Masculinity, femininity, and androgyny viewed and assessed as distinct concepts.

Abstract

The objective of this study (N = 172) was to evaluate (a) the equivalence of the scales of the short Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ); (b) the construct validity of the short BSRI and EPAQ as measures of well-being; (c) the validity of the concept of androgyny as an intrinsically interactive (rather than simply additive) concept; and (d) the utility and meaning of two special EPAQ measures: unmitigated agency (M~) and unmitigated communion (Fc~). The short BSRI and EPAQ were found empirically interchangeable when placed in a multitrait-multimethod matrix and two extrinsic convergent validation rectangles. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis with interaction terms obtained with the Differential Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) provided only partial support for masculinity and femininity as measures of psychological well-being and no support for the significance of androgyny treated as an interaction of masculinity and femininity. Unmitigated agency and communion did not show the expected negative correlations with the mutual mitigation (interaction) of masculinity and femininity. Implications of this study for future investigations of androgyny and other integrative concepts denned by interactions are discussed.