Role Identities and Person Identities: Gender Identity, Mastery Identity, and Controlling One's Partner

Abstract

This research explores the relationship between gender identity, the mastery identity, and control over one's partner in intimate relationships. While gender identity is viewed as a role identity, that is, an identity that is tied to the social structure, the mastery identity is conceptualized as a person identity, that is, an identity that is tied to the person. Using a sample of college-age dating couples, a simultaneous equation model is estimated to determine the relationship between a role identity and a person identity, and how these identities mutually influence control over one's partner in interaction.