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In the present study, an ethnically diverse convenience sample (N= 182; 62% female) of working adults (56%) and college students (Mage = 30.9 yr., SD= 12.8, range = 18 to 71) completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory which is a widely used self-report measure of perceptions of gender roles. Based on their scores, individuals' sex roles can be categorized as Masculine or Feminine (sex-typed) or Androgynous. The results of this study suggest that, almost 30 years after it was first developed, the categories can still be used to categorize men and women of varying ages.

In the present study, an ethnically diverse convenience sample (N= 295; 56% female) of working adults (47%) and college students (age M= 23.7, SD= 6.7) rated a list of 25 occupations on a 9-point sex-typing scale, with anchors of 1: mostly associated with men and 9: mostly associated with women. They also rated the status or prestige of these occupations on an 11-point Prestige scale, with anchors of 1: low prestige/status and 11: high prestige/status. Findings were consistent with results reported by Panek, Rush, and Greenawalt in 1977 and O'Connor in 1982. Little has changed: respondents still hold sex-based opinions about occupations. Moreover, occupational titles perceived as mostly associated with men were rated higher in prestige than occupational titles perceived as mostly associated with women. This pattern was found for both high and low prestige jobs. Men and women did not differ in their evaluations of these occupations.

The present study examined the influences on empathy and altruism of sex of participant, the affective demeanor (positive or negative) and cognitive processes (positive or negative) displayed by a female target in a video, and the perspective-taking focus of participants. The latter variable is related to the affective or cognitive response to the target's portrayal, or the response to technical aspects of the video (nonperspective-taking). Empathy was measured using Batson's Empathy Adjectives (1987) and altruism was measured by participants' written responses, which indicated how many hours they were willing to volunteer to help persons similar to the target. An ethnically diverse sample of working adults (Mage = 31.6 yr., SD= 8.2) participated. Analysis yielded a subtle difference between groups. Men reported feeling more empathy for a confused, unfocused, illogical woman target, whereas women felt more empathy for a focused, clear, logical woman target. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between sex and helping—men offered more help than women.

This study provides evidence for the predictive efficacy of Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index Perspective-taking scale in identifying those individuals who are more likely to help others. A sample of 162 ethnically diverse working adults (74% female) completed the Perspective-taking scale and an empathy scale and then were given the opportunity to volunteer time to help counsel adults interested in enrolling in college. Participants who volunteered time to help had higher Perspective-taking scores than did those participants who did not offer to help. Moreover, men and women did not differ in their Perspective-taking scores, nor did people from different ethnic backgrounds. Empathy was not significantly related to Perspective-taking or helping.