A Communication Study of Possible Relationships between Psychological Sex Type and Decision-Making Effectiveness

Abstract

This study argues that there is a relationship between a person 's psychological sex type and communicative carefulness in the small group decision-making situation. The major variables used to examine this relationship consisted of psychological sex type (independent) and vigilant communicative behavior (dependent). Specifically, four types of subjects (traditional males [TMsJ, traditional females [TFsJ, androgynous females [AFs], and androgynous males [AMs]) were rated on four communicative characteristics of vigilance (offering alternatives, suggesting goals of alternatives, supporting ideas with information, and reviewing tentative decisions). Results exposed a tendency on the part of the AFs and TMs to be more vigilant on two characteristics of vigilance: offering alternatives and providing information. No significant results were foundfor the vigilance characteristics of suggesting goals and reviewing a tentative decision.