Achievement and affiliation: A motivational perspective of sex differences

Achievement and affiliation behavior are important issues in the literature of sex-role differences. Males have been viewed as being achievement-oriented, and female affiliation-oriented. Deaux (1976) has mentioned a series of arguments which attempt to explain how and why males and females differ in these behaviors. This study replicated the Lunneborg and Rosenwooed (1972) study in an attempt to further review the achievement versus affiliation argument. In addition to their techniques, the Personality Research Form (Form A) was also administered to a sample of 180 high school and college males and females. While the results of this study fail to resolve the achievement versus affiliation argument, it nevertheless offers some new possible explanations to the noted differences. Ultimately, the achievement-affiliation argument will have to be viewed only insofar as age and education remain important considerations in the sex differences studies of achievement behavior.