The Internalization of the Female Stereotype by College Women

Abstract

It has often been assumed that through the process of socialization sex stereotypes are internalized, becoming, so to speak, second nature. This investigation examines the self-concepts, public selves, and perceptions of the female stereotype of a sample of college women and finds significant differences between the self-concepts of individuals and their public selves and their perception of the female stereotype, which suggest that the female stereotype is not internalized but rather acts as an external constraint in the behavior of such females.