Changes in the telephone calling patterns of adolescent girls

It is commonly believed that adolescent girls now call adolescent boys on a regular basis and this represents a change in behavior from previous generations. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that during the last 40 years the incidence has increased. A sample of current students from a Southern urban commuter university was interviewed to determine their telephone use patterns. The changes in calling behavior among this sample indicates a transition period between a time when adolescent girls perceived their parents as disapproving of their calling boys (they placed few calls) to a time when adolescent girls perceived their parents as approving (they evidenced many such calls). Based on the current age of respondents, the transition period was calculated to be from 1964 to 1981. The results are discussed in relation to changes in adolescent female gender roles in the United States beginning in 1964.