The Sex-Role Antecedents Scales

Abstract

The Sex-role Antecedents Scales were constructed to classify personal and perceived parental sex-role orientations as masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated. 28 traits are included, 11 masculine, 11 feminine, and 6 neutral, all derived from the Bern Sex-role Inventory. The new test is distinguished by the provision of interpersonal scales featuring mother and father as standards for self-comparison on masculine and feminine traits. Masculinity and femininity were depicted on separate continua shown to be orthogonal, internally consistent, and reliable. Simultaneous classification of self, mother, and father on the scales showed direct consistent relationships between their respective sex-role categories. Self-perceived identification with mother and father significantly distinguished the four sex-role categories of the 150 male and 150 female subjects.