Age role expectations and sex role expectations for selected sport activities.

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Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to determine if role expectations for participation in 12 selected sport activities existed based on the age (20, 40, 60, or 80 years old) and/or gender of the referent person. A secondary purpose was to determine if the sex role orientation of the respondent influenced the assignment of these age related and/or gender related stereotypes to participation in sport. Female undergraduate nursing students (N = 93) were administered an Activity Appropriateness Scale developed by the investigators and Bem's Sex-Role Inventory (1974). The results indicated that age related expectancies accounted for almost 40% of the variance in subject's responses to the appropriateness of participating in these selected sports and was a more potent stereotype than responses based on sex role appropriateness. Furthermore, sex role orientation × age of the referent person interactions indicated that masculine subjects viewed sports participation as most appropriate, particularly as the age of the referent person increased from 60 to 80 years. The evidence suggests that research be directed toward examining and accounting for the phenomenon of ageism in sport.

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