androgyny and the BSRI

• What is androgyny?

  Displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in one's personality
• What is the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)?

  The first systematic attempt to measure androgyny using a rating scale to produce scores
• How was the BSRI developed?

  100 American undergraduates were asked which personality traits they thought were desirable for men and women

  List was narrowed to 40 (20 masculine and 20 feminine) and 20 neutral items

  Person rates themselves on a 7-point Likert scale (never true of me to always true of me) and given score of masculinity, femininity, undifferentiated or androgynous
• Who developed the BSRI?

  Sandra Bem (1974)
• What did the findings of the BSRI reveal?

  People who are androgynous are psychologically healthier and She found that males and females who were classified as androgynous on the BSRI were more adaptable to situations and a greater sense of well-being.