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
60-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 |
Online |
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| BEMS Manual/Sampler Set | $30.00 | ||
| BEMS Bulk Permissions | |||
| Bundle of 150 ($0.80 each) | $120.00 | ||
| Bundle of 200 ($0.75 each) | $150.00 | ||
| Bundle of 300 ($0.70 each) | $210.00 | ||
| Bundle of 400 ($0.65 each) | $260.00 | ||
| Bundle of 500 ($0.60 each) | $300.00 | ||
| For larger quantities, please contact us | |||
BEMS Inventory Booklets (package of 25) |
$30.00 | ||
BEMS Scoring Key |
$10.00 |
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).
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
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)
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").
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Never or almost never true | Usually not true | Sometimes but infrequently true | Occasionally true | Often true | Usually true | Always or almost always true |
| 1. love children | ____ | 3. conscientious | ____ |
| 2. defend my own beliefs | ____ | 4. unsystematic | ____ |
Scales
The items are scored on independent dimensions of masculinity and femininity as well as androgyny and undifferentiate classifications:
- High on masculinity and femininity? Androgynous
- Low on masculinity and femininity? Undifferentiated
- High on masculinity and low on femininity? "Masculine"
- High on femininity and low on masculinity ? "Feminine"
Scoring
Relatively simple hand-scoring.
Norm Groups
31-65 years old (Adults), greater than 62 years old (Older Adults), Psychiatric Inpatients, and Judges.