The Bem Sex-role Inventory (BSRI) is designed to measure the extent to which a person ascribes to "sex appropriate" characteristics based on sex-typed standards of social desirability. Treats masculinity and femininity as two independent dimensions to characterize a person as psychologically masculine, feminine, or androgynous.
Developed by:
Sandra L. Bem, Stanford University
Measure domains:
Masculine
Feminine
Neutral
Feminine
Neutral
Items and subscales:
60 items
3 subscales
3 subscales
Outcomes predicted:
N/A
Cronbach's alpha:
Reported by domain and study population
Stanford
Masculinity = 0.86
Femininity = 0.80
Social Desireability = 0.75
Androgyny [difference] = 0.85
Foothill
Masculinity = 0.86
Femininity = 0.82
Social Desireability = 0.70
Androgyny [difference] = 0.86
Stanford
Masculinity = 0.86
Femininity = 0.80
Social Desireability = 0.75
Androgyny [difference] = 0.85
Foothill
Masculinity = 0.86
Femininity = 0.82
Social Desireability = 0.70
Androgyny [difference] = 0.86
Study population(s):
College-age women and men from Stanford University and Foothill Junior College
Measure validated?:
Y
Link(s) to Validation Study and/or Measure:
Uses in Other Studies:
Mori, M., Nakashima, Y., Yamazaki, Y., & Kurita, H. (2002). Sex-role orientation, marital status and mental health in working women. Archives of Women'sMental Health, 5(4), 161-176.
Hunt, K., Hannah, M. K., & West, P. (2004). Contextualizing smoking: masculinity, femininity and class differences in smoking in men and women from three generations in the west of Scotland. Health Educ Res, 19(3), 239-249. 10.1093/her/cyg061
Trapnell, P. D., & Paulhus, D. L. (2012). Agentic and communal values: their scope and measurement. J Pers Assess, 94(1), 39-52. 10.1080/00223891.2011.627968
Hunt, K., Sweeting, H., Keoghan, M., & Platt, S. (2006). Sex, gender role orientation, gender role attitudes and suicidal thoughts in three generations. A general population study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 41(8), 641-647. 10.1007/s00127-006-0074-y
Citation of original article
Get citationBem, S. L. (1974). The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 10(2): 155-162.