Androgyny

Question 1

what is androgyny?

Answer 1

a personality type that is characterised by a balance of masculine and feminine traits eg aggressive and caring

Question 2

what is the Bem Sex Role Inventory?

Answer 2

• first attempt to measure androgyny using rating scale of 60 traits to produce scores across masculine- feminity and androgynous
• p’s asked to rate themselves on 7 point scale eg warm, gentle, dominant, independent

Question 3

background info on androgyny?

Answer 3

• before 1970s being very male or very female was seen as psychologically healthier
• became challenged- healthier to see world without sterotypes

Question 4

what percentage of men and women are androgynous?

Answer 4

men= 34%
women= 27%
positive correlation between mental health and androgyny

Question 5

how is the research reliable?

Answer 5

• scale developed by asking 50 male + 50 female to rate 200 traits in terms of how much traits represented maleness and femaleness
• traits scoring high on either became 20 masculine and 20 feminine traits
• BSRI piloted + results corresponded with p’s description of their gender identity
• follow up study got similar results= test-retest reliability

Question 6

how is the BSRI outdated?

Answer 6

• developed over 60 years ago
• behaviours regarded as typical in relation to gender have changed
• BEMs scale made up of sterotypical ideas of masculinity + feminity
• used on ppl from US so notions not showed across cultures
• lack temporal validity + ungeneralisable

Question 7

how is Bem’s research oversimplified?

Answer 7

• BSRI doesnt give an insight into their degree of masculinity/feminity and androgyny
• asking to rate self on questionnaire relies in having understanding of personality that they may not have
• gender= social construct which is open to interpretation than sex
• questionnaires scoring system= subjective
• not objective way of assessing m/f/a

Question 8

why is using questionnaires a limitation?

Answer 8

• socially desirable results
• acquiencense bias
• wanting to be biological sex
• lowers validity
• lack of understanding of questions
• Likert scale

Question 9

whats a limitation of the Bem Sex Role Inventory?

Answer 9

view challenged as Western culture- some researchers argued ppl who have higher proportion of masculine traits are better adjusted, triats more valued in society