A state conceptualization: Are individuals’ masculine and feminine personality traits situationally influenced?

College students’ (N = 200, 100 males; M age = 19.53; SD = 3.64) reported masculinity and femininity varied according to partner sex (other-, same-sex) and context (cooperative, competitive). Participants worked cooperatively or competitively with same- or other-sex peers to create Origami figures. Stereotypical gender differences were most apparent when instructions emphasized cooperation. Partner sex (same-sex) cued femininity for women and context (cooperative) cued masculinity for men. The study strengthens the claim that, in addition to a stable trait component, there is a flexible state component of masculinity and femininity that varies according to proximal situational demands.