Gender role conflict as a predictor of problem-solving, leadership style, authoritarian attributes and cockpit management attitudes

This study focused on the negative aspects of male socialization as embodied in gender role conflict defined as men's fear of femininity. One hundred eighty-eight airline pilots completed five instruments and a background questionnaire assessing gender role conflict, cockpit management attitudes, problem solving, authoritarian personality attributes and leadership style.;Results indicate that little relationship exists between cockpit management attitudes, leadership style, authoritarian personality attributes and gender role conflict. The validity and reliabilities of the cockpit management attitudes and leadership style scales are discussed.;A canonical analysis of gender role conflict variables and problem solving variables indicates that a significant inverse relationship exists accounting for 27% of the variance in problem solving. Those individuals having high scores on the gender role conflict scale consider themselves poor problem solvers. Results suggest that individuals who experience difficulty expressing emotions or allowing others to express emotion have low problem solving confidence and are more likely to avoid problem solving activities than individuals who are more emotionally expressive.;A second major finding of this study revealed by canonical analysis, is that gender role conflict accounts for 34% of the variance on authoritarian personality attributes. Results indicate that those males who experience difficulty expressing their emotions or allowing others to express their emotions are more likely to be poor leaders. Further, those males having high needs to be successful, powerful and competitive are more likely to be unable to express interpersonal warmth towards other men, to experience interpersonal conflict generally and are more likely to display authoritarian personality attributes.;The implications of these results for aviation and upon gender role conflict are discussed. Suggestions for further research are described.