Year

2005

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Arts in General Psychology (MAGP)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Christopher Leone

Second Advisor

Dr. F. Dan Richard

Abstract

It was hypothesized that high self-monitors (compared to low self-monitors) would report more betrayals of their romantic partners. Perceptions of others' betrayals should follow sex-role stereotypes (i.e., males are more likely to betray than females). Sex-role stereotyping might be attenuated when counter-stereotypical norms are made salient. One-hundred seventy five undergraduates completed the Interpersonal Behavior Survey (Roscoe et aI., 1988) and the Self-Monitoring Scale (Snyder & Gangestad, 1986). Before doing so, participants read one of two instructional sets: females are more likely than males to betray their romantic partners; people in general are likely to betray their romantic partners. Participants responded to statements about romantic betrayals by a) themselves, b) typical males, and c) typical females. Compared to low self-monitors, high self-monitors reported more betrayals. Participants saw typical males as more likely than typical females to betray partners. This effect was attenuated by the counter-stereotypical instructional set. Three findings are noteworthy. First, likelihood to engage in romantic betrayals may be accounted for by individual differences in self-monitoring orientation. Second, sex-role stereotypes involving betrayals can apparently be counteracted to some degree simply through education. Third, self-monitoring and normative effects were largely independent.

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Psychology Commons

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