2. Androgyny + the BSRI

• 1. Androgyny + BSRI

  Sarah Bem - Androgyny:

  • balance of m + f characteristics.
  • avoid fixed role stereotypes; psychologically healthy to be androgynous.
  • can cause MH disorders if not.
  • allows adapt to range situations.
• 2. Androgyny + the BSRI

  Androgyny + Psychological Well-Being:

  • Bem, high androgyny = better well-being as more comfortable than those showing more conventionally male/female traits.
  • no expectations.
  • Western culture encourage boys inhibit ‘feminine’ side; girls inhibit ‘masculine‘ side.
• 3. Androgyny + the BSRI

  Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI):

  • 20 typical male characteristics, 20 female characteristics, 20 neutral.
  • asked 100 US undergrads which desirable for men/women.
  • e.g. female (shy), male (ambitious), neutral (jealous).
• 3a. Androgyny + the BSRI

  BSRI Classification:

  • Masculinity-Femininity
  • Androgynous-Undifferentiated

  M = high masculine, low feminine.

  F = high feminine, low masculine.

  A = high masculine, high feminine.

  U = low masculine, low feminine.
• Androgyny + the BSRI (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - Bem, androgynous = psychologically healthy; idea challenged.

  E - those displaying more masculine traits better adjusted in Western society (Adams + Sherer, 1985).

  L - Bem didn’t account social/cultural context, lack generalisability.
• Androgyny + the BSRI (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - BSRI developed by asking 100 participants to rate traits in how desirable for m/f.

  E - piloted over 1000 students; results corresponded w/ participants description of gender identity.

  E - high degree of validity.

  L - follow up study (smaller sample) = similar scores when tested month later = high test-retest reliability.
• Androgyny + the BSRI (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - gender identity too complex to reduce to quantitive expressions.

  E - alternatives made (e.g. PAQ), but still based on quantitive data.

  L - Golombok + Fivush (1994), gender identity global concept; to understand better broader issues considered (like interests + perception).
• Androgyny + the BSRI (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - BSRI developed over 40yrs ago, behaviours changed since then.

  E - Bem based on stereotypes = outdated, lack temporal validity.

  E - Americans used = Western notions of male/female different = not cross-cultural.