Gender Role Beliefs Scale (GRBS)

Abstract

The Gender Role Beliefs Scale (GRBS) is a widely utilized psychometric instrument developed by P. S. Kerr and R. R. Holden in 1996. Its primary function is to quantify an individual’s adherence to traditional versus modern egalitarian attitudes regarding the societal roles and expectations of men and women. The scale provides a comprehensive assessment across key dimensions, including professional suitability, family dynamics, social etiquette (such as chivalry), and sexual autonomy.

Originally comprising 20 items, the GRBS was later streamlined into a 10-item short version by Michael J. Brown and Nancy Gladstone in 2012 to maximize efficiency in research settings. Both versions employ a 7-point Likert scale, enabling researchers to precisely measure gender role beliefs and explore their correlation with other significant psychological constructs, such as prejudice, political ideology, and attitudes toward family structure.

Keywords

Gender Role Beliefs Scale, GRBS, Gender Roles, Sex Roles, Traditionalism, Egalitarianism, Social Attitudes, Psychometrics, Chivalry, Gender Role Ideology.

Authors

P. S. Kerr, R. R. Holden, Michael J. Brown, Nancy Gladstone.

Purpose

The central purpose of the GRBS is to establish a reliable and valid measure of gender role beliefs, offering a clear distinction between individuals who maintain strongly traditional, hierarchical views of gender relationships and those who embrace modern, egalitarianism. This measurement capacity is fundamental for researchers seeking to understand the cognitive underpinnings of gender-related behavior and social interactions across diverse contexts.

Serving as a crucial research tool, the scale facilitates the examination of how gender ideology permeates and influences personal relationships, career trajectories, political leanings, and societal responses to changes concerning gender equality. The subsequent development of the short version in 2012 focused on enhancing practical application and efficiency for large-scale studies without compromising the core construct validity of the original instrument.

Construct

The psychological construct central to the GRBS is Gender Role Ideology. This ideology is defined by the prescriptive and descriptive beliefs that dictate how men and women are expected, or ought, to behave in various public and private settings. The construct is conceptualized as existing along a single continuum, anchored by extreme traditionalism at one pole and extreme egalitarianism at the other.

The scale items are carefully designed to tap into specific, observable domains of gender expectations. These domains include the adherence to traditional social courtesies (often referred to as chivalry), the prescribed division of professional and domestic labor, legal authority structures within the family unit, and gender-specific standards of acceptable public conduct, such as limitations on swearing or specific professional roles deemed suitable for one gender over the other. The resulting composite score reflects the individual’s overall level of traditionalism.

Validity

The initial development of the GRBS by Kerr and Holden (1996) provided evidence of robust construct validity. This was achieved through rigorous factor analysis and correlation studies involving established measures of social attitudes, confirming that the scale effectively measures the intended theoretical concept. Furthermore, items were selected to ensure high content validity, covering a comprehensive range of gender role aspects prevalent in Western society during the scale’s creation.

The 2012 short version, developed by Brown and Gladstone, demonstrated strong convergent validity when compared against the original 20-item scale, confirming that the abbreviated format measures the same core construct. The consistent and widespread use of both versions in academic dissertations and peer-reviewed social psychology journals confirms the instrument’s stability and accuracy in measuring gender role ideology across various research settings, particularly within university and adult populations.

Reliability

The original 20-item GRBS exhibits excellent internal consistency, a critical indicator that the items reliably measure the same underlying construct. Initial development studies consistently reported high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, typically ranging above 0.85.

Crucially for applied research, the shortened 10-item version also maintained high reliability. Brown and Gladstone (2012) reported satisfactory reliability for the two derived factors of the short scale, confirming its status as a psychometrically sound and efficient alternative to the original instrument, particularly valuable in time-constrained research environments where minimizing respondent burden is necessary.

Factor Analysis

While the full 20-item scale may possess a more complex underlying factor structure, the 10-item short version of the GRBS (Brown & Gladstone, 2012) is most effectively represented by a clear two-factor model, distinguishing between beliefs related to structural equality and those related to social conduct:

• Factor 1 (Egalitarian/Non-Traditional Beliefs): This factor primarily encompasses attitudes related to fundamental structural equality, including legal parity, professional and career opportunities, and sexual freedom for women. Items loading heavily on this factor pertain to women working outside the home, sexual autonomy, and challenging the husband’s traditional role as the sole legal representative of the family.
• Factor 2 (Chivalry/Social Traditionalism): This factor captures beliefs concerning adherence to traditional social etiquette and gender-specific conduct. This includes expectations regarding men offering courtesies (e.g., holding doors, paying checks) and differential standards applied to men and women regarding public behavior, such as swearing or suitability for specific professional roles.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychometric Scale

Format: The scale is available in a 20-item long version and a 10-item short version. Responses are gathered using a 7-point Likert-type agreement scale (ranging from 1 = strongly agree to 7 = strongly disagree).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, widely employed in studies involving college students and adults.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: The initial psychometric development and subsequent validation efforts focused primarily on university student samples in North America, representing a population segment that is often central to studies concerning shifts in social and gender role attitudes.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement using the 7-point scale. To ensure that a higher overall score consistently reflects greater traditionalism (or lower egalitarianism), a selection of items within the scale are reverse-scored.

Keywords

Gender Role Ideology, Social Psychology, Measurement, Attitudes toward Women, Psychological Testing, Social Norms, Equality, Traditional Gender Roles.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year (Original Version): 1996

Test Year (Short Version): 2012

Permissions & Fee: The scale is generally considered available for use in academic and non-commercial research endeavors. Researchers are required to provide appropriate citations to the original development publication (Kerr & Holden, 1996) or the short version development paper (Brown & Gladstone, 2012).

Reference’s

Kerr, P. S., & Holden, R. R. (1996). Development of the gender role beliefs scale (GRBS). Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 11(5), 3-16.

Brown, Michael J., & Gladstone, Nancy. (2012). Development of a Short Version of the Gender Role Beliefs Scale. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 2(5):154-158. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.sapub.org/global/showpaperpdf.aspx?doi=10.5923/j.ijpbs.20120205.05

Tureau, Zach‎ary L., (2003). College Student Identity and Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians. doctoral dissertation, University of North Texas. The original PDF of the dissertation containing the scale can be downloaded here: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4286/m2/1/high_res_d/dissertation.pdf

Items of the Gender Role Beliefs Scale (GRBS)

Original 20-Item Version:

1. It is disrespectful for a man to swear in the presence of a lady
2. Women should not expect men to offer them seats on busses.
3. Homosexual relationships should be as socially accepted as heterosexual relationships.
4. The initiative in courtship should usually come from the man.
5. It bothers me more to see a woman who is pushy than a man who is pushy.
6. When sitting down at the table‚ proper respect demands that the gentleman hold the lady’s chair.
7. Women should have as much sexual freedom as men.
8. Women should appreciate the protection and support that men have traditionally given them.
9. Women with children should not work outside the home if they don’t have to financially.
10. I see nothing wrong with a woman who doesn’t like to wear skirts or dresses.
11. The husband should be regarded as the legal representative of the family in all matters of law.
12. I like women who are outspoken.
13. Except perhaps in very special circumstances‚ a gentleman should never allow a lady to pay the taxi‚ buy the tickets‚ or pay the check.
14. Some equality in marriage is good‚ but by and large the husband ought to have the main say-so in family matters.
15. Men should continue to show courtesies to women such as holding open the door or helping them on with their coats.
16. It is ridiculous for a woman to run a locomotive and for a man to darn socks.
17. A woman should be as free as a man to propose marriage.
18. Women should be concerned with their duties of childrearing and house tending rather than with desires for professional and business careers.
19. Swearing and obscenity is more repulsive in the speech of a woman than a man.
20. There are some professions and types of business that are more suitable for men than women.

Short Version of the Gender Role Beliefs Scale (Brown & Gladstone‚ 2012):

1. It is disrespectful to swear in the presence of a lady. (1)
2. The initiative in courtship should usually come from the man. (4)
3. Women should have as much sexual freedom as men. (7)R
4. Women with children should not work outside the home if they don’t have to financially. (9)
5. The husband should be regarded as the legal representative of the family group in all matters of law. (11)
6. Except perhaps in very special circumstances‚ a man should never allow a woman to pay the taxi‚ buy the tickets‚ or pay the check. (13)
7. Men should continue to show courtesies to women such as holding open the door or helping them on with their coats. (15)
8. It is ridiculous for a woman to run a train and a man to sew clothes. (16)
9. Women should be concerned with their duties of childbearing and house tending‚ rather than with the desires for professional and business careers. (18)
10. Swearing and obscenity is more repulsive in the speech of a woman than a man. (19)