The relationship of instrumentality and expressivity to sexual orientation in women

The study reported here investigated the relationship between Instrumentality (I) and Expressivity (E) (two personality variables related to sex roles), sexual orientation, occupational level and marital status. The hypothesis was that women high in I and low in E may find traditional heterosexual relationships to be in conflict with their personality traits, and that a lesbian choice may offer a way of life more in keeping with such traits. The study used a sample of 159 women, and found that neither I nor E alone, nor I x E, could predict sexual orientation. A weak relationship was found between I and housewifery, such that women who were married with children and did not have a job outside the home tend to score lower on I. Expressivity bore no relationship to any of the variables. Women who were high on I and low on E were not more likely to be lesbian. The study concludes that there is no relationship between I, E, and sexual orientation; also that it is inappropriate to use housewives as a heterosexual comparison group for lesbian women.