Current research involving the psychological androgyny indicates that androgyny and adaptability are somehow linked. The Bem Sex Role Inventory has been widely used to measure masculinity, femininity and androgyny (Hoffman, & Borders, 2001). Sandra Bem, and others, theorized that androgynous individuals have positive advantages over those who are not “balanced.” It is often reasoned that because androgynous individuals integrate both masculine and feminine personality characteristics, they should have higher levels of self-esteem, creativity and adaptability (Anderson, 1986; Lee & Scheurer, 1983). Specifically, it is often theorized that individuals who are high androgyny, meaning they identify with both masculine and feminine characteristics,
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Bem organized her 60-item scale into two categories, instrumental and expressive personality traits. Instrumental traits such as being dominant indicate masculine gender roles, whereas expressive traits such as being gentle are considered feminine traits (Vafaei et al., 2014). Further breakdown of the original scale are as follows: 20 masculine/instrumental items, 20 feminine/expressive items, 20 neutral items. Bem believed the feminine and masculine constructs to be opposite (Brems & Johnson, 1990). The BSRI has been both commonly used and widely criticized since development. Although subject to criticism, the original 60 item BSRI has been used across various countries and age ranges and appears to be both a reliable and valid measure. Sandra Bem, the scales author, rebuttal these critics by creating a short form BSRI. The Short Form BSRI addressed concerns regarding poorly correlated masculine and feminine items; it contains half as many items as the original BSRI but has been shown to have higher levels of reliability and validity. The Short Form BSRI contains 10 feminine items, 10 masculine items and 10 social desirability items (Brems & Johnson, 1990). Although the length of the scale changed, there were no conceptual or theoretical changes made to the scale (Brems & Johnson, 1990). The short form BSRI is more statistically and psychometrically …show more content…
The flexibility in androgynous persons behavior results in being adaptable and therefore having better psychological health (Bem, 1977), (Downing, 1979). Current research supports Bem’s theory; androgynous adults have been associated with having better mental health and superior health practices (Lefkowitz & Zeldow, 2006). For example, individuals who identify with both masculine and feminine characteristics report better health behaviors such as less smoking and using safety precautions more (Shifren, & Bauserman,, 1996). Additionally, androgynous individuals may be more emotionally secure, thus able to avoid risky situations (Shifren, & Bauserman,,
Bem organized her 60-item scale into two categories, instrumental and expressive personality traits. Instrumental traits such as being dominant indicate masculine gender roles, whereas expressive traits such as being gentle are considered feminine traits (Vafaei et al., 2014). Further breakdown of the original scale are as follows: 20 masculine/instrumental items, 20 feminine/expressive items, 20 neutral items. Bem believed the feminine and masculine constructs to be opposite (Brems & Johnson, 1990). The BSRI has been both commonly used and widely criticized since development. Although subject to criticism, the original 60 item BSRI has been used across various countries and age ranges and appears to be both a reliable and valid measure. Sandra Bem, the scales author, rebuttal these critics by creating a short form BSRI. The Short Form BSRI addressed concerns regarding poorly correlated masculine and feminine items; it contains half as many items as the original BSRI but has been shown to have higher levels of reliability and validity. The Short Form BSRI contains 10 feminine items, 10 masculine items and 10 social desirability items (Brems & Johnson, 1990). Although the length of the scale changed, there were no conceptual or theoretical changes made to the scale (Brems & Johnson, 1990). The short form BSRI is more statistically and psychometrically …show more content…
The flexibility in androgynous persons behavior results in being adaptable and therefore having better psychological health (Bem, 1977), (Downing, 1979). Current research supports Bem’s theory; androgynous adults have been associated with having better mental health and superior health practices (Lefkowitz & Zeldow, 2006). For example, individuals who identify with both masculine and feminine characteristics report better health behaviors such as less smoking and using safety precautions more (Shifren, & Bauserman,, 1996). Additionally, androgynous individuals may be more emotionally secure, thus able to avoid risky situations (Shifren, & Bauserman,,