Communicator Age And Sox Role Orientation Differences in Preferred " Relationship Termination Strategies

A study examined two factorsthought to affect' an individuales preference for confrontation or avoidance gtrategies when ending a relationship -communicator agb and sex .:ole _orientation. Subjects were 29 fifth grade students, 64.bigh school sophomores, 43 college students, and 37 adults enrolled in a'night class. All subjects read a scenario from the Friendship Survey entitled "Letting .SoPeone Know That .the Friendship Is Over" and responded -to a series of questions that elicited. (1) a list of all ',. possible strategies that could be*used:to terminate krelationship, *(2): the strategy most preferredrby the-respondent, and__ (3). the reason for that preference. All respondents, except)the.fifth grade students, also completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Both fifth grade students and adults displayed a preference for confrontation as opposed to avoidance relationship trmination.strategies, tobereas adolescents preferred avoidance strategies. Androgynous persons preferred confrontation strategies, while masculine sex-typed persons displayed the greatest preference for avoidance strategies. (FL)