Televised Models of Female Achievement

Two studies examined the models of female achievement available to television viewers. The studies surveyed television's portrayal of both achievement behavior and its social consequences for the female achiever. Study I compared female models at four levels of achievement. Only those models at the lowest level of achievement were depicted as having successful social relations with males. Study II compared the marital status of male and female job holders. Compared with male job holders, females were depicted as less likely to be married, less likely to be successfully married, and more likely to be unsuccessfully married. Data on married females showed that those who held jobs were depicted as having 10 times as many unsuccessful marriages (proportionately) as housewives. It is suggested that female achievers portrayed on television are depicted in a way that does not encourage female viewers to imitate their behavior and in fact serves to inhibit achievement‐oriented behavior in female viewers.