ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN: A STUDY OF GENDER AND ACADEMIC DOMAIN DIFFERENCES IN A SAMPLE OF TURKISH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This study examined the effects of gender, academic domain and grade level on attitudes towards women in 626 Turkish university students. Undergraduates were drawn from Faculty of Education, the School of Health, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Faculty of Engineering. A Turkish version of the short version of the Attitude Towards Women Scale (Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1973) was administered and factor analyzed. ANOVA results applied on total scores revealed only a significant main effect of gender on attitude towards women. Females reported significantly more liberal views than males. MANOVA results applied on 6 subscales showed that females were more liberal in vocational, educational and intellectual behavior; freedom and independence; drinking, swearing and dirty jokes and marital relations. Dating, etiquette and courtship, and premarital sexual behavior subscales indicated males' and females' views were not significantly different.