The Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS)

Abstract

The Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS) is a 20-item psychological instrument developed by William E. Snell, Jr. in 1989. Its primary function is to quantify specific behavioral patterns highly associated with traditional male gender role stereotypes. Unlike measures focused solely on attitudes, the MBS focuses on observable or reported behaviors across four empirically derived dimensions: career ambition, emotional restraint, avoidance of deep intimacy, and a pervasive need for personal control and self-reliance.

The MBS provides researchers with a robust tool for investigating the adherence to these restrictive behavioral norms and assessing their impact on psychological adjustment, relationship quality, and overall social functioning. Its focus on behavior makes it particularly valuable for studies concerning gender role conflict and the enactment of traditional masculinity.

Keywords

Masculine Behavior Scale, MBS, gender roles, restrictive emotionality, self-reliance, career success, inhibited affection, gender stereotypes, psychometrics, behavioral measurement, traditional masculinity.

Authors

William E. Snell, Jr., L. Godwin

Purpose

The central purpose of the Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS) is to provide a systematic and empirical measure of the degree to which individuals enact behaviors typically associated with the traditional masculine role in contemporary Western culture. By focusing specifically on behavioral manifestations rather than cognitive attitudes, the instrument offers a direct assessment of adherence to these cultural norms.

This tool is essential for academic research concerning gender role conflict, emotional suppression, and the psychological costs associated with restrictive masculinity. It allows researchers to empirically correlate specific masculine behavioral patterns—such as the avoidance of intimacy or the need for excessive control—with variables related to mental health, relationship satisfaction, and social adjustment.

Construct

The MBS measures a complex, multidimensional construct defined as traditional masculine behavior. Empirical evidence, derived from factor analysis during its development, indicates that this construct is best represented by four theoretically distinct and statistically orthogonal subscales. These four subscales capture the core behavioral dimensions of restrictive masculinity:

• Success Dedication: Measures the intense focus, ambition, and commitment directed toward achieving professional and career goals, reflecting the traditional value placed on occupational success.
• Restrictive Emotionality: Measures the behavioral tendency to actively suppress, avoid discussing, or generally withhold feelings and emotional reactions from others.
• Inhibited Affection: Measures the reluctance to express love and affection, often resulting in the avoidance of deep emotional closeness and intimate relationships.
• Exaggerated Self-Reliance & Control: Measures a strong, pervasive need for personal autonomy and control over one’s life, often coupled with a rejection of advice or influence from external sources.

Validity

The initial development and validation study conducted by Snell in 1989 established strong evidence for the MBS’s construct validity. The primary support for validity comes from the successful and replicable identification of the four-factor structure through factor analytic techniques. This structure confirms that the MBS successfully measures the intended, distinct theoretical components that constitute traditional masculine behavior.

Further validation efforts typically involve demonstrating convergent and discriminant validity. Convergent validity is evidenced by appropriate correlations with theoretically related constructs, such as measures of gender role stress or traditional gender attitudes. Conversely, discriminant validity ensures that the scale demonstrates independence from unrelated personality traits. Overall, the MBS effectively differentiates individuals based on their consistent behavioral adherence to traditional masculine norms.

Reliability

The Masculine Behavior Scale exhibits robust evidence of internal consistency, which is the primary psychometric indicator of its reliability. Initial psychometric evaluations reported high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the overall 20-item scale, as well as for each of the four individual subscales (Success Dedication, Restrictive Emotionality, Inhibited Affection, and Exaggerated Self-Reliance & Control).

These high coefficients confirm that the items within each factor are highly interrelated and consistently measure the same underlying construct. This stability ensures that the measurement of key behavioral tendencies, such as emotional suppression and exaggerated autonomy, remains dependable across different research administrations, making the MBS a widely accepted instrument in gender psychology research.

Factor Analysis

The structural development of the MBS was grounded in exploratory factor analysis, which was applied to an initial item pool derived from the psychological literature on traditional gender roles. This analysis confirmed that masculine behavior, as conceptualized for this scale, is not a monolithic construct but is instead best understood as being composed of four distinct, orthogonal factors.

The resulting 20-item scale is structured precisely according to these four factors:

• Success Dedication: Items 1, 5, 13, 17 (4 items)
• Restrictive Emotionality: Items 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 (5 items)
• Inhibited Affection: Items 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 (5 items)
• Exaggerated Self-Reliance & Control: Items 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 (5 items)

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale

Language Available: English

Population Group: General population; utilized extensively in academic research settings with both male and female participants.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically university age and older)

Population Details: Primarily validated using samples of college students, making it highly suitable for research focusing on gender psychology and social behavior in young adult and adult populations.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement using a five-point scale, which is numerically weighted for scoring:

• A = +2 = Agree.
• B = +1 = Slightly agree.
• C = 0 = Neither agree nor disagree.
• D = -1 = Slightly disagree.
• E = -2 = Disagree.

Subscale scores and total scores are calculated by summing the weighted responses for the respective items. Higher positive scores indicate a stronger behavioral adherence to the traditional masculine construct being measured by that specific subscale.

Keywords

gender roles, self-control, ambition, intimacy avoidance, emotional suppression, behavioral measurement, self-reliance, psychometrics, traditional masculinity, gender role conflict.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in the source material. Researchers are advised to consult the current institutional affiliation of the primary author, William E. Snell, Jr., for correspondence.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the primary author’s institutional affiliation at the time of publication (e.g., Southeast Missouri State University).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS) was initially developed and validated in 1989. The instrument is frequently utilized in non-commercial academic and research settings.

The instrument itself is publicly accessible online, providing ease of access for researchers. The primary links for the scale and related information are: http://www4.semo.edu/snell/scales/MBS.htm and http://www4.semo.edu/snell/TESTING.HTM.

Researchers intending to use the scale should adhere to standard ethical guidelines. For commercial use or formal permission requests, consultation with the primary author, William E. Snell, Jr., or the journal publisher (Sex Roles) is recommended.

Reference’s

• Snell, W. E., Jr. (1989). Development and validation of the Masculine Behavior Scale: A measure of behaviors stereotypically attributed to males vs. females. Sex Roles, 21, 749-767.
• Snell, W. E., Jr. & Godwin, L. (1993). Social reactions to depictions of casual and steady acquaintance rape: The impact of AIDS exposure and stereotypic beliefs about women. Sex Roles, 29, 599-616.

Items of the The Masculine Behavior Scale (MBS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I spend a great deal of my time pursuing a highly successful career.
2. I don’t usually discuss my feelings and emotions with others.
3. I don’t devote much time to intimate relationships.
4. I try to be in control of everything in my life.
5. I am very ambitious in the pursuit of a success-oriented career.
6. I am not the type of person to self-disclose about my emotions.
7. I don’t involve myself too deeply in loving, tender relationships.
8. I make sure that I “call all the shots” in my life.
9. I devote extensive time and effort to the pursuit of a professional career.
10. I don’t often talk to others about my emotional reactions to things.
11. I don’t become very close to others in an intimate way.
12. I don’t take orders (or advice) from anybody.
13. I do whatever I have to in order to work toward job success.
14. In general, I avoid discussions dealing with my feelings and emotions.
15. I don’t often tell others about my feelings of love and affection for them.
16. I don’t let others tell me what to do with my life.
17. I work hard at trying to ensure myself of a successful career.
18. I don’t often admit that I have emotional feelings.
19. I tend to avoid being in really close, intimate relationships.
20. I don’t allow others to have control over my life.