Analyzing Ideal Traits and Terms of Address for Male and Female College Professors

Abstract

This study replicates and extends Rubin’s (1981) research on students’ use of address terms for their college professors to explore how gendered expectations have evolved in contemporary academic settings. Using data from 445 undergraduate students, this study examined preferred address terms across public (in class) and private (office) contexts, as well as perceptions of ideal professor traits. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including chi-square and independent-samples t-tests, revealed no statistically significant relationship between professor gender and address term choice, χ²(3, N = 445) = 3.42, p = .33, Cramer’s V= .09. However, familiarity significantly predicted informality, t(443) = 2.15, p = .03, η² = .02. Students overwhelmingly reported that how professors addressed them (84%) influenced their own choices. Results suggest remarkable stability in address-term patterns over four decades, with formality remaining the default in classroom contexts and first-name use emerging mainly in informal interactions. These findings reinforce the enduring influence of academic hierarchy and reciprocal adaptation between students and professors in shaping linguistic respect and perceived authority. Keywords: address terms, college students, gender, professors, sex differences, titles