Abstract
We investigated whether gender segregation exists in established adulthood, the period from 30 to 45 years-old, and whether gender segregation is associated with the same correlates in adulthood with which it is associated in childhood and adolescence (i.e., cooperative and competitive activity orientation, perceived responsiveness of same- and other-gender peers, communion and agency, and gender reference group identity). National U.S. samples of adult women (n = 312) and men (n = 109) were recruited using Amazon’s MTurk. Fully 73% of peers nominated for “hanging out” by adult women and 71% of peers nominated by adult men were of the same gender. For women, gender segregation was associated with beliefs that same-gender peers were more responsive in conversation and with greater identification with same-gender others. For men, gender segregation was positively associated with preference for cooperative activities and negatively associated with communion. Our results suggest that gender segregation exists in adulthood and that there is some developmental continuity in the correlates of gender segregation across ages. By understanding the correlates of gender segregation, as well as the barriers to and benefits of cross-gender interactions, practitioners and activists can better support friendship and the reduction of gender-typing in established adults.