Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the married women's sex role characteristics and stress perception and to study influence of the sex role char act eris tecs on stress perception and the coping styles for stress. For this purpose, two research questions were established. First, is there any difference in sex role characteristics and the coping styles for stress among three groups (housewives, working women and women participating in social educational institutes)? Second, do the sex role characteristics and strees perception make any difference in coping styles for stress? The subjects consisted of housewives(105), working women(110), and women participating in social educational institutes(115). The data were analyzed using X², ANOVA and Factor analysis. The finding of this study were as follows. First, three groups didn't show any significant difference in social educational institutes (PSEI) showed highest degree of stress perception. Third, in the coping styles for stress partial significant differenece was revealed among three groups. Especially the group participating in social educational institutes used mainly help by the family members or others, solving problems for themselves and wishing for more good circumstances as their coing styles. The coping styles for stress were partially related to the sex role characteristics. The main coping styles 'the androgynous group used' were solving and avoiding problems for themselves and 'the differentially functioning group' used mainly the coping styles of easing strained emotion. The group which showed the highest degree of stress perception used mainly the coping styles of easing strained emotion and helping by family members or others. Defference in degree of strees perception was not significant among the types of sex role characteristics.