Clothing Image Preferences and Sex Role Identity of Korean and American College Students

한국과 미국 남녀 대학생의 의복이미지 선호도와 성역할 정체감에 관한 연구

The objectives of this study were to classify the contents of clothing image preferences of Korean and American students, and to examine how clothing image preferences vary according to sex role identity, sex, and culture. A woman's clothing image preference inventory and the Bem Sex Role Inventory were administered to 127 Korean students and 116 American students. Sex role idendity was classified into androgynous, masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated type. 1. Four segments of woman's clothing image preference derived by factor analysis : F. 1 'splendid-plain' ; F. 2 'feminine-masculine' ; F. 3 'casual-formal' ; F. 4 'classic-contemporary'. 2. Americans prefered splendid image more than did Koreans. Androgynous-typed males liked splendid image most among American male subjects. 3. There was interaction effect between sex and culture on feminine-masculine image preference. In Korean students, males liked feminine image much more than did females. Masculine-typed females liked masculine image most among American female subjects. 4. Koreans prefered casual image more than did Americans. 5. There was interaction effect between sex role identity, sex, and culture($4{\times}2{\times}2$) on classic-contemporary image preference. Feminine-typed females liked classic image most among Korean female subjects. 6. Korean males especially prefered luxurious image least. Korean females contemporary most, American males sexy most, American females fashionable most among four subject groups. That is, differences on clothing image preferences were found according to sex role identity, sex, and culture.