as measured

by the Bem Sex Role Inventory and success (win-loss

record) in a round-robin fencing tournament of 35

subjects enrolled in beginning fencing during

spring semester of 1979 at North Texas State University.

The Pearson product-moment coefficient of

correlations were calculated to ascertain whether

or not significant relationships at the .05 level of

confidence existed among the sex-roles of the subjects

and success in fencing. This study concluded that

individuals with a high feminine score will find

success in a round-robin fencing tournament and

individuals with a high masculine score will find

success in a round-robin fencing tournament.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PageLIST OF TABLES..... ...... . .. ..... iv

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION . . . 1

Statement of the ProblemPurposes of the StudyDefinition of TermsScope of the StudySummary

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . 10

Summary

III. PRELIMINARY PROCEDURES . . . . . . 22

Selection of the SubjectsSelection of the TestDescription of the TestTest AdministrationAnalysis of DataSummary

IV. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY . . . . . . . 30

Discussion of the Findings

V. SUMMARY., CONCLUSIONS, ANDRECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . 36

Summary of FindingsConclusionsRecommendations

APPENDIX A. . . .......... ..... 40

APPENDIX B...... . .. ........ 42

REFERENCES. . . 43

iii

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

I. Means and Standard Deviations ofthe Masculine, Feminine andAndrogyny Scores and the WinRecord of the Subjects .A. .. a 31

II. Relationship of the Sex-RoleScores and the Win Record . . . ,w 32

iv

1

CHAPTER I

Introduction

The history of fencing is lost in antiquity, The

cave man developed a club that was used to hunt, for

protection from the enemy, in conquest or battle (Alaux,

1975). Historians are not in agreement as to which

country is responsible for the birth of fencing. However,

it appears that modern fencing had its beginnings only

after the Battle of Crecy (1346) when the introduction

of gunpowder led to the abandonment of heavy armor,

when skill with the long sword became preferred to

the sheer strength associated with shorter and heavier

weapons and when the thrust gained priority over the

cut (Wyrick, 1971),

In Europe, skill at fencing became a necessity

for self-defense against the cutthroats who infested

every country. Ancient Greece and Rome were the first

to use light weight swords in battle, but with the fall

of the Roman Empire, the weapons became heavier and the

short, easily handled sword gave way to the heavy broad-

swords which required two hands to wield against an

opponent, The need for a weapon which could penetrate

the joints of armor was seen and from this need the

rapier was developed CAlaux, 1975),

2

With the universal growth of dueling during the

sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, there developed

a natural demand for more effacious weapons. Dueling

became so common during the sixteenth century that

almost any pretext would bring on an encounter. The

number of noblemen dying became so great that there

was cause for concern. The alarmed authorities of

England and France attempted, without success, to

curtail the mania; however, the noblemen continued to

practice the art of dueling (Alaux, 1975; Vince, 1960).

The development of a fencing mask made of wire mesh,

the elimination of cutting with the rapier and the

teaching of the advance starting with the right foot

instead of the left in the seventeenth century did much

for the evolution of fencing as a sport (Vince, 1960).

"From stone ax to dueling sword, weapons have been

transformed and evolved" (Alaux, 1975, p. 3), and with

the evolution of the duel to the death into merely

touching one's opponent, the sport of fencing has

gained in popularity. Fencing became recognized as

a sport of universal acclaim when it was included as

an event in the Olympics in 1924.

Today the sport of fencing is seen solely as a sport to

be enjoyed by everyone, including women or men, and the young or

3

old. People in their eighties are still competing in

the sport and successfully using their skill against

the younger, supposedly faster fencers. Fencing may

be included in curricular offerings from middle school

through the college level, and it is one of the most

popular activities in recreational programs throughout

the country (Manley, 1974).

Physical educators and coaches have become interested

in the type of participants who choose a particular sport

or activity. There is evidence to support the idea that

participants with certain types of personalities get

involved in specific types of sports. Some characteristics

linked to sports are aggression, dominance, drive and

toughmindedness. These statements have consistently been

used to describe fencers. Successful competitive fencers

have been described as aggressive, assertive individuals.

They have been further described as intelligent, creative,

self-sufficient, experimenting and imaginative people. Fencers

appear to have a desire to excel and show the masculine

qualities of aggression and assertiveness as well as feminine

traits which include the graceful, flowing fine motor

movements (Williams, Hoepner, Moody & Ogilvie, 1976).

These descriptive statements lead one to question

whether successful fencers possess certain unique qualities.

4

Do successful fencers possess certain characteristics

or do persons who possess certain characteristics choose

to compete in the sport of fencing?

Sport has been viewed generally as an agent of male

orientation. Women who participated in sports were seen

as "masculine" individuals, and men who did not partici-

pate in sports as sissies or "feminine."

Bem (1974) believed in the existence of an individual

who was both masculine and feminine, expressive and instru-

mental. She referred to these people as androgynous

individuals. In an attempt to determine whether or not

there are distinct measurable sex roles, Bem developed

an instrument known as the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI).

This inventory is unlike others in that it includes a

masculinity and femininity scale. Be placing male and

female characteristics in two separate categories, it

allows for the identification of the androgynous

individual. Bem's research provided evidence that a

high degree of sex role development does not facilitate

general social or psychological well-being. An

androgynous individual shows behavioral flexibility

by performing effectively in both expressive and instru-

mental domains. The BSRI predicts that an androgynous

person has a better probability of success in different

situations that does a "masculine" or "feminine"

5

personality (Bem, 1975). Bem (1976) also found that

sex-typed individuals (those who identified highly with

their own sex) were more likely to choose sex-appropriate

activity and to resist sex-inappropriate activity. The

labels "masculine" or "feminine" could inhibit a person

in performing a needed task if he saw it as not conforming

to his perceived idea of what was feminine or masculine.

Theoretically, Bem (1976) contends that masculinity and

femininity go hand in hand and are complementary to each

other. She further contends that it is possible, in

principle, for a person to be both masculine and feminine,

and both instrumental and expressive resulting in an

androgynous individual.

Duquin (1978) suggests that our society labels

certain characteristics as masculine or feminine.

Characteristics such as aggression and assertiveness

are considered masculine in nature, and graceful, flowing

moves as feminine. Duquin further contends that in

many cultures the child-bearing domestic female must be

able to perform expressively. "Expressive behavior is

characterized by the capability to be understanding,

sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate and tender"

(Duquin, 1978, p. 89). These traits along with others

such as gracefulness, warmth and sensitivity form what

is known as the social image of femininity. A male,

6

in order to be considered "masculine" must show "inde,

pendence, assertiveness, ambition, aggressiveness and

be willing to take risks. He is expected to perform

instrumentally. Thus, a socially 'masculine, or

instrumental image is described in terms of leadership,

dominance, and competitive tendencies" (Duquin, 1978,

p. 90).

In fencing, specific moves may be labeled as

masculine or feminine. The thrust or beat attack

might be considered a "masculine" aggressive move and

the fine motor movement of the disengage as "feminine,

An androgynous individual, therefore, might be able to

better perform in fencing situations than a "masculine"

or "feminine" individual, However, there is no evidence

that this area has been investigated.

It is hoped that by comparing results of the Bem

Sex Role Inventory with tournament results, one will be

able to determine whether or not there are certain

characteristics that successful fencers possess The

results of this study should provide helpful information

for fencing instructors and/or coaches of fencing teams

in identifying potential fencers and in helping to deter-

mine which fencer could better perform in tournament

situations.

7

Statement of the Problem

The problem of this study was to determine whether

individuals with a higher androgyny score are more suc-

cessful in competitive fencing than those individuals

classified as higher in masculine or feminine scores

as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Success

was determined by the win-loss record resulting from

competition in a round-robin tournament of students

enrolled in beginning fencing classes at North Texas

State University during the spring semester of 1979.

Purposes of the Study

The purposes of the study were

1. To determine whether there was a significant

relationship between "androgyny" as measured by the

Bem Sex Role Inventory and the success (win-loss record)

of beginning fencers competing in a round-robin tournament

at North Texas State University during the spring semester

of 1979;

2. To determine whether there was a significant

relationship between "masculinity" as measured by the

Bem Sex Role Inventory and the success (win-loss record)

of beginning fencers competing in .a round-robin- tournament

at North Texas State University during the spring semester

of 1979.

8

3. To determine whether there was a relationship

between "femininity" as measured by the Bem Sex Role

Inventory and the win-loss record of beginning fencers

competing in a round-robin tournament at North Texas

State University during the spring semester of 1979.

Definition of Terms

The following terms and definitions were pertinent

to the study:

1. Expressive behavior.--"the ability to show

nurturance, tenderness, sensitivity and to have an

affective concern for the welfare of others" (Bem, 1972,

p. 10);

2. Instrumental behavior.--"conduct characterized

by such behaviors as assertiveness, perserverance, self-

confidence and independence" (Bem, 1972, p. 10);

3. Androgynous individual.--"a person who possesses

both expressive and instrumental, masculine and feminine

characteristics" (Bem, 1972, p. 1);

4. Round-robin tournament.--"in the round-robin

tournament, each team or player plays each other competitor

in the league" (Voltmer & Esslinger, 1967, p. 364);

5. Success (operational).--greater number of wins

as compared to losses during the tournament.

9

Scope of the Study

The present study was designed to investigate

the relationship of androgyny, masculinity, and femininity

to the success (win-loss record) of beginning fencers

competing in a round-robin tournament. The subjects

were 25 males and 10 females enrolled in beginning fencing

classes at North Texas State University during the

spring semester of 1979. The study was limited to

students with no previous experience in fencing.

Summary

Physical educators and coaches are concerned with

the sex-role and its effect on competition and selection

of activity or sport. The present investigation is an

attempt to determine whether individuals with a higher

androgyny score are more successful in competitive

fencing that those individuals classified as higher in

masculine and feminine scores,

10

CHAPTER II

Review of Literature

A review of the literature revealed that many studies

had been conducted concerning specific personalities

characteristics as they relate to sport. However, there

were a limited number of studies that dealt specifically

with androgyny and sport. This could be attributed to

the fact that there was no evidence of this term in the

literature until the early part of this decade.

Prior to research conducted, our society generally

believed that a mentally healthy female reacted with

"feminine" behavior and mentally healthy males reacted

with "masculine" behavior (Bem, 1974; Heilbrun, 1973).

It was further believed that men react instrumentally

while women react expressively.

The studies presented in this chapter include

investigations which deal with the performance of

androgynous, sex-typed and sex-reversed individuals

in situations described as masculine and feminine and

their reactions to these situations. The studies

examining the relationship of personality characteristics

and sport are limited to those involving fencers.

11

The concept of psychological androgyny investigated

by Bem (1974) implied that it was possible for an

individual to be "both masculine and feminine; instru-

mental and expressive, agentic and communal, depending

on the situational appropriateness of these various

modalities" (Bem, 1976, p. 1016). With this idea in

mind, she developed the Bern Sex Role Inventory to deter-

mine whether this was a sound assumption.

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) differs from

other masculinity-femininity scales in that it, first,

includes both a masculinity and femininity scale each

of which contains 20 personality characteristics.

Second, the personality traits were chosen as masculine

or feminine based on differential endorsement by males

and females similar to other inventories. Third, the

BSRI characterizes a person as either masculine,

feminine or androgynous. Last, the BSRI includes a

social desirability scale that is completely neutral

with respect to sex CBem, 1975).

The BSRI was first administered in 1973 to 444 male

and 274 female students at Stanford University, It was

administered to an additional 111 male and 77 female

paid volunteers at Foothill Junior College (Berm, 1974).

Computations of the Social Desirability score and the

12

Masculinity, Femininity and Androgyny scores for the

Stanford and Foothill samples were computed separately

using the product-moment correlations. They were also

computed between the Social Desirability score and the

absolute value of the Androgyny score. The BSRI was

administered four weeks later to 28 males and 32 females

from the Stanford normative sample. Comparisons between

the first and second administrations for Masculinity,

Femininity, Androgyny and Social Desirability scores

were computed using the product-moment correlations.

The results of the studies indicated that the instrument

was highly reliable--Masculinity r=.90; Femininity r=.90;

Androgyny r=.93; Social Desirability r=.89.

Spence, Helmreich & Stapp (1975) developed a masculinity-

femininity (M-F) scale which measures androgyny entitled the

Personality Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). The PAQ con-

tains psychological characteristics which both males

and females believe differentiate the typical male and

female and characteristics which actually do dif-

ferentiate the average male and female. The PAQ is a

self-report test and is scored on a five point scale.

The items of the test were divided into four categories:

Masculinity, Femininity, Masculinity-Femininity and

Undifferentiated. Their findings revealed that the most

13

desirable category was androgyny which is related to a

number of desirable attributes which gave the individual

an advantage over the other categories. The next most

desirable category was masculinity, followed by

femininity, and undifferentiated.

In investigating Androgyny and Sex Role adaptability,

Bem (1975) tested 27 males and 27 females at Stanford

University. She found that androgynous individuals

were more likely to adapt behaviorally in different

situations with the appropriate response regardless of

its stereotype as appropriate for one sex or another,

"As for the non-androgynous male, behavior was congruent

only with his self-ascribed sex role as measured by the

BSRI" (Bem, 1975, p. 642), The masculine females not

only displayed greater independence than feminine females

but also showed the ability to conform to situations

which were thought to correlate only to feminine females.

As for feminine females, the results were contrary to

expectations. They did not reveal masculine independence

and failed to show feminine/expressiveness, It was the

feminine female who had the most serious behavioral

deficit, Bem discovered that high femininity appeared

to be linked to poor adjustment, high anxiety and low

social acceptance, "High masculinity was positively

14

correlated with anxiety, guilt-proneness, tough poise,

neuroticism, and suspectingness; while low masculinity

was correlated with warmth, brightness, emotional

stability, sensitivity, and sophistication" (Bem, 1975,

p. 5). In this same study she found that children of

both sexes who did not strongly identify with sex types

were more intelligent, more highly creative and had higher

spatial ability than those who did strongly identify with

sex types.

Bem and Watson investigated 84.undergraduates (42

males and 42 females) at Stanford University on Sex-

Typing and Androgyny. The study found that characteristics

of femininity were affiliation, succorance, and nurturance.

Androgynous subjects also showed more nuturance than

the masculine subjects or subjects who were not categorized

(undifferentiated) (Bem, 1976).

Bem (1976) studied behavior in 24 sex-typed, 24

androgynous, and 24 sex-reversed members of each sex at

Stanford University in 1973. Bem found that sex-typed

individuals were more likely to choose activities which

are sex-appropriate and to resist sex-inappropriate

activities. It was further reported that sex-typed

individuals experienced discomfort when required to

perform a cross sex-typed activity.

Heilbrun (1976) studied 1,383 college subjects at

Emory College and the University of Iowa. The Masculinity

15

and Femininity scales of the Adjective Check List were

used and determined that females who leaned more toward

a masculine identity were more contemporary in their

attitudes toward the role of females. and that androgynous

females were more liberal in their views toward the woman's

role. This study revealed that androgynous individuals

showed more effective behavior and flexibility in adapting

to situations with varying role demands, and were better

adjusted than their peers who presented other sex role

identities.

Duquin (1977) investigated androgyny among male

and female physical education majors and athletes at

the University of Pittsburgh using the BSRI. The subjects

were 45 female physical education majors, 20 female

varsity athletes, 35 male physical education majors and

45 male varsity athletes. The results revealed 1) signifi-

cantly higher scores for males from both samples on the

masculinity scale in comparison to the females, and a

significantly higher score for females on the femininity

scale than for the males; 2) in both groups a majority

of males scored on the masculine side of androgyny.

The highest per cent of females were found in the

androgynous category in both groups. A comparison was

made between the results of this study and the study

conducted by Bem in 1974 of Stanford University undergraduates.

16

The comparison indicated a higher percentage of male

physical education majors and athletes were found in

the highly masculine category, In examining the female

physical education majors and female athletes, the female

athletes and female physical education majors revealed

a higher percentage of androgyny.

Gayton, Hann, Barnes, Ozman & Bassett (1978) examined

the relationship between psychological androgyny and

fear of success for 128 female undergraduates at the

University of Maine Portland-Gorham. The subjects

were administered the Be Sex Role Inventory and 029

item fear of success scale described by Good and Good.

From the results of these tests, the subjects were

placed into one of four categories; androgynous, sex-

typed, sex-reversed, and/or indeterminate. The

results revealed that androgynous females had less fear

of success than either sex-typed or undeterminate

females. This indicated that androgynous individuals

were more capable of dealing effectively with the

possible perceived negative consequences of success,

Sex-reversed females showed less fear of success than

either sex-typed or undeterminate females, and were

capable of dealing effectively with perceived negative

consequences of success. There was no significant

17

difference between androgynous and sex-reversed females

in their fear of success.

Spence and Helmreich (1978) tested achievement

motivation of scientists and women athletes at the

University of Texas using the Work and Family Orientation

Questionnaire (WOFO, still being developed) and correlated

the results with the Personal Attributes Questionnaire.

The four categories examined by the WOFO were: Work

Orientation (completing a task); Mastery (working to

better oneself); Competitiveness (enjoys competition);

and Personal Concern (how others view success of the

individuals). The results indicated that both male and

female individuals classified as masculine or androgynous

scored higher on all four scales than those who were

categorized as feminine or undifferentiated. Masculine

males scored higher on the competitiveness and personal

concern scales than the androgynous women.

The studies of personality and its relationship to

sport have been conducted in many areas. The following

studies investigated fencing and personality. Flanagan (1951)

investigated the personality of fencers using a personality

inventory of 123 items. This scale was a combination of

the items of factor M (masculinity-femininity) from the

Guilford-Martin Inventory, the Allport's Ascendence-Submission

Scale, Guilford's Introversion-Extroversion Scale and the

18

Emotional Stability section of Smith's Human Behavior

Inventory. His subjects were 221 college males engaged

in fencing, badminton, basketball, volleyball , boxing

and swimming. The inventory had four sections dealing

with masculinity-femininity, ascendance-submission,

introversion-extroversion, and emotional stability-

instability. The conclusions revelaed that fencers were

the most feminine, highest on the ascendance scale, second

only to the badminton group as being extroverted, and the

most emotionally stable of the groups.

Harford, Willis and Deabler (1967) examined the

relationship between masculinity-femininity and personality

of 213 male volunteers from the Veterans Administration

Outpatient Clinic, Boston, Massachusetts. Measures of

masculinity-femininity were derived from tests such as

the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, Minnesota Multi-

phasic Personality Inventory, Terman-Miles Attitude

Interest Analysis Test and the Cattell 16 Personality

Factor Inventory. The results of this study reported

a high score on the Masculinity-Femininity (M-F) scale

was indicative of masculine interests. The higher

masculinity score was related to aloofness, emotional

dissatisfaction, toughness, practicality, and were

unpretentious. They were also suspecting, guilt

prone, had high anxiety, tough poise and high neuroticism.

19

Low M-F scores were associated with warmth, sensitivity,

sophistication, acceptance, were responsive emotionally

and had aesthetic values.

This study revealed that M-F is related to dimensions

of intelligence and aptitude, Brighter mental capacity

and verbal skills were related to low scores on the

M-F, femininity. Manual dexterity was positively

correlated with high M-F scores and motor coordination

was negatively correlated with low M-F scores,

Peterson, Weber and Trousdale (1967) studied

personality traits of 156 women athletes in team sports

as compared to women athletes in individual sports who

were AAU athletes and the 1964 United States Olympic

teams, The sports included in the study were swimming,

diving, riding, fencing, canoeing, gymnastics and track

and field for the individual sports, Team sports

included the U. S. Olympic volleyball team and the

top ten 1964 AAU basketball teams,

The conclusions of the study showed that the athletes

participating in individual sports were higher in per-

sonality traits of dominance, self-sufficiency and

impulsiveness than the team sports, They were more

independent, introverted, self-assured, less inhibited

and have a higher degree of emotional, artistic and

creative interests,

20

Malumphy (1968) compared the personality and back-

ground of 77 women participating in intercollegiate

sports and 42 non-participants at Colorado State College,

The sports studied were tennis, golf, fencing, competitive

swimming and archery for the individual sports and basket-

ball, field hockey, softball, volleyball, badminton and

bowling for team sports,

The results of the Cattell16 Personality Factor

Inventory and a personal information questionnaire that

was administered determined that the individual sports

group were less anxious, more extroverted, venturesome,

tough minded, and showed more leadership.

Williams, Hoepner, Moody and Ogilvie (1970)

investigated the personality traits of 30 champion level

female fencers using the Cattell 16 PersonalityFactor

Inventory. The results revealed that the champion level

fencer was reserved, self-sufficient, autonomous and had

a low desire for affiliation and nurturance. They were

also creative, experimenting, imaginative, assertive

and aggressive, The top level competitor was also more

dominant than the low level competitor,

Summary

A review of literature revealed a limited number

of experimental studies related to androgyny and sport.

21

A resume of literature selected for this chapter focused

upon relationships of personality characteristics relating

to sport. There appears to be general agreement that

the study of androgyny and sport is justifiable.

22

CHAPTER III

Preliminary Procedures

A review of the literature in the areas of androgyny

and personality and the relationship of these constructs

to competition was conducted. The procedures and materials

discussed in these studies were utilized in the selection

of the test and the development of the techniques, per-

formance record sheets, and charts employed in the present

investigation.

A pilot study was administered to evaluate the

procedures for collecting data to determine androgyny,

masculinity and femininity and to determine the length

of time needed to carry out the fencing tournament. The

subjects were 11 men and 9 women enrolled in the beginning

fencing classes at North Texas State University during

the fall semester of 1978. Each subject was administered

the Bem Sex Role Inventory and a personal data sheet.

The subjects were randomly assigned to three fencing

pools. Each pool fenced a round-robic tournament

following the rules and regulations established by the

Amateur Fencers League of America which includes a

five touch bout or a six minute time limit.

23

All testing was conducted during four weeks of

the beginning fencing classes which met in the Women's

Gymnasium, room 110, North Texas State University,

Denton, Texas. The class met on Monday, Wednesday and

Friday from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m.

The data were analyzed at the North Texas State

University Computer Center using the Pearson product-

moment coefficient of correlation to determine whether

there was a significant relationship between masculinity,

femininity and androgyny scores and the win-loss record

of the subjects. The results revealed no significant

relationship between the masculinity, femininity and

androgyny scores and success. It was felt that with

a larger number of subjects a greater relationship would

be found between masculinity, femininity and androgyny

and success.

The pilot study revealed no basic problems in

administering the Inventory. It was decided that a

round-robin tournament would be used and all fencing

would take place in the Laboratory School Gymnasium

instead of the Women's Gymnasium, room 110 at North

Texas State University so that more fencing strips could

be utilized.

24

Selection of the Subjects

The subjects in the study were 25 males and 10

females enrolled in Physical Education 164 (fencing)

at North Texas State University, Denton, Texas, during

the spring semester of 1979 who voluntarily agreed to

participate in the study. Fencing was one of the

available courses for students in the required physical

activity program.

Selection of the Test

The selection of the test was governed by the objec-

tives of the study, review of the literature, and the

availability of the instrument. The criteria used for

the selection of the test was validity, reliability and

ease of administration. The Bem Sex Role Inventory was

selected and administered to measure androgyny, masculinity

and femininity (Appendix A). Permission for use of the

Inventory was granted by the author, Sandra L. Bem at

Cornell University. A personal data sheet was prepared

to be completed by each subject (Appendix B).

Description of the Test

The Bem Sex Role Inventory consists of 60 items;

20 items deal with masculine characteristics such as

aggression, assertiveness and independence; 20 items

deal with feminine characteristics such as understanding,

yielding and sensitive. The final 20 items are neutral

25

and are used to determine social desirability. This

category includes such items as truthful, happy and

dependable. If the person being tested agrees with a

statement or feels it is true about him, he marks Always

or Almost Always True (given a numerical score of seven),

Usually True (6 points), Often True (5 points), or

Occasionally True (4 points). If he disagrees with a

statement or feels it is not true of him he answers

Sometimes but Infrequently True (3 points), Usually Not

True (2 points) or Never or Almost Never True (A point),

The scores of the masculine items are added to

determine the individual's masculine score, and the

total of the feminine items are added to arrive at the

individuals femininity score. The androgyny score is

determined by computing the difference between the

masculinity and femininity scores,

Test Administration

Each class was administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory

in room 110 of the Women's Gymnasium at North Texas State

University the second week of classes during the spring

semester of 1979. The BSRI was not administered the

first week in order to facilitate administrative duties,

Each class was given a brief explanation of the purpose

of the study. Instructions for completing the BSRI

26

were carefully read to the students and time was allowed

for any questions concerning any part of the Inventory,

A personal information sheet was distributed along with

the %SRI. Subjects for the study were volunteers from

the four beginning fencing classes who agreed to partici,

pate and were randomly assigned to pools A, B, C, D

or E by the use of the random numbers table (Roscoe, 1969).

These pools were then assigned to the five fencing strips,

All fencing in the round-robin tournament was con-ducted in the Laboratory Gymnasium at North Texas State

University, Denton, Texas, on Monday, Tuesday andWednesday evenings from 7:00 pom. until 10:00 p.m. on

March 19, 1979 through April 9, 1979, The final day

was designated as a make-up time for subjects who may

have missed a session, Ten subjects were dropped from

the study due to excessive absences, illness and with-

drawals from school,

Five regulation foil fencing strips were carefully

painted on the gymnasium floor with white shoe polish

and were numbered, The strips were laid according to

the description outlined in the Amateur Fencers League

of America rulebook, Individual score sheets were

printed for each competitor, and team score sheets

27

were printed for each pool. Five stop watches, clipboards and pencils were acquired to be used for timing

and recording scores,

A group of officials composed of members of theintermediate fencing class and members of the NorthTexas State University fencing team were selected to

administer the round-robin tournament. Rules, regulations

and procedures were carefully explained to them andseveral practice sessions prior to actual competitionwere held so that they would completely understand theprocedures required in administering the tournament,

Each bout was governed by the Amateur Fencers

League of America rules and regulations, which includefive touches with a six minute time limit.

The subjects were issued individual score sheets

at the beginning of each session and requested to

write their names and the score of each bout they fenced.These individual score sheets were later compared to

the team score sheets as a cross-check.

A plan was devised whereby the directors, score-keepers and timers remained on the same fencing stripfor one entire session(completion of one team scoresheet). After each session was completed the directors,

scorekeepers and timekeepers rotated to the next fencingstrip, Judging was performed by the fencers within their

28

own pool. The data were recorded and the individual

and team score sheets were collected at the end of

each period.

Subjects who had absences during the round-robin

tournament were allowed to complete their bouts on

April 9 which was designated for this session as

make-up.

Analysis of Data

The data collected in this study included scores

from the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the win-loss record

of each of the 35 subjects participating in a round-

robin fencing tournament. Analysis of the data was made

to determine whether a relationship existed between the

sex roles and success.

The Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation

was computed to determine whether a significant relationship

existed between sex-roles (masculinity, feminity and

androgyny) and success (win-loss record) in a round-

robin fencing tournament. The .05 level of confidence

was used to test significance. The data were statistically

analyzed at the North Texas State University Computer

Center by the IBM 360 computer. The significance of

the correlations were tested using procedures outlined

by Statistical Package of Social Sciences (Nie, 1970),

29

which was the statistical computing package used by

Bem (1974) in her original study.

Summary

This chapter described the design and procedures

followed in this study. It discussed the pilot study,

subjects tested, testing procedures, and the statistical

analysis of the test results.

30

CHAPTER IV

Findings of the Study

This chapter presents an analysis and interpretation

of the data compiled in the study. The purpose of this

investigation was to determine whether there was a signifi-

cant relationship between sex-roles as measured by the

administration of the Bem Sex Role Inventory to 35 subjects

and their success (win-loss record) in a round-robin

fencing tournament.

The Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation

was computed to determine whether a significant relation-

ship existed between the sex roles and the success of 35

beginning fencers. Table , presents the means and

standard deviations of the Sex Role (Masculinity, Femininity,

and Androgyny) scores of the BSRI and the win-loss record

of the subjects.

The two groups were Males (M=25) and Females (N-10).

The highest possible score for the round-robin tournament

was 34 wins.

The mean for the masculinity score of the female

group was 108.2 with a standard deviation of 23.2; a

mean of 105.4 with a standard deviation of 14.2 was found

for the male group. The femininity scores of the female

group showed a mean of 95.4 and standard deviation of

31

15.7; a mean of 91.6 and standard deviation of 8.9 was

found for the male group. The androgyny score revealed

a mean of 26.4 and standard deviation of 20.7 for the

female group; a mean of 18.0 with standard deviation of

13.1 for the male group. The wins revealed a mean of

16.0 with a standard deviation of 7.2 for the female group;

a mean of 17.6 and standard deviation of 6.9 for the male

group. The total of the two groups showed a mean of 106.2

and standard deviation of 16.9 for the masculinity score;

mean of 92.6 and standard deviation of 11.0 for the

femininity score; a mean of 20.4 with standard deviation

of 15.8 for the androgyny score; and a mean of 17.2 with

a standard deviation of 6.9 for the wins.

Table I

MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS. OF THE MASCULINE,

FEMININE AND ANDROGYNY SCORES AND THE

WIN RECORD OF THE SUBJECTS

Female (N=10) Male (N=25) Total (N=35)

Factor Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

Masculinity 108.2 + 23,2 105.4 + 14.2 106.2 + 16.9

Femininity 95.4 + 15.7 91,6 + 8.9 92.6 + 11.0

Androgyny 26.4 + 20.7 18.0 + 13.1 20.4 + 15.8

Wins 16.0 + 7.2 17.6 + 6.9 17.2 + 6.9

32

Table 2 provides the correlations between the sex

roles based on the BSRI scores and the win-loss record.

Table 2

RELATIONSHIP OF THE SEX-ROLE SCORES

AND THE WIN RECORD

Factor M F A W

Masculinity 1.00 -0.24 0.54 0.34*

Femininity -0.24 1.00 -0.58 0.30*

Androgyny 0.54 -0.58 1.00 0.03

Wins 0.34* 0.30* 0.03 1.00

* = significant at the .05 level

The Statistical Package for Social Science was used

to test the significance of the relationships. The

relationship between masculinity and success of 0.34

proved to be statistically significant at the .05 level

of confidence. The relationship between femininity

and success of 0.30 was statistically significant at

the .05 level. The relationship between androgyny and

success failed to reach significance.

Discussion of the Findings

The relationship between the sex-role of masculinity

and femininity and the win-loss record of a round-robin

33

fencing tournament proved to be statistically significant

for masculine and feminine scores. The relationship between

androgyny scores and win-loss record was not significantly

related.

The findings of this study with regard to masculinity,

femininity and androgyny revealed that the individuals

with a high masculinity score were positively related

to success. Individuals with a high femininity score

revealed a positive correlation with success. The

subjects' androgyny scores revealed there was no

relationship between androgyny and success. The fact

that there was no significant relationship between

androgyny and success might be due to the fact that

according to Bem's scale, there was a very limited

number of androgynous subjects in this study. This

finding may further be due to the fact that there were

more subjects who identified with the masculine sex

role in both the male and female group. Another

explanation may be that beginning fencers were used

for this study. Their lack of experience may have

resulted in deviation from the prescribed fencing form.

It would appear that as the subjects gained in experi-

ence during the tournament the more aggressive they

became, and the more aggressive subjects won more bouts.

34

There were significant positive correlations between

the masculinity scores and success and femininity scores

and success. This indicated that subjects who scored

high in femininity and high in masculinity tended to

perform well in fencing competition.

It is interesting to note that in this investigation

the female subjects scored higher on both the masculinity

and femininity scales than did the male subjects. However,

the difference was not significant. This finding is not

in agreement with the results of Bem's (1974) study of

Stanford University sample which revealed that males

scored significantly higher than females on the Masculinity

scale and females scores significantly higher than males

on the Femininity scale.

An earlier investigation by Bem (1975) in which

she studied sex-role adaptability, found that androgynous

subjects of both sexes displayed more masculine indepen-

dence and feminine playfulness. The non-androgynous male

did well only when dealing in situations he deemed

congruent to his self-ascribed sex role. Her study also

revealed that masculine females adapted well to different

situations. These findings agree with the present

investigation which shows that sex-typed individuals

performed well in the different fencing situations.

35

Even though the results of this study identified

very few androgynous individuals, it is felt that the

study of this psychological phenomenon should be continued.

36

CHAPTER V

Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

This chapter presents a summary of the problem,

and analysis of results, conclusions based on the results,

and recommendations for additional studies.

This study was designed to determine whether a

relationship existed between sex-roles (masculinity,

femininity and androgyny) as measured by the Bem Sex

Role Inventory and success (win-loss record) in a round-

robin fencing tournament of 35 subjects enrolled in

beginning fencing during the spring semester of 1979

at North Texas State University, Denton, Texas.

Sex-roles (masculinity, femininity and androgyny)

were derived from scores of 10 females and 25 males

completing the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the results

of a round-robin fencing tournament to determine the

success (win-loss record) were the data utilized in

this study. The data were analyzed statistically using

the IBM 360 computer computations. Pearson's product-

moment coefficient of correlation was used to determine

the relationship'between sex-roles and success (win-

loss record) in a round-robin fencing tournament.

37

Summary of Findings

Within the limitations of this study the following

findings were revealed:

1. A positive relationship was found between high

masculinity scores as measured by the Bem Sex Role

Inventory and success (win-loss record) in a round-

robin fencing tournament;

2. A positive relationship was found between high

femininity scores as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory

and success (win-loss record) in a round-robin fencing

tournament;

3. No significant relationship was found between

androgyny as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory

and success (win-loss record) in a round-robin fencing

tournament.

Conclusions

The results of this study would appear to justify

the following:

1. Individuals with a high feminine score as

measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory will find success

in a round-robin fencing tournament;

2. Individuals with a high masculine score as

measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory will find success

in a round-robin fencing tournament.

38

Recommendations

The following recommendations are presented for

further investigation in the study of sex characteristics

and success in fencing:

1. Conduct a similar study using subjects of

intermediate or advanced skill level;

2. Conduct a similar study using electronic

fencing equipment.

APPENDIX A

39

1 2

I ---

NEVER ORALMOST

NEVER TRUE

USUALLYNOT

TRUE

3 4

I rSOMETIMES BUT OCCASIONALLYINFREQUENTLY TRUE

TRUE

5

I

40

6

OFTENTRUE

USUALLYTRUE

7

ALWAYS ORALMOST

ALWAYS TRUE

Self reliant

Yielding

Helpful

Defends ownbeliefs

Cheerful

Moody

Independent

Shy

Consci entious

Athletic

Affectionate

Theatrical

Assertive

Fl atterable

Happy

Strong Personality

Loyal

Unpredictable

Foreceful

Feminine

IiWarm

Solemn

Willing to takea stand

Tender

Friendly

Aggressive

alow- .L.. .WReliable

Analytical

Sympathetic

Jealous

Has leadershipabilities

Sensitive to theneeds of others

Truthful

Willing to takerisks

Understanding

Secretive

Makes decisionseasily

Compassionate

Sincere

Self-sufficient

Eager to soothehurt feelings

Conceited

Dominant

Soft-spoken

Likable

Masculine

1 ..

Gullible

Inefficient

Acts as a leader

Childlike

Adaptable

Individualistic

Does not useharsh language

Unsystematic

Competitive

Loves children

Tactful

Ambitious

Gentle

Conventional

Moto-WONMU.M...

I.,_,

i

APPENDIX B

41

42

Please print

Sex AgeSchool

Year in School Occupationif not a student

TELEPHONE (If you have no phone, please giveus some way of contacting you, e.g., your address.)

On the following page, you will be shown a large number of personality

characteristics. We would like you to use those characteristics in order

to describe yourself. That is, we would like you to indicate on a scale from

1 to 7, how true of you these various characteristics are. Please do not

leave any characteristic unmarked.

Example:

Mark

Mark

Mark

Mark

Mark

Mark

Mark

sly

a 1 if

a 2 if

a 3 if

a 4 if

a 5 ifa 6 if

a 7 if

it

it

it

it

it

it

it

is

is

is

is

is

is

is

NEVER OR ALMOST NEVER TRUE that you are sly.

USUALLY NOT TRUE that you are sly.

SOMETIMES BUT INFREQUENTLY TRUE that you are sly.

OCCASIONALLY TRUE that you are sly.

OFTEN TRUE that you are sly.

USUALLY TRUE that you are sly.

ALWAYS OR ALMOST ALWAYS TRUE that you are sly.

Thus, if you feel it is sometimes but infrequently true that you are "sly",

never or almost never true that you are "malicious", always or almost alwa

true that you are "irresponsible," and often true that you are "carefree,"

then you would rate these characteristics as follows:

Full Name

Sly

Malicious

Irresponsible

Carefree

43

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Amateur Fencers League of America Fencing Rules.

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Bem, S. L. Psychology looks at sex role: Where have

all the androgynous people gone? Paper presented

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Bem, S. L. The measurement of psychological androgyny.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,

1974, 42, 115-162.

Bem, S. L. Sex role adaptability: One consequence

of psychological androgyny. Journal of Personality

and Social Psychology, 1975, 31 , 634-643.

Bem, S. L. Sex typing and the avoidance of cross-sex

behavior. Journal of Personality and Social

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Bem, S. L. & Watson, C. Sex typing and androgyny:

Further explorations of the expressive domain.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,

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Duquin, Mary E. In Carole A. Oglesby (Ed.), Women

in sport. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1978.

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Early Career Awards for 1976. American Psychologist,

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Gayton, W., Hann, G., Barnes, S., Ozman, K. L. & Basset,

J. S. Psychological androgyny and fear of success.

Psychological Reports, 1978, 42, 757-758.

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Heilbrun, A. B., Jr. Measurement of masculine and feminine

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190.

Heilbrun, C. G. Toward a recognition of androgyny.

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Malumphy, T. M. Personality of women athletes in

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Statistical package for social science. New York:

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Peterson, S. L., Weber, J. C., & Trousdale, W. W.

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Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R. Sex roles and achievement.

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Vince, Joseph. Fencing New York: The Ronald Press

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Voltmer, E. F. & Esslinger, A. A. The organization and

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Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967.

Williams, J. M., Hoepner, B. J., Moody, D. L. & Ogilvie, B. C.

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Research Quarterly, 1970, 41, 446-453.

Wyrick, Waneen. Foil fencing. Philadelphia: W. B.

Saunders Co., 1971.