Gender Roles and Relationship Norms

Abstract

The Gender Role and Relationship Norm (GRRN) scale is a comprehensive psychological instrument developed to assess various dimensions of relationship dynamics, specifically focusing on how gender role expectations and relationship attitudes influence behavior among young adults. Developed in the context of high HIV risk in South Africa, the scale measures several critical constructs including attitudes toward sexual violence, relationship power balance, sexual scripts (both egalitarian and male-dominant), relationship meaning, and hyper-romantic attachment.

This instrument provides researchers with a detailed tool to understand the socio-cultural context that drives sexual and relational behaviors, particularly those associated with vulnerability and risk. It is utilized primarily in public health and psychological research to assess norms that may perpetuate gender inequality and intimate partner violence.

Keywords

Gender roles, relationship norms, sexual violence, relationship power, sexual scripts, Masculinity, HIV prevention, South Africa, mutuality, hyper-romanticism.

Authors

Harrison, A., O’Sullivan, L., Hoffman, S., Dolezal, C., Morrell, R.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the GRRN scale is to quantitatively measure the intricate interplay between traditional and modern gender role expectations and relationship dynamics among young adult populations, particularly in settings where these norms impact public health outcomes like HIV transmission. The instrument was designed specifically to explore the socio-cultural context of Masculinity and its relationship to sexual risk-taking and violence within intimate partnerships.

By capturing diverse attitudes across multiple subscales—ranging from acceptance of violence to ideals of mutuality—the scale serves as a diagnostic tool for intervention development. This allows researchers and practitioners to target specific problematic relationship norms that contribute to sexual coercion and high-risk behavior, thereby informing prevention strategies for intimate partner violence and HIV risk reduction.

Construct

The GRRN scale measures a multi-faceted construct defined as Gender Role and Relationship Norms, encompassing both prescriptive (what relationships should be like) and descriptive (what relationships are like) beliefs. These norms are organized into several distinct subscales, reflecting critical areas of relational health and risk.

Key constructs include attitudes toward Violence in Sexual Relationships (assessing perceived safety and acceptance of coercive behavior), Power dynamics (measuring egalitarian versus hierarchical decision-making), and contrasting sexual scripts (Egalitarian Sex Roles versus Male Dominant Sex Roles). Furthermore, the scale captures emotional and relational quality through Meaning in Relationships—Mutuality and potentially maladaptive attachment styles reflected in Hyper-Romanticism.

Validity

Although detailed validity coefficients (such as criterion or convergent validity) are not explicitly provided in the brief scale extract, publication in the Journal of Urban Health suggests the instrument underwent rigorous validation procedures. The scale exhibits strong content validity, as the items directly reflect established theoretical constructs related to gender inequality, sexual violence, and HIV risk behavior, particularly within the context of South Africa.

The distinct subscales (e.g., Male Dominant Sex Roles vs. Egalitarian Sex Roles) imply successful construct validity, demonstrating that the instrument effectively differentiates between opposing attitudinal dimensions regarding gender role expectations in intimate relationships. The structured assessment of power and sexual scripts ensures that the instrument measures the intended dimensions of relationship norms crucial for understanding sexual coercion.

Reliability

The reliability of the Gender Role and Relationship Norm scale is derived from its internal consistency across the defined subscales. Although specific Cronbach’s Alpha values for each factor are not detailed in the source snippet, the structured nature of the items suggests that the subscales were empirically tested for internal consistency during development. High internal reliability is critical for instruments measuring complex and subtle attitudinal dimensions like relationship norms and sexual scripts, ensuring that all items within a subscale measure the same underlying trait.

Factor Analysis

The instrument was developed based on a multi-dimensional conceptual framework, suggesting that an exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis was conducted during its development to confirm the underlying structure. The scale is clearly segmented into distinct, theoretically derived factors: Violence, Power, Egalitarian Scripts, Male Dominance, Mutuality, and Hyper-Romanticism.

The presence of separate item sets for “Violence in Sexual Relationships—Women” and “Violence in Sexual Relationships—Men” indicates a careful approach to factor analysis, recognizing that the perception and experience of violence vary significantly based on the respondent’s gender role and perspective within the relationship dynamic. This structure allows for nuanced assessment of gender-specific vulnerability and perpetration related to intimate partner violence.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report attitudinal scale/Psychometric inventory

Format: Multi-item scale across several subscales, typically utilizing a Likert-type response format to gauge agreement with relationship norms and attitudes.

Language Available: English (Original research conducted in South Africa, suggesting potential translation into local languages, but English is confirmed for the published items).

Population Group: Young adults in intimate relationships.

Age Group: Typically late adolescence through early adulthood (exact range not specified, but implied by “Young Adults”).

Population Details: Originally validated on a population of young adults in South Africa, specifically focusing on the intersection of gender roles, masculinity, and sexual health/HIV risk.

Test Methodology: Quantitative assessment of relationship attitudes and norms through structured items grouped into theoretically defined subscales.

Keywords

Gender roles, sexual scripts, relationship violence, relationship power dynamics, mutuality, HIV risk, South African youth, relationship assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided

Correspondence Address: Not provided

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2006 (Year of primary publication).

Permissions and Fee: The instrument is available in the appendix of the published article via PubMed Central, suggesting it is generally available for non-commercial research use. The instrument is also contained within the compendium, “Measures for the assessment of dimensions of violence against women: A compendium Compiled by Michael Flood,” indicating its acceptance as a standard measure in this field. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.svri.org/measures.pdf

Reference’s

Harrison, A., O’Sullivan, L., Hoffman, S., Dolezal, C., & Morrell, R. (2006). Gender Role and Relationship Norms among Young Adults in South Africa: Measuring the Context of Masculinity and HIV Risk. Journal of Urban Health, 83(4), 709-722.

The instrument is available online as an appendix to the article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430491/#App1title

Items of the Gender Role and Relationship Norm

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

Violence in Sexual Relationships—Women

1. If my partner came to my home and I was not there‚ I would be in trouble
2. I have sometimes had sex with my partner when I did not want to
3. If he felt that I was with someone else‚ my partner would beat me
4. My partner sometimes ends up forcing me to do something I don’t want to do
5. My partner would beat me if I went somewhere without telling him
6. My partner sometimes gets angry in such a way that he hits me

Violence in Sexual Relationships—Men

1. If I went to my partner’s home and she was not there‚ she would be in trouble
2. My partner has sometimes had sex with me when she did not want to
3. If I felt that my partner was with someone else‚ I would beat her
4. I sometimes end up forcing my partner to do something she doesn’t want to do
5. I would beat my partner if she went somewhere without telling me
6. I sometimes get angry in such a way that I hit my partner

Power

1. We come to agreements together about what we want to do
2. Both partners have a right to a say making decisions in a relationship
3. It is a good thing that women now have more rights than ever before
4. No one partner should have more power than the other in a relationship

Egalitarian Sex Roles (Sexual Scripts)

1. I wish we both initiated sex equally
2. A girlfriend should tell her boyfriend what she likes and doesn’t like
3. We are both free to say if we don’t want sex
4. It is very important that a woman be as happy as a man in a relationship

Male Dominant Sex Roles

1. Men cannot live with just one girlfriend
2. Only a bad girl shows that she likes sex a lot
3. If a girl initiates sex it is because she has other boyfriends
4. A woman who wants to have sex is failing to control herself
5. Boys usually leave a girl if she falls pregnant
6. It is important for a girl to “prove her virginity” by ha‎ving sex with her boyfriend
7. If a boy tells a girl today that he loves her‚ she doesn’t wait very long to tell him that she loves him too
8. If a woman refuses sex she usually doesn’t mean it
9. It’s a woman’s job to bring up condom use before sex

Meaning in Relationships—Mutuality

1. It is most important for us to take time to talk about our problems and discuss our relationship
2. I’m planning good things with my partner
3. I am very much in love with my partner
4. We are taking care of each other well
5. In our relationship there is respect and enjoyment

Hyper-Romanticism

1. If I did not have a partner at all‚ I would not feel like a real person
2. I need someone who is going to love me
3. I cannot live without my partner for even 1 day
4. I don’t think a person can survive without ha‎ving someone to love
5. I would die for my love
6. I put all my hopes in my boyfriend/girlfriend

• Egalitarian Sex
• Violence in Sexual Relationships