sex-role stereotypes & androgyny

• Who first introduced the concept of androgyny?

  Sandra Bem
• What did Sandra Bem argue about sex-role stereotypes?

  They should be avoided for psychological health
• What is the range of the test-retest correlation for the BSRI?

  76 to 94
• What are sex-role stereotypes?

  Social norms about how men and women behave
• What is the BSRI?

  Bem Sex Role Inventory
• How do individuals rate themselves on the BSRI?

  Using a 7-point Likert scale
• What is the relationship between self-esteem and BSRI scores?

  High self-esteem correlates with higher scores
• What does the BSRI include in its items?

  Both explicit and implicit behaviors
• What is the implication of learning about sex-role stereotypes?

  It is often implicit from birth
• What does gender schema theory suggest?

  Individuals categorize behaviors based on gender
• What did Bem reformulate in 1983?

  Her approach to gender schema theory
• How does an androgynous person respond to situations?

  Independently of gender concepts
• What did Hoffman and Borders (2001) find about BSRI items?

  Only 2 terms were still endorsed as masculine
• What does a traditionally sex-typed person use to determine behavior?

  Gender schemas
• What are the key components of the BSRI?

  • 40 items rated on a 7-point scale
  • Measures masculinity and femininity
  • Includes both explicit and implicit behaviors
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the BSRI?

  Strengths:

  • High reliability (76 to 94 correlation)
  • Validity in measuring gender roles

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Temporal validity questioned
  • Limited endorsement of items in recent studies
• how are sex-role stereotypes learnt?

  • from birth as children are exposed to attitudes of their parents
  • society e.g. 'boys shouldn't cry' or 'girls shouldn't climb trees'
• what is androgyny?

  it is psychologically healthy to avoid fixed sex-role stereotypes & people should adopt a variety of typically masculine and feminine behaviours
• what are some examples of masculine traits the BSRI might include?

  • independent
  • ambitious
• what are some examples of feminine traits the BSRI might include?

  • compassionate
  • affectionate
• what may individuals be categories as according to the BSRI?

  • masculine = high masculine score, low feminine score
  • feminine = high feminine score, low masculine score
  • androgynous = both high scores
  • undifferentiated = both low scores