Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sibling relationship on sex role identity in female undergraduates focusing on older sibling's sex and sibling intimacy. The subjects were second-born females with only one sibling. except themselves. A total of 161 subjects(85 female graduates with male older sibling & 76 with female older sibling) participated in this study. Sibling relationship scale was used to obtain a measure sibling intimacy. Sex role identity was measured by Korea Sex Role Inventory(KSRI), a Korean version of Bem's(1975) Sex Role Inventory(BSRI). The results revealed that there were a significant main effect of sibling intimacy and a significant interaction effect of older sibling's sex and intimacy on masculinity. However there was no significant effect of older sibling's sex and intimacy on femininity. Sibling intimacy had significant effects on both masculinity and femininity in male sibling group whereas no effect was found in female sibling group. These findings suggested that intimacy with opposite-sex sibling effects positively on the development of masculinity and femininity in female undergraduates.