Gender identities and measurement | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision
- Revision Notes
- Aug 5
- 22 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025
AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 55 minutes
Gender identity concerns a person’s internal understanding and experience of their gender. These Gender identities and measurement A-Level Psychology revision notes describe binary, non-binary and gender-fluid identities before examining how the Bem Sex Role Inventory measures stereotypically masculine and feminine characteristics.
A crucial distinction runs through this lesson: the Bem Sex Role Inventory measures self-reported gender-related traits, not biological sex and not a person’s gender identity directly. The topic follows chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical diversity and prepares you for chromosome-based and hormonal accounts of gender. The revised AQA specification explicitly names binary, non-binary and gender-fluid identities and the Bem Sex Role Inventory.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Define gender identity.
Describe binary, non-binary and gender-fluid identities.
Distinguish gender identity from biological sex, gender expression and gender roles.
Explain how the Bem Sex Role Inventory measures masculinity, femininity and androgyny.
Apply the Bem Sex Role Inventory classifications to unfamiliar data.
Evaluate the reliability, validity, cultural relevance and temporal validity of gender measurement.
Revision Notes 📚
Gender identities and measurement overview
The AQA specification names three forms of gender identity:
Binary
Non-binary
Gender fluid
It also requires knowledge of how gender has been measured using the Bem Sex Role Inventory, usually abbreviated to the BSRI.
The specification names these identities but does not provide an extended classification system. The definitions below are concise working definitions appropriate for the course.
What is gender identity?
Gender identity is a person’s internal experience and understanding of their gender.
It concerns how a person identifies, rather than simply:
Their chromosomes.
Their hormones.
Their reproductive anatomy.
Their appearance.
The behaviour other people expect from them.
A person may describe themselves using terms such as:
Man.
Woman.
Non-binary.
Gender fluid.
Gender identity is personal. It should not be inferred from someone’s appearance, hobbies, personality or clothing.
Biological sex and gender identity
Biological sex concerns biological characteristics such as:
Chromosomes.
Hormones.
Gonads.
Internal sexual anatomy.
External sexual characteristics.
Gender identity concerns a person’s psychological experience of their gender.
Biological sex | Gender identity |
Concerns biological characteristics | Concerns a person’s internal experience |
Includes chromosomes and hormones | Includes identities such as man, woman or non-binary |
Can involve diversity in sex development | Can be binary, non-binary or gender fluid |
Does not determine all behaviour | Cannot be inferred from biological characteristics alone |
The previous lessons considered the biological processes involved in sex development. This lesson focuses on how people understand and describe their gender.
Gender identity and gender expression
Gender expression is how a person presents gender through features such as:
Clothing.
Hairstyle.
Voice.
Behaviour.
Mannerisms.
Personal style.
Gender expression is not identical to gender identity.
For example:
A man may enjoy clothing or activities culturally described as feminine.
A woman may display traits culturally described as masculine.
A non-binary person may present in a traditionally masculine or feminine way.
None of these expressions automatically reveals the person’s identity.
Gender identity and gender roles
Gender roles are social expectations about how people of different genders should behave.
Examples may include expectations about:
Employment.
Childcare.
Emotional behaviour.
Clothing.
Interests.
Household responsibilities.
Gender roles are socially and culturally influenced.
A person can reject a traditional gender role while continuing to identify as a man or woman. Similarly, following a conventional role does not prove that someone has a binary gender identity.
This distinction becomes important when evaluating the BSRI because its items are based on traits that society labelled masculine or feminine.
Binary gender identities
What is a binary gender identity?
A binary gender identity is an identity within the two-category system of:
Man or boy.
Woman or girl.
A binary individual identifies with one of these two categories.
The word binary means consisting of two parts or categories.
Examples include:
A person who identifies as a woman.
A person who identifies as a man.
A binary gender identity does not tell psychologists:
Which personality traits the person possesses.
Which activities they enjoy.
How they dress.
Whether they follow traditional gender roles.
How masculine or feminine they score on the BSRI.
Binary identity does not require stereotypical behaviour
A man does not have to display only stereotypically masculine traits.
A woman does not have to display only stereotypically feminine traits.
For example:
A woman may be highly assertive, independent and competitive while continuing to have a binary identity as a woman.
Similarly:
A man may be gentle, sensitive and nurturing while continuing to identify as a man.
This demonstrates why gender identity and gender-related traits must be considered separately.
Binary does not mean biologically typical
Binary gender identity concerns whether a person identifies as a man or woman.
It is not a description of:
Their chromosome pattern.
Their hormone levels.
Whether they have a diversity in sex development condition.
A person with androgen insensitivity syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome or Turner syndrome may have a binary identity, a non-binary identity or another identity.
Biological variation does not automatically determine identity.
Non-binary gender identities
What is a non-binary identity?
A non-binary gender identity is an identity that is not exclusively man or exclusively woman.
The term can describe people who experience their gender as:
Between the two conventional categories.
A combination of genders.
Outside the categories of man and woman.
Not fully represented by either binary category.
Non-binary is often used as a broad or umbrella term.
For AQA examination purposes, the essential point is:
A non-binary person does not identify exclusively within one of the two conventional categories of man or woman.
Non-binary does not mean one single experience
Non-binary people do not necessarily understand their gender in the same way.
The term covers variation rather than describing one fixed identity.
One person may experience gender as a mixture of masculine and feminine identity. Another may experience themselves as outside these categories entirely.
A strong answer should therefore avoid claiming that all non-binary people:
Present in the same way.
Use the same pronouns.
Have the same biological characteristics.
Have a gender identity that changes over time.
The final point is important because a changing identity is more specifically associated with gender fluidity.
Non-binary identity and appearance
A non-binary identity cannot be identified reliably from appearance.
A non-binary person may present in a way that other people interpret as:
Masculine.
Feminine.
Androgynous.
Different on different occasions.
Gender expression does not provide a direct measure of internal identity.
Non-binary identity and androgyny
Non-binary identity and androgyny are not synonyms.
Non-binary identity | Androgyny in Bem’s approach |
A person’s internal gender identity | A classification based on masculine and feminine trait scores |
Concerns whether someone identifies exclusively as a man or woman | Concerns self-reported characteristics |
Cannot be established from personality traits alone | Can be calculated from BSRI responses |
May involve many different experiences of gender | Means scoring highly on both masculine and feminine dimensions |
A non-binary person could receive any BSRI classification.
A binary man or woman could also be classified as androgynous.
📌 Exam tip: Never state that an androgynous BSRI score proves that the respondent is non-binary.
Gender-fluid identities
What is a gender-fluid identity?
A gender-fluid identity is an identity in which a person’s experience of gender may change over time or across circumstances.
The person may experience their gender differently:
At different times.
During different periods of life.
In different situations.
For example, someone may experience themselves as:
More masculine at one time.
More feminine at another.
Non-binary or without a clear binary identity at another time.
The essential feature is variation in the person’s experience of gender.
Gender fluidity is not indecision
Gender fluidity should not be described as:
Confusion.
Failure to choose.
Pretending.
A temporary lack of knowledge.
The term describes the person’s identity as variable rather than fixed within one category.
Gender fluidity and changes in expression
A gender-fluid person may change aspects of their gender expression, including:
Clothing.
Name.
Pronouns.
Hairstyle.
Social presentation.
However, visible changes are not necessary.
The defining feature is variation in identity, not whether outsiders can observe a change.
Gender-fluid and non-binary identities compared
Gender fluidity is commonly included within the broader category of non-binary identities because the person does not identify exclusively and consistently as one binary gender.
However, the terms are not identical.
Non-binary | Gender fluid |
Does not identify exclusively as a man or woman | Gender experience changes over time or context |
May be stable over time | Variation is a defining feature |
Broad category | More specific description |
Does not necessarily involve movement between identities | Involves some change or fluidity |
A person may identify as non-binary without being gender fluid.
A gender-fluid person can be described as having an identity outside a fixed binary category.
Comparing the three identities
Identity | Core description | What it does not tell us |
Binary | Identifying as a man or woman | Personality, interests or adherence to stereotypes |
Non-binary | Not identifying exclusively as a man or woman | Whether identity changes over time |
Gender fluid | Experiencing gender as changing over time or context | Biological sex or particular style of expression |
Applying the identities to scenarios
Binary identity
“Alex identifies consistently as a man but enjoys clothing and hobbies that society sometimes labels feminine.”
Alex has a binary identity because he identifies as a man.
His interests and expression do not make his identity non-binary.
Non-binary identity
“Morgan does not feel that either ‘man’ or ‘woman’ fully describes their gender.”
Morgan’s identity is non-binary because they do not identify exclusively with either binary category.
Gender-fluid identity
“At some times, Taylor identifies more strongly as a woman. At other times, Taylor experiences their gender as non-binary.”
Taylor’s experience changes over time, so it is consistent with a gender-fluid identity.
Measuring gender
The challenge of measuring gender
Psychologists often try to convert abstract concepts into measurable variables.
This process is known as operationalisation.
Gender is difficult to measure because it can refer to different things, including:
Gender identity.
Gender roles.
Gender expression.
Masculinity and femininity.
Behaviour.
Self-reported personality traits.
A measure may be reliable while measuring only one of these aspects.
For example, a questionnaire might consistently measure stereotypically masculine traits but fail to measure whether someone identifies as a man, woman or non-binary person.
This distinction is central to evaluating the Bem Sex Role Inventory.
The Bem Sex Role Inventory
What is the BSRI?
The Bem Sex Role Inventory is a self-report questionnaire developed by Sandra Bem.
It was designed to measure the extent to which a person describes themselves using characteristics that were culturally judged to be:
Masculine.
Feminine.
Neither specifically masculine nor feminine.
AQA mark schemes describe the BSRI as containing 60 characteristics or traits, which respondents rate using a seven-point scale. The responses produce masculinity and femininity scores and may lead to masculine, feminine, androgynous or undifferentiated classifications.
The purpose of the BSRI
Bem challenged the assumption that masculinity and femininity must be opposite ends of one scale.
A simple one-dimensional view would suggest:
The more masculine a person is, the less feminine they must be.
Bem instead treated masculinity and femininity as partly independent dimensions.
A person could therefore score:
High in masculinity and low in femininity.
Low in masculinity and high in femininity.
High in both.
Low in both.
This made it possible to classify a person as androgynous or undifferentiated, rather than forcing everyone into a masculine or feminine category.
The BSRI as a self-report measure
A self-report technique asks participants to provide information about themselves.
In the BSRI, respondents rate how well each characteristic describes them.
The process can be summarised as follows:
The respondent reads each characteristic.
They rate how closely the trait describes them.
Ratings for masculine traits are combined.
Ratings for feminine traits are combined.
The two scores are compared with classification criteria.
The respondent is classified as masculine, feminine, androgynous or undifferentiated.
The seven-point rating scale
Respondents use a seven-point scale to indicate how well each trait describes them.
A lower rating means the characteristic is judged less self-descriptive.
A higher rating means it is judged more self-descriptive.
This produces quantitative data that can be:
Added into scores.
Compared between participants.
Analysed statistically.
Used to allocate classifications.
Because the scale represents the participant’s subjective judgement, the resulting data are based on self-perception rather than direct observation.
Separate masculinity and femininity scores
The BSRI produces separate scores for:
Masculinity
Femininity
These dimensions are not treated as perfect opposites.
A high masculinity score does not automatically produce a low femininity score.
This is why a person can score highly on both dimensions.
The four BSRI classifications
Masculinity score | Femininity score | Classification |
High | Low | Masculine |
Low | High | Feminine |
High | High | Androgynous |
Low | Low | Undifferentiated |
Masculine classification
A person classified as masculine scores highly on traits culturally labelled masculine and less highly on traits labelled feminine.
This does not prove that the person:
Is a man.
Has male biological characteristics.
Identifies as male.
Behaves masculinely in every situation.
It is a classification of self-reported traits.
Feminine classification
A person classified as feminine scores highly on traits culturally labelled feminine and less highly on traits labelled masculine.
This does not prove that the person:
Is a woman.
Has female biological characteristics.
Identifies as female.
Behaves femininely in every context.
Again, the score concerns traits rather than identity.
Androgynous classification
A person is classified as androgynous when they score highly on both the masculine and feminine dimensions.
The person may describe themselves using a combination of traits culturally associated with both categories.
For example, they might describe themselves as:
Assertive and compassionate.
Independent and sensitive.
Competitive and nurturing.
Bem proposed that access to a broader range of traits could allow more flexible behaviour.
AQA’s previous mark schemes also associate Bem’s theory with the claim that androgynous individuals may show stronger psychological health or wellbeing than those with strongly sex-typed or undifferentiated profiles.
Undifferentiated classification
A person is classified as undifferentiated when they score relatively low on both masculine and feminine dimensions.
This does not mean that the person:
Has no personality.
Has no gender.
Is necessarily non-binary.
Is unable to behave flexibly.
It means they did not rate themselves highly on the particular traits used by the inventory.
Worked classification example
A researcher identifies whether four respondents’ scores are high or low relative to the BSRI classification criteria.
Respondent | Masculinity | Femininity | Classification |
A | High | Low | Masculine |
B | Low | High | Feminine |
C | High | High | Androgynous |
D | Low | Low | Undifferentiated |
The respondent’s sex or identity is not needed to determine the BSRI classification.
For example, Respondent C could be:
A man.
A woman.
A non-binary person.
A gender-fluid person.
The BSRI result alone cannot establish which identity applies.
What does the BSRI actually measure?
The BSRI measures how strongly respondents associate themselves with particular gender-related traits.
It therefore measures:
Self-perceived masculinity.
Self-perceived femininity.
Androgyny.
Sex-role identification or gender-related personality characteristics.
It does not directly measure:
Chromosomes.
Hormones.
Anatomy.
Whether a person identifies as a man or woman.
Whether a person identifies as non-binary.
Whether a person’s identity is gender fluid.
This creates an important validity question.
Does a measure of culturally stereotyped personality traits provide a valid measurement of gender identity?
The answer may be only partly.
The BSRI and gender roles
Many BSRI traits reflect social ideas about qualities traditionally associated with men and women.
The inventory may therefore measure internalisation of gender-role stereotypes rather than gender identity itself.
For example, someone may rate themselves highly in:
Assertiveness.
Independence.
Sensitivity.
Warmth.
These scores describe personal characteristics. They do not necessarily indicate how the person identifies.
The BSRI and binary assumptions
Although Bem’s two-dimensional approach was less restrictive than a single masculinity-femininity scale, the inventory still begins with traits divided into masculine and feminine categories.
This can retain a binary framework:
Some traits are categorised as masculine.
Other traits are categorised as feminine.
Non-binary and gender-fluid identities concern a person’s internal experience, which cannot be reduced easily to combinations of stereotypically masculine and feminine traits.
Androgyny is not a third gender identity
In the BSRI, androgyny means high scores on both trait dimensions.
It should not be treated as:
A third biological sex.
A non-binary identity.
Gender fluidity.
Gender incongruence.
A person may be androgynous according to the BSRI while identifying as a binary man or woman.
Conversely, a non-binary person may receive a masculine, feminine, androgynous or undifferentiated score.
Evaluating the Bem Sex Role Inventory
Strength: standardised measurement
The BSRI uses:
The same set of traits.
The same instructions.
The same rating scale.
A consistent scoring procedure.
This standardisation allows researchers to:
Compare participants.
Replicate investigations.
Examine relationships between BSRI scores and other variables.
Check whether similar findings are obtained on different occasions.
The use of a structured inventory can therefore increase the reliability of measurement.
The 2024 examiner report noted that successful students evaluated the BSRI effectively in terms of both reliability and validity.
Strength: it produces quantitative data
Numerical ratings allow researchers to calculate:
Masculinity scores.
Femininity scores.
Measures of central tendency.
Differences between groups.
Correlations with other variables.
Quantitative scores can be analysed more systematically than an informal judgement that someone “seems masculine” or “seems feminine”.
This increases objectivity in scoring, although the original responses remain subjective.
Strength: it treats masculinity and femininity separately
Earlier approaches could treat masculinity and femininity as opposites.
Bem’s approach allows a person to score highly on both.
This recognises that people may possess combinations of characteristics.
The androgynous category is therefore more flexible than forcing every respondent into either a masculine or feminine classification.
Strength: classifications can be applied consistently
Once the scoring criteria are established, two researchers using the same responses should reach the same classification.
This can increase inter-rater reliability because the researcher is not relying on personal impressions.
However, consistency in classification does not prove that the classifications represent gender accurately.
A measure can be reliable without being valid.
Limitation: social desirability bias
The BSRI asks participants to describe themselves.
Respondents may choose traits that make them appear:
Kind.
Confident.
Independent.
Caring.
Socially acceptable.
They may avoid traits they believe others will judge negatively.
This is social desirability bias.
It reduces validity because the responses may represent the image the person wants to present rather than their genuine self-perception or behaviour.
Limitation: participants may lack self-awareness
A respondent may not have an accurate understanding of their own personality.
For example, someone may describe themselves as highly independent even though their behaviour suggests that they regularly depend on others.
The BSRI measures:
What the person says they are like.
It does not necessarily measure:
How the person behaves.
This difference between self-perception and observed behaviour may reduce validity.
Limitation: the traits may be outdated
The BSRI was based on social judgements about which characteristics were desirable or typical for men and women at the time it was developed.
Gender roles and expectations can change.
A characteristic labelled masculine in one period may later be viewed as appropriate for everyone.
Similarly, a trait labelled feminine may no longer be strongly associated with women.
This gives the inventory potentially limited temporal validity.
AQA mark schemes recognise that social change and more gender-neutral child-rearing may make the masculine and feminine categories less clearly differentiated and the BSRI less current.
Limitation: cultural bias
Ideas about masculine and feminine traits vary between cultures.
A trait judged masculine in one culture may:
Be considered gender neutral elsewhere.
Be linked with women in another society.
Have a different social meaning.
The BSRI was developed using particular cultural judgements. Applying the same categories universally could therefore be ethnocentric.
This creates cultural bias because one culture’s gender-role expectations may be treated as universal.
This issue connects with universality and cultural relativity in Psychology [Gender and culture in Psychology].
Limitation: it may oversimplify gender
The BSRI reduces gender-related characteristics to scores and categories.
Gender is more complex and may involve:
Identity.
Expression.
Social roles.
Personal history.
Cultural context.
Behaviour that changes across situations.
A person’s score cannot capture every part of their experience.
AQA mark schemes identify oversimplification as a limitation because other factors, including work roles and abilities, may need to be considered.
Limitation: behaviour is situational
People may behave differently in different environments.
For example, someone might be:
Assertive at work.
Gentle with a child.
Competitive during sport.
Cooperative with friends.
A single questionnaire score may present these characteristics as stable personality traits.
The BSRI may therefore underestimate how gender-related behaviour changes according to:
Social context.
Role expectations.
Other people present.
The demands of the situation.
Limitation: masculine and feminine labels may reinforce stereotypes
Labelling traits as masculine or feminine may strengthen the belief that particular characteristics naturally belong to one gender.
For example, categorising:
Assertiveness as masculine.
Sensitivity as feminine.
could reinforce restrictive expectations about how men and women should behave.
This is socially sensitive because stereotypes may influence:
Education.
Employment.
Relationships.
Self-concept.
Expectations placed on children.
Psychologists must distinguish cultural stereotypes from fixed biological characteristics.
Limitation: uncertain construct validity
Construct validity concerns whether a measure genuinely represents the psychological concept it claims to measure.
The BSRI may validly measure:
Identification with gender-role traits.
Self-perceived masculinity and femininity.
Androgyny as Bem defined it.
It may be less valid as a measure of:
Binary identity.
Non-binary identity.
Gender fluidity.
The inventory does not directly ask respondents how they identify. It infers a gender-related classification from personality traits.
This means the BSRI may measure a different construct from contemporary gender identity.
Limitation: categories may conceal variation
Two people can receive the same classification while having different profiles.
For example, two androgynous people may both score highly overall, but:
One may score extremely highly on nearly every trait.
Another may score only just above the classification thresholds.
They may endorse completely different combinations of traits.
Reducing continuous scores to categories can therefore hide individual differences.
Limitation: classification boundaries can be artificial
Gender-related traits may exist on continua.
Placing someone into a high or low group creates a boundary between people with very similar scores.
A person just above a classification threshold may be labelled androgynous.
A person just below it may be labelled undifferentiated.
Their responses may be very similar despite receiving different labels.
This reduces the precision of categorical measurement.
Evaluation of Bem’s wellbeing claim
Bem proposed that combining masculine and feminine traits could support psychological flexibility and wellbeing.
Some early evidence found correlations between androgyny and psychological wellbeing.
However:
Correlation does not establish that androgyny causes wellbeing.
Androgyny may include less desirable traits, such as competitiveness.
Other researchers have argued that masculine traits may predict wellbeing more successfully than androgyny.
Work, relationships and social circumstances may affect both scores and wellbeing.
AQA’s 2024 mark scheme accepts supporting correlations but also identifies contradictory findings and the possibility that masculinity may be a stronger predictor than androgyny.
Reliability and validity compared
These concepts are often confused.
Reliability | Validity |
Whether the measure produces consistent results | Whether it measures what it claims to measure |
Supported by standardised questions and scoring | Challenged if stereotyped traits do not represent gender identity |
Can be examined through repeated testing | Can be examined by comparing scores with behaviour or other measures |
A measure can be reliable but invalid | Validity requires more than consistent scoring |
Example
Suppose a respondent completes the BSRI twice and receives a similar androgyny classification each time.
This suggests test-retest reliability.
However, the result does not show that the BSRI accurately measures whether the person has a binary, non-binary or gender-fluid identity.
Its validity as a direct measure of gender identity remains uncertain.
📌 Exam tip: A generic statement such as “questionnaires are unreliable” is weak. Explain precisely how a problem affects the BSRI and the interpretation of masculinity, femininity or gender identity.
Measuring gender identity more directly
A direct measure of gender identity would ask a person how they identify rather than inferring identity from traits.
Possible response options could include:
Man.
Woman.
Non-binary.
Gender fluid.
Another self-described identity.
Prefer not to say.
However, even direct questions have limitations:
Fixed response categories may exclude some identities.
A person’s preferred description may change.
Participants may fear judgement or discrimination.
Different respondents may interpret labels differently.
A questionnaire may not capture the complexity of personal experience.
Open questions or interviews may produce greater detail, but they are more difficult to score consistently.
Quantitative and qualitative measurement
Quantitative measurement | Qualitative measurement |
Produces numerical scores | Produces detailed verbal accounts |
Easier to compare statistically | Provides richer descriptions |
Often more standardised | Can explore individual meanings |
May oversimplify identity | Harder to analyse consistently |
Example: BSRI rating scale | Example: interview about gender experience |
An effective investigation might combine both forms of data.
The BSRI could provide standardised trait scores, while an interview could explore how the participant understands their identity.
Ethical and socially sensitive measurement
Gender identity is a socially sensitive topic.
Researchers should consider:
Respectful terminology.
Participants’ preferred names and pronouns.
Confidentiality.
The right to withdraw.
The possibility of distress.
The risk of revealing a participant’s identity to others.
Whether response categories are inclusive.
How findings might be reported or misused.
Researchers should not assume that:
A person’s appearance reveals identity.
A BSRI classification reveals identity.
Non-binary or gender-fluid identity indicates psychological difficulty.
One person’s experience represents everyone with the same label.
These considerations connect with the implications of socially sensitive research.
Overall conclusion
Gender identity concerns how a person experiences and understands their gender.
A binary person identifies as a man or woman.
A non-binary person does not identify exclusively within either category.
A gender-fluid person experiences gender as changing over time or context.
The Bem Sex Role Inventory measures self-reported traits culturally labelled masculine or feminine. Separate scores produce masculine, feminine, androgynous and undifferentiated classifications.
The BSRI has strengths:
It is standardised.
It produces quantitative data.
It treats masculinity and femininity as separate dimensions.
Its scoring can be replicated.
However, its validity as a measure of contemporary gender identity is limited because:
It relies on self-report.
Its traits may be outdated or culturally biased.
It may reinforce stereotypes.
It measures personality traits rather than identity directly.
Its categories may not represent non-binary or gender-fluid experiences.
The most accurate conclusion is that the BSRI is a measure of gender-related traits and androgyny, not a complete measure of gender identity.
Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡
The revised specification introduces explicit assessment of binary, non-binary and gender-fluid identities from the June 2026 examination series. The supplied earlier examiner reports therefore do not provide direct performance guidance on these new identity terms.
Examiner hint: Know the BSRI procedure precisely. AQA mark schemes expect reference to 60 characteristics, a seven-point rating scale and separate masculine and feminine dimensions.
Examiner hint: Do not confuse androgyny with gender identity. Androgyny is a BSRI classification based on high masculine and feminine trait scores.
Examiner hint: Evaluation should be specific. The November 2020 examiner report stated that students often offered weak, generic questionnaire limitations when evaluating Bem’s research.
Examiner hint: Instead of writing “questionnaires are unreliable”, explain the precise issue. For example, socially desirable self-ratings may reduce the validity of the participant’s masculinity and femininity scores.
Examiner hint: Reliability and validity are different. The June 2024 examiner report highlighted successful answers that described Bem’s methodology and evaluated the inventory using both concepts.
Examiner hint: In an 8-mark outline-and-evaluate question, evaluation carries more marks
than description. The June 2024 mark scheme allocated three marks to AO1 and five to AO3.
Examiner hint: Keep your evaluation focused on measurement. A paragraph about changing gender roles becomes relevant when you explain that outdated traits reduce temporal or construct validity.
Examiner hint: Use cautious language. The BSRI classifies reported traits. It does not prove a participant’s biological sex, gender identity or behaviour in every situation.
Examiner hint: When interpreting scores, consider both dimensions. A high masculinity score does not reveal the classification unless the femininity score is also known.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Defining gender identity as biological sex
Why this is incorrect:
Biological sex concerns characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones and anatomy. Gender identity concerns a person’s internal experience.
How to improve:
Keep the two concepts separate and identify which one the question asks about.
Mistake: Assuming binary people follow traditional gender roles
Why this is incorrect:
A man or woman may reject gender stereotypes while retaining a binary identity.
How to improve:
Separate identity from behaviour, interests and expression.
Mistake: Saying non-binary means halfway between male and female
Why this is incorrect:
Some non-binary people may experience gender between conventional categories, but others experience it as a combination or outside them entirely.
How to improve:
Define non-binary as not identifying exclusively as a man or woman.
Mistake: Treating non-binary and gender fluid as identical
Why this is incorrect:
Non-binary is a broad term. Gender fluidity specifically involves change over time or context.
How to improve:
State that a non-binary identity can be stable, whereas fluidity involves variation.
Mistake: Inferring gender identity from appearance
Why this is incorrect:
Appearance is part of gender expression and does not necessarily reveal internal identity.
How to improve:
Use the person’s stated identity rather than making assumptions.
Mistake: Saying the BSRI measures biological sex
Why this is incorrect:
It measures self-reported masculine and feminine traits.
How to improve:
Refer to chromosomes and hormones when discussing biological sex.
Mistake: Saying the BSRI directly measures binary or non-binary identity
Why this is incorrect:
The questionnaire does not directly establish how the respondent identifies.
How to improve:
Describe it as a measure of gender-related traits or sex-role characteristics.
Mistake: Calling all androgynous people non-binary
Why this is incorrect:
Androgyny is based on high masculine and feminine scores. People with any gender identity can receive this classification.
How to improve:
Keep trait classification and identity separate.
Mistake: Saying high masculinity means low femininity
Why this is incorrect:
Bem measured the dimensions separately.
How to improve:
Always consider both scores before classifying a respondent.
Mistake: Forgetting the undifferentiated category
Why this is incorrect:
Low scores on both dimensions produce an undifferentiated classification.
How to improve:
Memorise the four combinations:
High and low: masculine.
Low and high: feminine.
High and high: androgynous.
Low and low: undifferentiated.
Mistake: Giving a generic self-report limitation
Why this is incorrect:
A statement such as “people might lie” is undeveloped.
How to improve:
Explain that participants may select socially desirable traits, reducing the validity of the masculinity and femininity scores.
Mistake: Claiming standardisation proves validity
Why this is incorrect:
Standardisation can improve reliability, but the questionnaire may consistently measure outdated stereotypes rather than gender identity.
How to improve:
Evaluate reliability and validity separately.
Mistake: Saying the BSRI is invalid only because it is old
Why this is incomplete:
The date alone does not explain the problem.
How to improve:
Explain that cultural meanings of masculine and feminine traits have changed, reducing temporal and construct validity.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Questions
1. What is meant by gender identity?[2 marks]
2. Explain one difference between a binary and a non-binary gender identity.[3 marks]
3. Outline what is meant by a gender-fluid identity.[2 marks]
4. Sam identifies as a man but describes himself as highly nurturing, emotionally sensitive and gentle.
Explain why Sam’s behaviour does not necessarily indicate a non-binary identity.[3 marks]
5. Outline how the Bem Sex Role Inventory measures gender-related characteristics.[4 marks]
6. A researcher uses the Bem Sex Role Inventory and records whether each respondent has high or low masculinity and femininity scores.
Respondent | Masculinity score | Femininity score |
A | High | Low |
B | Low | High |
C | High | High |
D | Low | Low |
Identify the BSRI classification for each respondent.[4 marks]
7. Explain why an androgynous BSRI classification does not necessarily mean that a person is non-binary.[4 marks]
8. Explain one strength and one limitation of the Bem Sex Role Inventory.[6 marks]
9. A researcher asks participants to complete the BSRI twice, four weeks apart. Most participants receive very similar scores on both occasions.
a) Which feature of the BSRI is supported by these results?[1 mark]
b) Explain why the results do not show that the BSRI is a valid measure of gender identity.[3 marks]
10. Discuss the measurement of gender using the Bem Sex Role Inventory.[8 marks]
Answers and Mark Scheme
Question 1
Award up to two marks:
Gender identity is a person’s internal experience or understanding of their gender.
It concerns how the person identifies, rather than being determined solely by biological sex, appearance or gender-role behaviour.
Question 2
Award up to three marks:
A binary person identifies as a man or woman.
A non-binary person does not identify exclusively as either a man or a woman.
An appropriate comparison showing that the distinction concerns internal identity rather than appearance or personality traits.
Question 3
Award up to two marks:
A gender-fluid person experiences their gender as changing.
The change may occur over time or across different circumstances.
Do not require visible changes in appearance.
Question 4
Award up to three marks:
Sam states that he identifies as a man, which is a binary identity.
Nurturing, sensitivity and gentleness are personality traits or forms of gender expression rather than direct measures of identity.
A man can possess traits culturally labelled feminine without having a non-binary identity.
Question 5
Award up to four marks:
The BSRI is a self-report questionnaire.
It contains 60 characteristics or traits.
Respondents rate how well each trait describes them using a seven-point scale.
Ratings produce separate masculinity and femininity scores.
The score pattern is used to classify the respondent as masculine, feminine, androgynous or undifferentiated.
Question 6
Award one mark for each:
Respondent | Classification |
A | Masculine |
B | Feminine |
C | Androgynous |
D | Undifferentiated |
Question 7
Award up to four marks:
An androgynous classification means that the respondent scores highly on both masculine and feminine trait dimensions.
It is a classification of self-reported characteristics.
Non-binary concerns a person’s internal gender identity.
A binary man or woman may be classified as androgynous, and a non-binary person may receive any BSRI classification.
Question 8
Award up to three marks for a developed strength and three marks for a developed limitation.
Possible strength:
The BSRI uses standardised questions, a seven-point rating scale and consistent scoring. This makes the procedure replicable and can increase the reliability of comparisons between respondents.
Possible limitation:
The masculine and feminine traits are based on culturally and historically specific stereotypes. Changing gender roles may therefore reduce temporal and construct validity because the inventory may not measure contemporary gender accurately.
Alternative creditworthy limitations include:
Social desirability bias.
Limited self-awareness.
Cultural bias.
Oversimplification.
Artificial classification boundaries.
Failure to measure gender identity directly.
Question 9a
One mark for:
Test-retest reliability, or reliability.
Question 9b
Award up to three marks:
Similar scores show that the measure is consistent.
Consistency does not prove that the intended construct is being measured.
The BSRI measures self-reported masculine and feminine traits and may not accurately represent whether a person identifies as binary, non-binary or gender fluid.
Question 10
A strong answer should include:
Knowledge and understanding
The BSRI as a self-report inventory.
Its 60 characteristics.
The seven-point rating scale.
Separate masculinity and femininity scores.
Masculine classification.
Feminine classification.
Androgynous classification.
Undifferentiated classification.
Bem’s treatment of masculinity and femininity as separate dimensions.
Evaluation
Standardisation may increase reliability.
Quantitative scores allow comparison and statistical analysis.
Separate dimensions are more flexible than one masculinity-femininity continuum.
Self-report creates social desirability and self-awareness problems.
The traits may have limited temporal validity.
The categories may be culturally biased.
Gender-related behaviour changes across situations.
Categorical cut-offs may conceal individual differences.
Labelling traits masculine or feminine may reinforce stereotypes.
The BSRI may measure gender-role traits more validly than gender identity.
Non-binary and gender-fluid identities cannot be inferred from BSRI classifications.
Higher-level responses will distinguish reliability from validity and explain clearly that the BSRI measures gender-related traits rather than a person’s identity directly.
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