ANDROGYNY

Bem (1974)

developed a self-report questionnaire known as the BSRI

50 male and 50 female students

individuals rate themselves on a mix of masculine and feminine traits on a scale of 1 to 7

Bem suggests that androgyny is advantageous in society

as it means more people have the traits needed to cope with a range of situations

The quality or state of being neither specifically masculine or feminine

androgynous individuals are more flexible and more mentally healthy than either masculine or feminine individuals: "truly effective and well functioning"

while undifferentiated individuals are less competent

Strengths of Bem

The scale has been found to have good reliability, producing similar results if used on more than one occasion with the same sample

Weaknesses of Bem

Bem suggested that people with high androgyny scores are psychologically healthier than people who aren't

Reducing the concepts of masculinity and femininity to a single score may be an oversimplification.

However, other researchers have suggested that it is the high masculinity score which is important for psychological wellbeing

The traits are based on what students assessed as desirable traits for men and women in the 1970's

Lacks temporal validity

Measured quantitatively

Useful for research purposes when it is necessary

e.g to quantify a dependent variable