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The Bem sex-role inventory (BSRI) is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure a person’s masculine and feminine traits.

Participants rate themselves on a scale of 1-7 for 60 items (20 masculine, 20 feminine, 20 neutral). Scores for these items can be used to categorise people in four general ways:

  • Masculine: High masculinity and low femininity
  • Feminine: High femininity and low masculinity
  • Androgynous: High masculinity and high femininity
  • Undifferentiated: Low masculinity and low femininity

Items on the BSRI

Note: The items below are arranged alphabetically, whereas a participant completing the inventory would typically answer each item in a mixed sequence.

Masculine items:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Item Almost never true Rarely true Less than half true Neutral More than half true Often true Almost always true
Acts as leader
Aggressive
Ambitious
Analytical
Assertive
Athletic
Competitive
Defends own beliefs
Dominant
Forceful
Has leadership abilities
Independent
Individualistic
Makes decisions easily
Masculine
Self-reliant
Self-sufficient
Strong personality
Willing to take a stand
Willing to take risks

Feminine items:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Item Almost never true Rarely true Less than half true Neutral More than half true Often true Almost always true
Affectionate
Cheerful
Childlike
Compassionate
Does not use harsh language
Eager to soothe hurt feelings
Feminine
Flatterable
Gentle
Gullible
Loves children
Loyal
Sensitive to the needs of others
Shy
Soft spoken
Sympathetic
Tender
Understanding
Warm
Yielding

Neutral items:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Item Almost never true Rarely true Less than half true Neutral More than half true Often true Almost always true
Adaptable
Conceited
Conscientious
Conventional
Friendly
Happy
Helpful
Inefficient
Jealous
Likeable
Moody
Reliable
Secretive
Sincere
Solemn
Tactful
Theatrical
Truthful
Unpredictable
Unsystematic

Scores are calculated by adding up all the numbers for each category (where “almost never true” = 1, and “almost always true” = 7).

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