Transcript Toward a Positive Developmental Psychology of Femininity

Toward a Positive
Developmental Psychology of
Femininity: Feminine Strengths
MaryLou F. Worthen, U of Phoenix
Meredith G. F. Worthen, U of Texas
SRHD 2006, Fort Worth,TX
Problem: Negative Reputations
Psychology as disease model
Femininity as weakness
Positive Psychology
Character strengths
Purposes
Identify facets of Femininity
Determine a developmental order
Connect with Positive Psychology
Field test Feminine Strengths
Determining Femininities
Shepherd’s Eight Feminine facets
Gender Tests by Spence and Bem
The ninth Femininity
Determining
Developmental Sequence
Macroscopic (Lifespan)
Women’s Ways of Knowing
Microscopic (Experienced Event)
Kenneth Dodge
Nira Granott
The Developmental Sequence of
the Femininities
Receptivity
Feelings
Subjectivity
Intuition
Multiplicity
Relatedness
Nurturing
Cooperation
Cyclicity
Positive Psychology:
Character Strengths
Openness
Vitality/Feeling Alive
Integrity
Creativity and Perspective
Fairness
Valuing close relationships
Kindness/Nurturance
Responsibility and self-regulation
Appreciating patterns in nature and futuremindedness
Studies of the Femininities
Participants
Middle SES, 44 years old, 24 to 78 years
Study 1 -- 47 business women
Study 2 – 77 female crafters
Measures
Study 1 – 9 multiple choice items
Study 2 – 18 multiple choice, 1 fill-in
Example Items
Feelings and emotions are:
Intuition and the “6th sense” are:
Competition and “win/lose” are:
Cooperation and consensus are:
The justice, right/wrong ethic is:
Nurturing, helping and care are:
Table 1. Strengths Chosen as
Feminine/Not Masculine
Feminine
Strengths
Study 1
N = 46
Study 2
N = 77
Combined w/o
Outliers N=111
Receptivity
Feelings
Subjectivity
Intuition
Multiplicity
Relatedness
Nurturing
Cooperation
Cyclicity
100%
97%
75%
97%
95%
82%
100%
82%
75%
97%
96%
95%
98%
97%
92%
99%
99%
84%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
88%
Future Directions
PR concerning “Cyclicity”
More participants/ more data
Male participants
Relating the Feminine Strengths to
positive psychological outcomes