Androgyny and sex role measurement: A personal construct approach.

Abstract

In this article we report the results of two studies that used a new sex role instrument, the Sex-Rep. The Sex-Rep uses ideographically elicited sex role constructs, rather than stereotypes, to determine classification. Results from the first study indicated that personal feminine constructs may be healthier than feminine stereotypes in some contexts. The second study showed that the Sex-Rep discriminates gender as well as does the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and that these two instruments are nonredundant. Results also indicated that the apparent positive relation between masculinity and adjustment may be a measurement artifact. The different purposes of the Sex-Rep and the BSRI are discussed.Recent research into sex roles has focused on psychological androgyny, the combination of both masculine and feminine traits in a person of either sex. Androgynists maintain that this balanced, adaptable character structure is preferable to the onesided masculinity or femininity of the sex-typed individual.Androgyny theory led to the development of sex role inventories in which self-descriptions could encompass both masculine and feminine traits. To this end the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bern, 1974) was created. Other similar inventories have followed, most notably the Personal Attributes Questionnaire

Gender, Sex Role Orientation, and Attitudes toward Animals

“…Scores on the BSRI Feminine Scale correspond to nurturance/warmth and expressive components of personality whereas the BSRI Masculine Scale appears to represent the dominance/poise and instrumental aspects (Baldwin et al 1986). Our results suggest that the nurturance-expressive dimension of personality is more highly related to concern for animal welfare than is the dominance-instrumental dimension.…”

The implications for academic attainment of perceived gender‐appropriateness upon spatial task performance

“…Attributes which are perceived (by both men and women) to be more desirable for a man than a woman in society represent 'masculinity' whereas attributes which are perceived (by both men and women) to be more desirable for a woman than a man in society represent 'femininity'. Sex-typed individuals are motivated to engage in only gender appropriate behaviours which result from an internalisation of a perceived 'gender polarisation' of behaviours within society (Bem, 1993). Androgynous individuals (high in both masculinity and femininity) and undifferentiated individuals (low in both masculinity and femininity) do not view behaviour through these 'lenses of gender' (Bem, 1993) and are motivated to engage i n the full repertoire of behaviours equally.…”

“…Sex-typed individuals are motivated to engage in only gender appropriate behaviours which result from an internalisation of a perceived 'gender polarisation' of behaviours within society (Bem, 1993). Androgynous individuals (high in both masculinity and femininity) and undifferentiated individuals (low in both masculinity and femininity) do not view behaviour through these 'lenses of gender' (Bem, 1993) and are motivated to engage i n the full repertoire of behaviours equally. Bem's conception of sex typing is based upon Kohlberg's (1966) cognitive-developmental approach to gender-typing.…”

“…Subsequent research, however, suggests that it is not just androgynous individuals but masculine individuals as well who score highly on virtually all measures of mental health. As a consequence it is psychological masculinity, not psychological androgyny, that is associated with mental health in both sexes (Baldwin, Stevens, Critelli & Russell, 1986;Taylor & Hall, 1982;Whitley, 1983).…”

“…The present hypothesis is, then, that psychological gender is more significant in determining performance upon measures of spatial ability than biological sex. Bem argues that we are more motivated to engage in psychologically gender appropriate activities (Bem, 1974(Bem, , 1981(Bem, , 1993. As males are typically higher in masculinity (Bem, 1974), and spatial ability is stereotyped as a masculine ability (Huston, 1983), those higher in masculinity are motivated to perform on the test of spatial ability.…”