Androgyny

Question 1

Define androgyny

Answer 1

Displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in one’s personality and behaviour

Question 2

Define the Bem Sex Role Inventory

Answer 2

The first systematic attempt to measure androgyny using a rating scale of 60 traits (20 masculine, 20 feminine and 20 neutral) to produce scores across two dimensions: masculinity-femininity a d androgynous-undifferentiated

Question 3

What did Sandra Bem theorise that high androgyny was associated with and what was the reasoning?

Answer 3

Better psychological well-being
- Because individuals who are both masculine and feminine in roughly equal measure are better equipped to adapt to a range of situations
- Non-androgynous people would find this difficult as they have a narrower range of traits to draw on

Question 4

What did Bem develop to measure levels of androgyny?

Answer 4

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)

Question 5

Explain the BSRI

Answer 5

• 60 characteristics: 20 Masculine, 20 Feminine, 20 Neutral
• Respondents had to rate themselves on each item using a 7-point rating scale (1 meaning ‘never true of me’ to 7 meaning ‘always true of me’
• High androgyny low scores on each set of characteristics would then classify respondents into 1 of 4 groups
• Masculine/ feminine/ androgynous/ undifferentiated

Question 6

How is the quantitative approach of Bem’s work a strength?

Answer 6

• Useful for research purposes (easy to analyse, compare, draw conclusions and replicate)

Question 7

How is the quantitative approach of Bem’s work a weakness?

Answer 7

• Janet Spence (1984) says there’s more to gender identity than a set of characteristics and how many are present, so qualitative methods should be used

Question 8

What is the solution to Bem, quantitative approach?

Answer 8

• Qualitative and quantitative methods could be combined, or at least a combination of different quantitative scales
• E.g: the Personal attribute questionnaire adds another dimension (expressivity) to Bem’s masculinity-femininity dimension

Question 9

How is validity and reliability a strength of the BSRI?

Answer 9

• At the time it was made, the BERI was considered both valid and reliable
• it was developed by asking 50 male and 50 female judges to rate 200 traits on how much they represented each gender
• the ones rated highest were the ones chosen for the BSRI
• The scale was then piloted on 1000 students and was found to accurately measure gender identity
• They followed up with a smaller number of the 1000 students a month later and the scores were consistent, demonstrating test-retest reliability

Question 10

What is a counterpoint to BSRI’s validity and reliability?

Answer 10

• The BSRI was developed nearly 50 years ago so the characteristics may no longer represent each gender in the ways they once did
• E.g: the terms ‘metrosexual’ and ‘ladette’ were added to the oxford dictionary in the 1990s
• Bem’s scale is made up of stereotypical ideas of what masculinity and femininity are
• Not only were the judgements made in one point of time, they were made using Americans only (lacking temporal validity and generalisability)

Question 11

How is self-awareness a limitation to BSRI?

Answer 11

• To measure one’s identity, especially using the BSRI, we must rely on one’s self-awareness of their gender identity
• We assume individuals have the insight into their personalities and behaviours required to complete the scale accurately and reliably, but they may not
• Gender is a psychosocial construct that is subjective and open to constant change
• This suggests that the BSRI mat not be an objective, scientific way of assessing gender identity