For some time, the traditional stereotype of women which described them as gentle and dependent was considered normative and the concept that women were a unitary group dominated gender-role stereotype research. In contrast, the social cognitive approach described three subcategories of women: the housewife, the professional woman, and the sex object. Differences demonstrated between subcategories suggest that the traditional stereotypes cannot be normative as a whole. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that all women are not expected to conform to the traditional female stereotype. Male and female college students read a character description about one of the subcategories of women and then rated what the character should do in situations representing maternal sensitivities, financial provider responsibilities, instrumental tendencies, interpersonal tendencies, and passivity. Subjects indicated that all women should be maternal but that women can differ in how they behave in other situations. (Author/NB)