Bem Sex-Role Inventory

Abstract

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) is a seminal psychometric instrument designed to measure individuals’ adoption of culturally defined masculine and feminine personality traits. Developed by Sandra Lipsitz Bem, the BSRI fundamentally shifted the psychological understanding of gender roles away from a traditional bipolar continuum (where high masculinity inherently meant low femininity) toward a two-dimensional model. This model allows individuals to score high on both, low on both, or high on one and low on the other, leading to the identification of four distinct gender categories: Masculine, Feminine, Undifferentiated, and, most notably, Androgyny. The inventory consists of 60 traits rated on a 7-point Likert scale, providing quantifiable measures for research in personality, gender studies, and social psychology.

Keywords

Bem Sex-Role Inventory, BSRI, gender roles, Androgyny, Masculinity, Femininity, sex-typing, psychological measurement, personality traits.

Authors

Sandra Lipsitz Bem

Purpose

The primary purpose of the BSRI is to provide an empirical measure of psychological sex-typing, specifically assessing the degree to which an individual self-identifies with personality characteristics traditionally associated with Masculinity and Femininity. Unlike earlier scales that treated these traits as mutually exclusive opposites, the BSRI was constructed to demonstrate that these characteristics are two independent dimensions.

The scale is used extensively in research to investigate the relationship between sex-role identity and various behavioral, cognitive, and mental health outcomes. By calculating separate scores for Masculinity and Femininity, researchers can categorize participants into one of four gender roles: Androgynous (high M, high F), Masculine (high M, low F), Feminine (low M, high F), and Undifferentiated (low M, low F). This categorization allows for deeper analysis into the flexibility and adaptability associated with non-traditional gender identities, particularly Androgyny.

Construct

The core construct measured by the BSRI is psychological sex-typing, defined by Bem as the degree to which an individual incorporates characteristics traditionally ascribed to one gender or the other. The inventory operationalizes three distinct subscales: Masculinity (M), Femininity (F), and Neutral (N).

The Masculinity dimension includes traits considered desirable for men in American society (e.g., assertive, independent, dominant). The Femininity dimension includes traits considered desirable for women (e.g., affectionate, gentle, sensitive). The Neutral items are included primarily to mask the scale’s purpose and control for general social desirability, though they are often used in the final scoring calculation. The revolutionary concept introduced by the BSRI is Androgyny, which posits that individuals can successfully integrate both highly masculine and highly feminine traits, leading to greater behavioral flexibility and psychological well-being.

Validity

The BSRI demonstrates robust construct validity, supported by its ability to differentiate individuals based on their self-reported behavioral flexibility. Initial validation studies by Bem (1974) showed that individuals categorized as Androgynous exhibited behaviors appropriate to both masculine and feminine contexts, confirming the scale’s theoretical foundation regarding the independence of the M and F dimensions.

Specific forms of validity have been investigated across decades of use. Criterion validity is supported by findings that masculine-typed individuals perform better on tasks traditionally associated with masculinity (e.g., spatial reasoning), while feminine-typed individuals perform better on tasks requiring expressive behavior. Furthermore, predictive validity is often explored in relation to mental health outcomes, where androgynous individuals frequently report higher levels of self-esteem and better adjustment than those categorized as undifferentiated or sex-typed. The original conceptual PDF regarding validity can be found here: http://www.ekgp.ugent.be/pages/nl/vragenlijsten/Validity_BEM.pdf.

Reliability

The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the BSRI are generally high, although consistency can vary depending on the population studied. Across multiple studies, the Masculinity and Femininity subscales typically yield Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .75 to .87, indicating good internal reliability for both factors.

Test-retest reliability, measuring the stability of scores over time, is also acceptable. Studies typically report correlation coefficients above .70 for both subscales over periods ranging from four weeks to several months, suggesting that the self-perception of sex-typed traits measured by the BSRI is relatively stable in adults. Reliability is critical given the scale’s widespread use in longitudinal studies tracking gender identity development.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the BSRI consistently supports the two-factor structure proposed by Sandra Lipsitz Bem: independent dimensions of Masculinity and Femininity. This two-factor solution accounts for a substantial portion of the variance in responses. While some subsequent analyses have identified minor cross-loadings or suggested potential sub-factors within the main dimensions (e.g., separating instrumental and expressive traits), the primary finding remains the orthogonality (or near-orthogonality) of the M and F scales, justifying the calculation of separate scores.

The inclusion of neutral items (Column 3) is supported by factor analysis results, as these items generally do not load significantly onto either the M or F factors, confirming their role as buffer items rather than core components of the sex-role constructs. The robust factor structure underpins the BSRI’s ability to categorize individuals into the four non-bipolar sex-role types.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report personality inventory

Format: 60 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 means “never or almost never true” and 7 means “always or almost always true.”

Language Available: Primarily English; translated and adapted versions exist in numerous languages including Spanish, German, and Dutch.

Population Group: General population (originally developed and validated on college students).

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 16 years and older).

Population Details: The scale is administered individually or in groups. Scoring involves calculating the mean rating for the 20 Masculine items, the 20 Feminine items, and the 20 Neutral items. Classification into the four sex-role types (Androgynous, Masculine, Feminine, Undifferentiated) is typically achieved by performing median splits on the M and F mean scores of the normative sample.

Test Methodology: Participants rate how accurately each of the 60 traits describes them. After rating, scores are transferred to a score sheet for calculation. The inventory score sheet instructions are available, and a specific score sheet can be accessed via this link: Click here for score sheet.

Keywords

psychological measurement, gender identity, sex-typing, behavioral flexibility, self-concept, social psychology, personality assessment, Likert scale.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not applicable (Sandra Lipsitz Bem passed away in 2014; ORCID was not standard practice during her primary publishing years.)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided; original affiliation was Cornell University.

Correspondence Address: Not provided.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory was initially published in 1974. Due to its widespread use and academic importance, the BSRI is often considered to be in the public domain for non-commercial academic research and educational purposes, provided proper citation is given to the original author and publication. Commercial use or modifications generally require permission, though formal licensing details may be complex given the scale’s age and widespread dissemination. No specific fee structure is universally applied for academic use.

Reference’s

• Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(2), 155–162.
• Bem, S. L. (1977). On the utility of sex-typing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34(5), 1016–1040.
• Source documentation regarding validity: http://www.ekgp.ugent.be/pages/nl/vragenlijsten/Validity_BEM.pdf
• Additional BSRI context: http://www.neiu.edu/~tschuepf/bsri.html

Items of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory

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

Rate yourself on each item, on a scale from 1 (never or almost never true) to 7 (almost always true). When you have completed the inventory, transfer your ratings to the inventory score sheet. Click here for score sheet: Click here for score sheet

1. self reliant
2. yielding
3. helpful
4. defends own beliefs
5. cheerful
6. moody
7. independent
8. shy
9. conscientious
10. athletic
11. affectionate
12. theatrical
13. assertive
14. flatterable
15. happy
16. strong personality
17. loyal
18. unpredictable
19. forceful
20. feminine
21. reliable
22. analytical
23. sympathetic
24. jealous
25. leadership ability
26. sensitive to other’s needs
27. truthful
28. willing to take risks
29. understanding
30. secretive
31. makes decisions easily
32. compassionate
33. sincere
34. self-sufficient
35. eager to soothe hurt feelings
36. conceited
37. dominant
38. soft spoken
39. likable
40. masculine
41. warm
42. solemn
43. willing to take a stand
44. tender
45. friendly
46. aggressive
47. gullible
48. inefficient
49. acts as a leader
50. childlike
51. adaptable
52. individualistic
53. does not use harsh language
54. unsystematic
55. competitive
56. loves children
57. tactful
58. ambitious
59. gentle
60. conventional

Inventory Score sheet and Calculation Instructions:

The 60 items are categorized into three columns for scoring purposes (Masculine traits, Feminine traits, and Neutral/Social Desirability traits).

Column 1 (Masculine)	Column 2 (Feminine)	Column 3 (Neutral)
1	2	3
4	5	6
7	8	9
10	11	12
13	14	15
16	17	18
19	20	21
22	23	24
25	26	27
28	29	30
31	32	33
34	35	36
37	38	39
40	41	42
43	44	45
46	47	48
49	50	51
52	53	54
55	56	57
58	59	60

To obtain the mean scores for each dimension, follow these steps:

• Add up your ratings in column 1 (Masculinity) and divide total by 20.
• Add up your ratings in column 2 (Femininity) and divide total by 20.
• Add up your ratings in column 3 (Neutral) and divide total by 20.