Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Construction and validation of the Gender Attitude Inventory, a structured inventory to assess multiple dimensions of gender attitudes

  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three studies describe the development and initial validation of the Gender Attitude Inventory (GAI), a structured inventory that assesses attitudes toward the multiple objects that organize college students' thoughts and feelings about sex and gender. An intergroup relations perspective was used to specify the universe of gender-related targets and to construct a preliminary instrument. Factor analyses of the results of two sequential studies yielded a 109-item inventory with 14 content-specific attitude areas and three second-order factors. In Study 3 GAI scales were shown to have acceptable internal consistency and temporal stability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. In terms of race/ethnicity, most respondents were white (ranging from 69% to 82% across the three studies).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ashmore, R. D. (1990). Sex, gender, and the individual. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.),Handbook of personality: Theory and research. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, R. D., & Del Boca, F. K. (1986b). Toward a social psychology of female-male relations. In R. D. Ashmore & F. K. Del Boca (Eds.),The social psychology of female-male relations: A critical analysis of central concepts. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, R. D., & Del Boca, F. K. (1987).The development and validation of a structured inventory to assess the multiple components of gender-related verbal attitudes: A progress report. Unpublished manuscript, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, R. D., Del Boca, F. K., & Wohlers, A. J. (1986). Gender stereotypes. In R. D. Ashmore & F. K. Del Boca (Eds.),The social psychology of female-male relations: A critical analysis of central concepts. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beere, C. A. (1979).Women and women's issues: A handbook of tests and measures. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beere, C. A. (1990a).Gender roles: A handbook of tests and measures. New York: Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beere, C. A. (1990b).Sex and gender issues: A handbook of tests and measures. New York: Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beere, C. A., King, D. W., Beere, D. B., & King, L. A. (1984). The sex-role egalitarianism scale: A measure of attitudes toward equality between the sexes.Sex Roles, 10, 863–876.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. & Vincent, S. M. (1980). Development and validation of the Sexist Attitudes Toward Women Scale.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 5, 276–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brannon, R. (1978). Measuring attitudes toward women (and otherwise): A methodological critique. In J. A. Sherman & F. L. Denmark (Eds.),The psychology of women: Future directions in research. New York: Psychological Dimensions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhrke, R. A. (1988). Factor dimensions across different measures of sex role ideology.Sex Roles, 18, 309–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix.Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81–105.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Check, J. V. P. (1984).The hostility toward women scale. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Check, J. V. P. (1988). Hostility toward women: Some theoretical considerations. In G. W. Russell (Ed.),Violence in intimate relations. Great Neck, NY: PMA Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comrey, A. L. (1988). Factor-analytic methods of scale development in personality and clinical psychology.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 754–761.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L. J., & Meehl, P. E. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests.Psychological Bulletin, 52, 281–302.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deaux, K. (1987). Psychological constructions of masculinity and femininity. In J. M. Reinisch, L. A. Rosenblum, & S. A. Sanders, (Eds.),Masculinity/femininity: Basic perspectives (Vol. 1). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Boca, F. K., & Ashmore, R. D. (1986). Male-female relations: A summing up and notes toward a social-psychological theory. In R. D. Ashmore & F. K. Del Boca (Eds.),The social psychology of female-male relations: A critical analysis of central concepts. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Boca, F. K., Ashmore, R. D., & McManus, M. A. (1986). Gender-related attitudes. In R. D. Ashmore & F. K. Del Boca (Eds.),The social psychology of female-male relations: A critical analysis of central concepts. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., & Mladinic, A. (1989). Gender stereotypes and attitudes toward women and men.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 15, 543–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., Mladinic, A., & Otto, S. (1991). Are women evaluated more favorably than men? An analysis of attitudes, beliefs, and emotions.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 203–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmore, P. B., Brodsky, A. M., & Naffziger, N. (1975).The attitudes toward feminist issues scale: A validation study. Paper presented at the 31st meeting of the American Personnel and Guidance Association, New York.

  • Fassinger, R. E. (1994). Development and testing of the Attitudes Toward Feminism and the Women's Movement (FWM) Scale.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 389–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harman, H. H. (1976).Modern factor analysis (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M. (1988). Heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: Correlates and gender differences.Journal of Sex Research, 25, 451–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holland, D. C., & Eisenhart, M. A. (1990).Educated in romance: Women, achievement, and college culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, D. N. (1976).Jackson Personality Inventory. Port Huron, MI: Research Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., & Lawley, D. N. (1968). New methods in maximum likelihood factor analysis.British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 21, 85–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerlinger, F. N. (1984).Liberalism, conservatism, and the structure of social attitudes. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, D. W., & King, L. A. (1983). Measurement precision of the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale: A generalizability analysis.Educational and Psychological Measurement, 43 435–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, C. (1936). Content of a scale for measuring attitudes toward feminism.Sociology and Social Research, 20, 512–526.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, K. O., Denison, D. R., & Schacht, A. J. (1975).Sex-role attitude items and scales from U.S. sample surveys. Report published by Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadler, E. B., & Morrow, W. R. (1959). Authoritarian attitudes toward women, and their correlates.Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 113–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norusis, M. J. (1993).SPSS for windows: Professional statistics, Release 6.0. Chicago, SPSS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulhus, D. L. (1984). Two component models of social desirability responding.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 598–609.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, L. H., Terborg, J. R., & Taynor, J. (1974). Women as Managers Scale (WAMS): A measure of attitudes toward women in managerial positions.Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 4, 27 (Ms. No. 585).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruble, D. N., & Ruble, T. L. (1985). Sex stereotypes. In A. G. Miller (Ed.),In the eye of the beholder: Contemporary issues in stereotyping. New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherif, C. W. (1984). Needed concepts in the study of gender identity.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 6, 375–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, J. T., & Helmreich, R. L. (1978).Masculinity and femininity: The psychological dimensions, correlates, and antecedents. Austin: University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staines, G. L., & Libby, P. L. (1986). Men and women in role relationships. In R. D. Ashmore & F. K. Del Boca (Eds.),The social psychology of female-male relations: A critical analysis of central concepts. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, M. C., & Hall, J. A. (1982). Psychological androgyny: A review and reformulation of theories, methods, and conclusions.Psychological Bulletin, 92, 347–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weigel, R. H., & Newman, L. S. (1976). Increasing attitude-behavior correspondence by broadening the scope of the behavioral measure.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 33, 793–802.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ashmore, R.D., Del Boca, F.K. & Bilder, S.M. Construction and validation of the Gender Attitude Inventory, a structured inventory to assess multiple dimensions of gender attitudes. Sex Roles 32, 753–785 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01560188

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01560188

Keywords

Navigation