Considerable empirical evidence has been accumulated to demonstrate that men and women are perceived as differing in personality characteristics (e.g., Rosenkrantz, Vogel, Bee, Broverman, & Broverman, 1968; Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1974, 1975). The nature of these stereotypic beliefs finds a parallel in the theoretical analysis offered by Bakan (1966) who suggested that men tend to be dominated by a sense of agency, as illustrated in such traits as assertiveness and se-If-expansiveness, while women tend to be dominated?by a sense of communion, as reflected in attributes such as selflessness and a need to identify with others. A similar distinction has been suggested by Parsons and Bales (1 955) who proposed that men tend to be characterized by instrumental attributes and women by expressive attributes. Examination of the results from studies of sexual stereotypes indicates that, in line with these theoretical analyses, the characteristics perceived as occurring more frequently in men tend to refer to agentic or instrumental traits and those perceived as occurring more frequently in women tend to be expressive or communal.