The Structure of the Bem Sex Role Inventory: A Summary Report of 23 Validation Studies

Abstract

This study reports on a summary of 23 separate exploratory factor analytic validation studies of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) conducted during the 25 years since its publication. The ERIC and PsycLit databases were used to locate those validation studies. Number of items factor analyzed, sample characteristics, extraction and rotation methods used, names of factors, and factor structures reported in each of 23 studies were tabulated and analyzed. Two to four factors were retained in most of the studies, with masculine factors showing more factorially complex tendencies. Findings from this study suggest that masculinity and femininity have not been adequately operationalized in the BSRI and that the true structure of masculinity/femininity may be more complex than it appears when measured by the BSRI, which suggests that the BSRI may not capture the complex nature of masculinity/femininity. Implications of the results and the potential usefulness of the BSRI are discussed.