The Psychometric Adequacy of Three Selected Sex Role Instruments.

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. Androgyny: College Students: *Factor Analysis; Factor Structure; Higher Education: Individual Psychology; *Multidimensional Scaling: Personality Measures: *Psychological Testing; *Psychometrics; *Sex Role; Speech Communication: *Test Validity The psychometric adequacy of three sex role instruments was determined by performing a factor analysis on the items in the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and Heilbrun's Masculinity and Feminity Subscales. Subjects were 400 college students who responded to 116 bipolar items from the three instruments. The eleven factor solution which emerged did not demonstrate the psychometric adequacy of the three instruments and suggested that sex roles may require multidimensional measurement. (Author/RL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *************************************************4********************* U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION IL WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIOft THIS DOCUMEl.AS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACT RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR t. ';ANIZATION ORIGIN. ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY THE PSYCHOMETRIC ADEQUACY OF THREE SELECTED SEX ROLE INSTRUMENTS1 Judy C. Pearson Iowa State University "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IIAS BEEN GRANTED BY Judy C. Pearson TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (RIC). " 1 The author ishes to express her appreciation to Leroy Wolins for his assistance. Requests fOr reprints should be sent to Judy C. Pearson, Department of Speech, 231 Pearson Hall, Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa 50011. Summary. --The psychometric adequacy of three sex role instruments was determined by performing a factor analysis on the items in the Bem Sex Role inventory, the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, and Heilbrun's Masculinity and Femininity Subscales. College students (n=400) at a large midwestern university responded to the items from the three instruments. The eleven factor solution which emerged does not demonstrate the psychometric adequacy of the three instruments and suggests that sex roles may require multidimenstonal measurement. The conceptualization and measurement of sex roles have undergone radical changes in recent years (Bem, 1974, 1976; Block, 1973; Constantinople, 1973; Kaplan & Bean, 1976; Pleok, 1975; Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1975; Heilbrun, 1976; Berzins, Welling & Wetter, 1978). Psychological androgyny, i. e. , the integration of masculine and feminine attributes, has replaced earlier notions that masculinity represents psychological health in men add femininity is associated with psychological health in women. Emprical validation has recommended androgyny as a desirable sex role outcome for both sexes (Bem, 1974, 1975, 1976; Heilbrun, 1968; Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1975). The renewed interest in masculinity and femininity is evidenced by the flood of instrumentation which purports to measure androgyny (Bem, 1974; Berzins, Welling, & Wetter,