Differences in the attitudes of men and women practitioners to responsibility and competence

A study has been carried out to predict the prescribing and referral behaviour of general practitioners by measuring their attitudes to their roles. Part of this study involved determining whether women doctors accept greater responsibility and feel more competent than men when undertaking those tasks for which they are said to be suited. In May 1987 a postal questionnaire was sent to all 525 general practitioners in contract with Avon family practitioner committee. Replies from 82 women and 289 men showed that women accepted more responsibility for sex-related tasks. For other medical tasks, including those of a technical and traditional nature, men accepted both more responsibility and felt more competent than did women respondents. Contrary to expectations, women did not accept more responsibility or feel more competent than men for psychosocial tasks. The results are discussed in the context of the role of women within medicine.