Are you traditionally masculine, feminine, or both? The BSRI measures your psychological gender role orientation — separate from your biological sex. 60 items, about 15 minutes.

What Is the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI)?

The BSRI measures psychological gender roles — not biological sex, but how your personality aligns with masculine and feminine traits. Sandra Bem developed it in 1974, based on the idea that masculinity and femininity are independent dimensions (not opposite ends of a single continuum). The BSRI classifies people into four gender role categories.

Dimensions

The BSRI consists of 60 items across three dimensions:

  • Masculinity (20 items): Traits stereotypically associated with men (e.g., assertive, independent, dominant)
  • Femininity (20 items): Traits stereotypically associated with women (e.g., nurturing, gentle, empathetic)
  • Neutral (20 items): Filler items not scored for gender role

Scoring

Each item is rated on a 7-point scale. Masculinity and Femininity are scored separately. The Neutral dimension is a social desirability control.

Gender Role Classification

Based on the median-split method relative to the reference sample:

<tbody> </tbody>
CategoryMasculinity ScoreFemininity Score
----------:----------------::----------------:
MasculineHighLow
FeminineLowHigh
AndrogynousHighHigh
UndifferentiatedLowLow

Reference

Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. *Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology*, 42(2), 155–162.

Result Interpretation

After completing the 60 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:

  • Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
  • Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
  • Dimension breakdown — separate scores for each sub-scale
  • Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available

All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.