Bem Sex Role Inventory: Multidimensional Gender Classification

The Multidimensional vs. Unidimensional View of Gender

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) lists twenty feminine characteristics, twenty masculine characteristics, and twenty neutral characteristics. The individual, regardless of gender, is rated on both a masculinity score and a femininity score, which allows the test-taker to score high or low on both gender-coded categories independently. This acknowledges that people can possess many different characteristics deemed both feminine and masculine at the same time, rather than framing gender differences as an "either/or" proposition.

The traditional unidimensional view treats femininity and masculinity as bipolar opposites — that is, the more masculine a person is, the less feminine they must be. Bem's multidimensional model rejects this assumption entirely. Characteristics such as "loyal," which might be seen as equally desirable for both genders, serve as a kind of control, reinforcing the idea that the genders share more desirable traits than a culture's polarized view of gender roles would suggest.

Continuum Scoring and the Social Construction of Gender

Bem's inventory grades certain attributes — both desirable and undesirable — for both genders on a continuum. This design acknowledges that not everyone is exclusively masculine or feminine. By expressing different traits on a scale ranging from "almost never" to "almost always," the inventory recognizes the contextual nature of different attributes. Sometimes a man or woman may be a leader; other times, a follower.

By mixing adjectives deemed quintessentially feminine or masculine throughout the test, Bem reduces the likelihood that a test-taker's gender self-image will bias their responses. Perhaps most fundamentally, by identifying traits as socially desirable rather than as inherent to biological sex, she emphasizes the socially constructed nature of the assumptions the test measures. Gender roles, as Bem's framework implies, are products of culture rather than fixed biological facts.

Sandra Bem selected items for the feminine and masculine subscales on the basis of social desirability: if an attribute was judged more desirable for a woman in American culture, it was classified as feminine; if more desirable for a man, it was classified as masculine. The BSRI was first published in 1974.

Have Masculine and Feminine Attributes Changed Since 1974?

The roles of women and men, and the perceived attributes associated with each gender, have changed considerably since Bem first developed her test. Women lead Fortune 500 companies, and men may choose to become stay-at-home parents. Despite these shifts, some traditional expectations persist. An attribute like "soft-spoken" is likely still viewed as more desirable for women in many cultural contexts, even if the gap has narrowed.

Other attributes, such as "athletic," may have become more gender-neutral, given women's growing participation in competitive sports. Some of the more limiting stereotypes — for instance, that women are inherently more shy — may have diminished to some degree. A list of positive attributes generated today would likely show greater convergence between male and female categories, producing more gender-neutral values overall. However, certain traits would probably still be viewed as more desirable for one gender than the other. Leadership qualities, for example, might still be seen as particularly important for men to embody, even as they are increasingly recognized as valuable for women as well.