OPPOSITE-SEX INTERPERSONAL-ATTRACTION AS A FUNCTION OF THE SEX-ROLES OF THE PERCEIVER AND THE PERCEIVED

Androgynous, sex-typed, and undifferentiated high school males and females were asked to rate opposite-sex androgynous, sex-typed, and undifferentiated stimulus persons on both platonic and romantic liking measures. The sex-role attributes of the perceiver did not importantly mediate preferences. However, the sex-role personality characteristics of the stimulus person had significant consequences for attraction. Androgynous stimulus persons were found to be the most attractive on both platonic and romantic measures of liking. Females especially preferred androgynous males, whereas males tended to prefer androgynous females for friendship and feminine females for romance. Undifferentiated stimulus persons were consistently the least popular. Discussion of the possible dynamics underlying the obtained pattern of results is offered. © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation.