-  A relation was found: Masculine characteristics are more strongly related to effective study habits than female characteristics 
-  Therefore instrumental characteristics like decisiveness and independence appear to be important for effective study habits
-  Characteristics that they associated with females (kindness and awareness of others' feelings), if anything, are negatively related to effective study habits 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

-  In the study, masculine traits were described as instrumental, such as independence and decisiveness, while feminine traits are described as expressive which are kindness and awareness of others' feelings. 

Male traits generally correlate with better study strategies than female traits

Robinson, A. E., & Others, A. (1994). Gender roles and study habits Retrieved from https://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/62647375?accountid=14667

Gender Roles and Study Habits

-  This study looked at the relationship between gender and study habits and more specifically looked at whether masculine and feminine characteristics are more strongly related to effective study habits. 
-  Another research question in the study was whether masculine and feminine relations with study habits were the same for both males and females. More specifically, if there are any relations, do they differ for males and females? 

Gender Roles and Study Habits: Research Questions

-  50 males and 82 females were presented with the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and with a modified version of the Study Habits Inventory 
-  Males reported greater masculine traits and females reported greater feminine traits, but males and females did not differ in reported study habits 
-  To find out what aspects of masculinity are most related to study habits in females, they conducted a stepwise multiple regression analysis using the 8 masculine items from their survey
-  Two items combined accounted for 23% of the variation in study habits-- being independent and making decisions easily. However, such masculine characteristics are predictors of effective study habits only in females. 

Gender Roles and Study Habits: Methods and Findings

-  There was not a significant correlation between masculinity and study habits for males, but the correlation was significant for females. 
-  In other words, characteristics that they considered "masculine" were more likely to be associated with better study strategies than female characteristics. 
-  This means that females less feminine traits and with more "masculine" traits, like independence and decisiveness, are more than likely to utilize effective study habits; however, in males, masculine traits were not a better predictor of effective study habits than feminine traits. This means that whether males have more masculine or more feminine traits did not have an effect on the effectiveness of their study habits. 

Gender Roles and Study Habits:  Do the relations hold for both males and females? 

-  In another study, it is suggested that these traits in males and females are learned early in life
-  May want to foster more instrumental behaviors, especially in females 

Gender Roles and Study Habits: Implications 

-  I saw a few issues with this paper which I mostly attribute to the fact that it is from 1994. I think that today this paper would receive some critique and pushback based on how they define masculine and feminine traits because a lot has changed since 1994 relating to the way gender and gender roles are defined. 
-  However, I still think that the paper is valuable because it is an example of an early study pertaining to gender and study habits, and it specifically looks into different traits that are effective for studying such as decisiveness which we have seen in more recent studies as well. 

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