TO UNDERSTAND STEREOTYPIC ITEMS IN MASCULINITY-FEMININITY (MF) SCALES (ITEMS THOUGHT TO DISCRIMINATE THE SEXES BUT SHOWING NO SEX DIFFERENCE), THE EDWARDS PERSONALITY INVENTORY (EPI) WAS ADMINISTERED TO 398 SUBJECTS UNDER MALE AND FEMALE INSTRUCTIONAL SETS. THESE INSTRUCTIONS CREATED SEX DIFFERENCES IN 13 OF 14 EPI SCALES, PRODUCING ON FIVE SCALES, DIFFERENCES NONEXISTENT IN SELF-DESCRIPTION. WOMEN WERE JUDGED BETTER ORGANIZERS, LESS PERSISTENT, CAREFREE AND RECLUSIVE, AND MORE WORRIED ABOUT IMPRESSING OTHERS THAN MEN. MULTIDIMENSIONAL STEREOTYPE MF DEMANDS COMPLETE EXPLORATION AS A CORRECTIVE TO DEFENSIVENESS IN SELF-DESCRIPTION ON TRUE MF ITEMS AND AS A DISTINCT MF ASPECT, POTENTIALLY AS CORRELATED WITH HUMAN PERFORMANCE AS TRUE MF. (AUTHOR)