Assertions regarding the impact of the quality of the father-son relationship on sons' gender developmental experience have not been tested empirically in the literature. Such an examination is the focus of this study. As no relational account of the relationship exists, self-in-relation theory was used to ground these assertions theoretically. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the quality of the father-son relationship, defined as level of mutual identification, along with paternal empathy, would have a measurable effect on the quality of a son's experience in the gender developmental process, defined here as a gender role conflict. Fifty-one father-son pairs (sons aged 18-30) were recruited through college classrooms and work and clinical settings. Each pair was administered: the Gender Role Conflict Scale and the Mutual Psychological Development Questionnaire. Fathers also responded to the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and sons to the Parental Bonding Instrument. The study met with qualified success. While paternal-filial mutual identification was predicted from paternal warmth and empathy, predictions of gender role conflict from paternal-filial mutual identification proved more complicated. Nonetheless, the data indicated that with methodological refinement and further theoretical development, similar predictions may meet with less equivocal results in the future. (Contains 11 tables and 38 references.) (JDM)