Personal Attributes Questionnaire

Abstract

The Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) is a widely utilized self-report inventory designed to measure personality characteristics historically associated with gender roles, moving beyond traditional, unidimensional concepts of masculinity and femininity. Developed by Spence, Helmreich, and colleagues, the PAQ conceptualizes masculinity (instrumentality) and femininity (expressiveness) as two independent, orthogonal dimensions. This scale allows researchers to classify individuals into four distinct categories, including the measurement of androgyny. The instrument typically employs a 5-point bipolar scale format, asking respondents to rate themselves between contradictory characteristics.

Keywords

Personal Attributes Questionnaire, PAQ, psychological masculinity, femininity, androgyny, gender roles, personality assessment, instrumental traits, expressive traits, self-report inventory

Authors

Janet T. Spence, Robert L. Helmreich, Carole K. Holahan

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) was to develop a psychometrically sound measure that treated attributes traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity as independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. This approach was crucial for testing the hypothesis that possessing both sets of desirable traits (a state known as androgyny) might be psychologically beneficial.

The scale aims to assess the degree to which an individual possesses socially desirable instrumental traits (Masculinity, M-scale, e.g., independent, competitive) and expressive traits (Femininity, F-scale, e.g., kind, helpful to others). A secondary purpose was to provide a measure of the bipolar dimension (M-F scale) for those interested in comparing results with older, single-factor gender scales.

Construct

The PAQ measures two orthogonal psychological constructs: Instrumentality and Expressiveness. These dimensions are defined by the items chosen based on social desirability ratings for men and women.

• Masculinity (M): Reflects instrumental traits, characterized by competence, assertiveness, dominance, and independence.
• Femininity (F): Reflects expressive traits, characterized by warmth, kindness, emotional sensitivity, and concern for others.

The conceptual independence of these two scales permits the classification of individuals into four gender role categories based on median splits: Masculine (High M, Low F), Feminine (Low M, High F), Undifferentiated (Low M, Low F), and Androgynous (High M, High F). This multidimensional approach revolutionized the study of gender roles in psychological research.

Validity

The validity of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire is primarily established through its construct validity, demonstrating that the M and F scales are indeed empirically orthogonal, supporting the multidimensional model proposed by Spence and colleagues. The items selected exhibit high face validity, clearly aligning with societal stereotypes of desirable male and female attributes. Furthermore, the PAQ scales have shown predictive validity in relation to various behavioral outcomes, where the Masculinity scale typically correlates with achievement and self-esteem, and the Femininity scale correlates with interpersonal warmth and social skills.

Reliability

The PAQ demonstrates strong internal consistency reliability across various populations. Studies consistently report high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for both the M (Masculinity) and F (Femininity) subscales, typically ranging from 0.75 to over 0.85, indicating that the items within each scale are measuring a cohesive underlying dimension. Test-retest reliability is also generally high, confirming the stability of these measured personality attributes over time.

Factor Analysis

Initial factor analyses conducted during the development of the PAQ strongly supported a two-factor structure corresponding to the M and F scales. These factors typically account for a significant portion of the variance in the items, confirming their conceptual independence. Items loading on the M scale reflect instrumental competence (e.g., independent, competitive), while items loading on the F scale reflect expressive warmth (e.g., kind, aware of others’ feelings). The M-F items, which load significantly on both factors or represent gender-neutral traits, are often used as a separate bipolar index.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Test / Personality Inventory

Format: Bipolar adjective scale. Respondents rate themselves on a 5-point scale (A to E or 1 to 5) between contradictory characteristics.

Language Available: English (Original), widely translated into multiple languages for cross-cultural research.

Population Group: General population, primarily adolescents and adults.

Age Group: Typically 16 years and older.

Population Details: Originally standardized on college student populations but validated across diverse demographic groups.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate where they fall on a 5-point continuum for each item. Scoring: Items are assigned to M, F, or M-F scales. Items are scored such that the socially desirable pole receives the highest score (typically 4), resulting in a 0-4 range for each item.

Keywords

gender identity, personality dimensions, sex roles, psychological assessment, Spence, Helmreich, instrumentality, expressiveness, bipolar scale, self-esteem

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not uniformly available or applicable for the original authors at the time of publication.

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact information for the original authors is historical; modern inquiries may be directed toward their affiliated institutions or researchers utilizing the scale.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the original publication institutions (e.g., University of Texas at Austin).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The PAQ is generally considered a non-proprietary instrument and is frequently used in academic research without formal licensing fees, although citation of the original works (Spence & Helmreich, 1978; Spence et al., 1979) is mandatory. The original scale items and scoring are publicly accessible. The primary publication years detailing the scale’s development are 1978 and 1979.

The original PDF of the extended version of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire can be downloaded here: http://www.psy.cmu.edu/faculty/helgeson/extendedpaq.pdf

Reference’s

Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R. L., & Holahan, C. K. (1979). Negative and positive components of psychological masculinity and femininity and their relationships to self-reports of neurotic and acting out behaviors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1673-1682.

Spence, J.T., & Helmreich, R.L. (1978). Masculinity and femininity: Their psychological dimensions, correlates, and antecedents. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Items of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire

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