Lesson 3-androgyny And Measuring Androgyny Flashcards
What is the definition of androgyny?
Masculinity and femininity are independent traits-they are not inevitably linked to sex.A person can score high or low or both regardless of their sex
What does Bem suggest about androgynous people?
Happier and more fulfilled because they can combine traits from both sexes to adapt to any circumstances, showing sex role adaptability across situations.
What is the BSRI?
Ben sex role inventory scale used to find evidence to support her argument
What was Bems procedure?
-Used her university students to assist in choosing the twenty most feminine,twenty most masculine,ten most undesirable neutral traits and the ten most desirable neutral traits to make up the BSRI
-The person taking the BSRI is presented with a mixed list of 20 masculine 20 feminine and 20 neutral traits,numbered 1-60;they then rate themselves for each item on a scale of one to seven.
-participants receive a score for masculinity and femininity and the androgyny score can be defined as scoring high in both masculine and feminine items
What were the four categories of person?
Masculine – high masculinity, low femininity.
Feminine – low masculinity, high femininity.
Androgynous – high masculinity, high femininity.
Undifferentiated – low masculinity, low femininity
What is a strength of Bems claim?
P-research support by Flaherty and Dusek (1980)
E- Claimed that androgyny is associated with better psychological well-being
E-Their research found that individuals who scored high in androgyny (on the BSRI) also reported higher levels of psychological well being compared to those who scored as masculine or feminine.
L-This suggests that androgyny, with its flexible combination of traits, lead to better adjustment and adaptability.
What is a limitation of Bems claim?
P-Research by woodhill and samuels (2003) challenges this view
E-They found that not all androgynous combination result in well-being
E-Specifically, the combination of negative traits (E.G “aggressive masculine traits and “overly emotional” feminine traits) led to poor psychological health
L-This indicates that androgyny alone is not enough; the nature of the traits (whether positive or negative) is crucial for well-being.
What were the results of the BSRI test?
-found 34% of the males in the sample were androgynous and 27% of the females were androgynous
-meaning a sample possessed a combination of traits, which were traditionally considered either masculine or feminine, providing concept for the concept of androgyny.
BSRI strengths…
P-BSRI has reliability overtime
E-As part of the piloting process, the BSRI was tested on over 1000 students, and the results correlated well with participants’ descriptions of their own gender identity, Additionally in a follow up study with the same students, the scores remained consistent when tested again a month later
E-Suggests it has good test-retest reliability and is able to provide stable results overtime, indicating the measure is reliable
L-Therefore, the BSRI can be considered a useful tool for assessing gender identity consistently overtime.
Limitations of BSRI…
P-potential for social desirability bias
E-BSRI relies on self report measures, which may lead respondents to over or under- exaggerate traits depending on what they believe is expected of them, especially in terms of traditional masculine or feminine traits e.g a man might overstate his assertiveness to align with stereotypical masculine traits.
E-limits validity of the BSRI as it may not provide an accurate assessment of gender identity, as responses could be biased by societal expectations rather than reflecting true personality traits
L-Consequently, the BSRI’s accuracy as a measure of androgyny or gender identity may be compromised
P-cultural bias in the BSRI further undermines its universality
E-BSRI was developed by students from Stanford university, who may have had a Western, culturally specific view of masculine and feminine traits. Cross cultural research, such as Meads (1935) study of the Tchambuli tribe, highlights significant differences in gender roles, where femininity was associated with dominance and aggression
E-May not be applicable across different cultures due to varying interpretations of gender roles, raising concerns about its universal relevance.
L-may not be generalized to non western cultures, limiting its cross-cultural validity.
