The present study investigated, within a role theoretical framework, the effect of different degrees of pupil imitation on male and female tutors' attitudes. Seventy-two sixth-grade boys and girls tutored second graders of the same sex. A 3 (Pupil Imitation: High, Medium, and Low) x 2 (Pupil Liking: High and Medium) x 2 (Sex) factorial design was used. The major finding was an interaction between Imitation and Sex: the greater the pupils' imitation of them, the less male tutors liked their pupils and the more female tutors liked theirs (p. less than .02). Implications for the cross-age relationships of students of different sexes and for elementary school tutoring programs are discussed. (Author)