Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relation between male sex-role stereotypes and male psychological stress. In the first stage of the study, a male sex-role stress scale was developed. This scale is consisted off 40 items which evaluate the stress concerning sex-ole in the daily life. For this scale includes several common items which belong to the previous study for male gender role stress(MGRS) by Eisler er and Skidmore(1987), it is possible to apply for universality and cross-cultural aspects of the male sex-role stress. In the second stage, the sex-role orientation off 415 males(age 20-49) were measured, and the respondents were divided into four different sex-role orientation groups. And also the differences in the male sex-role stress between the groups were tested. The results were that the respondents were evenly divided into four different sex-role orientation groups and among them the undifferentiated sex-role orientation group has the hast male sex-role stress. These results imply that there is the unique factor in Korean sex-role stereotype, contrasted to Western trends. It is also suggested for further studies that the factor analysis for male sex-role stress scale, the relations between male sex-role stress and anxiety/depression tendencies, and several sex-role socialization factors have to be explored.