RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES OF MASCULINITY, FEMININIW, AND ANDROGYNY, AND PERFORMANCE ON SEXUALLY DlMORPHlC COGNITIVE TESTS

Previous research has found a relationship between diierent measures of androgyny and performance on cognitive tests that diierentially favor, on average, either men or women. The present experiment was designed to test the relationship between androgyny, as measured by body proportions, salivary testosterone levels (T levels) and the Bem Sex Role lnventory (BSRI), and perfomance on sex-biased cognitive tests, three that are male-biased and two that are fernale-biased. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine the relationship between the physical and psychological measures of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny. From these exploratory analyses, physical androgyny was defined as less masculine and more feminine characteristics in men, and more masculine and kss feminine characteristics in women. ~ s ~ c h d o ~ i c a ~ androgyny was defined as a balance of masculine and feminine charactenstics. Overall results were that physical androgyny appeared to be related to supenor performance on male-biased tests in men and women, although the presence and strength of these relationships varied according to task type and masure of androgyny. Contrary to prediction, psychological androgyny and performance on male-biased tests was negatively related in men. Correlations between the physical measures of masculinity and femininity were signifiant in the predided direction for men only. Most surprisingly, there was a positive association of T levels and psychological androgyny in men. Results are discussed in ternis of the proces of andmgenkation of masculine characteristics in men, the validii of sePreport sex role questionnaires, and hypotheses regarding the interactions of hormones, cognitive abihties, and gender trait possession.