Initial Validation of the Male Role Norms Inventory-Revised (MRNI-R)

Abstract

This article reports the results of the initial evaluation of the revised version of the Male Role Norms Inventory (MRNI-R). The MRNI-R assesses only traditional male role norms (thus dropping the Non-Traditional Attitudes subscale of the original MRNI), revises the labeling and content of the Self-Reliance subscale, drops the Achievement/Status subscale and substitutes the Dominance subscale, and updates the language throughout the instrument. The MRNI-R was administered to 170 undergraduate and graduate students (38 men and 132 women). One hundred and seven initial items were reduced to fifty-three items following iterative analyses of item-to-subscale correlations. Improved reliabilities were found for the MRNI-R and its subscales, with Cronbach alphas ranging from .73 to .96. Significant sex and racial/ethnic differences were found with respect to the endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology, providing support for its construct validity.