Understanding Androgyny and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory
The concept of androgyny in psychology refers to individuals who exhibit both masculine and feminine traits. This page introduces the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), a tool developed to measure psychological androgyny.
Definition: Androgyny is a personality type characterized by a mix of masculine and feminine traits, attitudes, and behaviors.
The BSRI, created by Sandra Bem in 1974, is a significant instrument in the field of gender psychology. It consists of 60 personality characteristics:
- 20 commonly identified as 'masculine'
- 20 commonly identified as 'feminine'
- 20 'neutral' traits
Example: Respondents rate themselves on a seven-point scale, ranging from 1 ('never true of me') to 7 ('always true of me').
Based on their scores, individuals are classified into four categories:
- High masculine, low feminine
- High feminine, low masculine
- High masculine, high feminine (androgynous)
- Low feminine, low masculine (undifferentiated)
Highlight: The BSRI was groundbreaking in its quantitative approach to measuring gender identity, allowing researchers to use it as a dependent variable in studies.
The inventory's development process involved:
- 50 male and 50 female judges rating 200 traits
- Selection of highest-scoring traits for the final scale
- A pilot study with over 1,000 students
Vocabulary: Gender schema in psychology refers to the cognitive framework that organizes and guides an individual's gender-related perceptions.
While the BSRI was initially considered valid and reliable, it has faced criticism in recent years due to changing gender norms and behaviors since its creation over 40 years ago.