Bem Sex Role Inventory by Sandra Bem

A measure of androgyny and gender role

Sandra Bem

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) provides independent assessments of masculinity and femininity in terms of the respondent’s self-reported possession of socially desirable, stereotypically masculine and feminine personality characteristics. This can also be seen as a measurement of the extent to which respondents spontaneously sort self-relevant information into distinct masculine and feminine categories. The self administering sixty-item questionnaire measures masculinity, femininity, androgyny, and undifferentiated, using the Masculinity and Femininity scales.

A total of sixty questions--twenty regarding masculine characteristics, twenty feminine, and twenty neutral
Includes the short form of thirty questions
Requires only about ten minutes to complete

	Paper by mail		Digital download (PDF)
BEMS Manual/Sampler Set Includes non-reproducible instrument and scoring key marked “sample”		$40.00
BEMS Reproduction Permissions Whether you order the paper form or the PDF/ electronic form, you will receive just one copy and written permission to reproduce/ administer the purchased number. Includes a copy of the instrument and scoring key - does not include Manual.
Quantity 1-100 permissions		$100.00
Quantity 101-150 permissions		$120.00
Quantity 151-200 permissions		$150.00
Quantity 201-300 permissions		$210.00
Quantity 301-400 permissions		$260.00
Quantity 401-500 permissions		$300.00
For larger quantities, please contact us

Return to top

About the Bem

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was designed for conducting empirical research on psychological androgyny. It is also used for workshops and counseling on gender awareness. The BSRI contains sixty personality characteristics. Twenty of the characteristics are stereotypically feminine (e.g., affectionate, gentle, understanding, sensitive to the needs of others) and twenty are stereotypically masculine (e.g., ambitious, self-reliant, independent, assertive). The BSRI also contains twenty filler items (e.g., truthful, happy, conceited).

The BSRI is distinguished from most masculinity-femininity scales by the following characteristics:

Provides independent assessments of masculinity and femininity through self-reported possession of socially desirable, stereotypically masculine and feminine personality traits
Measures the extent to which respondents spontaneously sort self-relevant information into distinct masculine and feminine categories (under Sandra Bem's gender schema theory)

Contents of Manual

Procedures for administering and scoring
Normative data with percentile tables, and information on classifying subjects
Construction of inventory and psychometric data on scales
Listing of empirical studies using the BSRI
Suggestion for further reading on Psychological Androgyny and References

Administration

Self administering (to individuals or large groups)
Not a timed test (takes approximately 10-15 minutes)
Age Range: High school students and older

When taking the BSRI, a person is asked to indicate on a seven-point scale how well each of the sixty characteristics describes herself or himself. The scale ranges from 1 ("Never or almost never true") to 7 (Always or almost always true").