MENU

Hypermasculinity Inventory

The Hypermasculinity Inventory is a 30-item scale designed to assess presence of a hypermasculine or “macho” attitude. The scale comprises three sub-scales: callous sexual attitudes toward women (CS), perceiving violence as manly (V), and perceiving danger as exciting (D). Each item has two response options, one of which reflects a hypermasculine attitude. Respondents choose one option per item.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Male

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

    1. After I’ve gone through a really dangerous experience my knees feel weak and I shake all over.
    2. After I’ve been through a really dangerous experience I feel high. (*D)
    1. I’d rather gamble than play it safe. (*D)
    2. I’d rather play it safe than gamble.
    1. Call me a name and I’ll pretend not to hear you.
    2. Call me a name and I’ll call you another. (*V)
    1. Fair is fair in love and war.
    2. All is fair in love and war. (*CS)
    1. I like wild, uninhibited parties. (*D)
    2. I like quiet parties with good conversations.
    1. I hope to forget past unpleasant experiences with male aggression.
    2. I still enjoy remembering my first real fight. (*V)
    1. Some people have told me I take foolish risks. (*D)
    2. Some people have told me I ought to take more chances.
    1. So-called effeminate men are more artistic and sensitive.
    2. Effeminate men deserve to be ridiculed. (*V)
    1. Get a woman drunk, high, or hot and she’ll let you do whatever you want. (*CS)
    2. It’s gross and unfair to use alcohol and drugs to convince a woman to have sex.
    1. I like fast cars and fast women. (*D)
    2. I like dependable cars and faithful women.
    1. So-called prick teasers should be forgiven.
    2. Prick teasers should be raped. (*CS)
    1. When I have a few drinks under my belt, I mellow out.
    2. When I have a few drinks under my belt, I look for trouble. (*V)
    1. Any man who is a man needs to have sex regularly. (*CS)
    2. Any man who is a man can do without sex.
    1. All women, even women’s libbers are worthy of respect.
    2. The only woman worthy of respect is your own mother. (*CS)
    1. You have to fuck some women before they know who’s boss. (*CS)
    2. You have to love some women before they know you don’t want to be boss.
    1. When I have a drink or two I feel ready for whatever happens. (*D)
    2. When I have a drink or two I like to relax and enjoy myself.
    1. Risk has to be weighed against possible maximum loss.
    2. There is no such thing as too big a risk, if the payoff is large enough. (*D)
    1. I win by not fighting.
    2. I fight to win. (*V)
    1. It’s natural for men to get into fights. (*V)
    2. Physical violence never solves an issue.
    1. If you’re not prepared to fight for what’s yours, then be prepared to lose it. (*V)
    2. Even if you feel like fighting, I try to think of alternatives.
    1. He who can, fights; he who can’t runs away. (*V)
    2. It’s just plain dumb to fist fight.
    1. When I’m bored I watch TV or read a book.
    2. When I’m bored I look for excitement. (*D)
    1. I like to drive safely avoiding all possible risks.
    2. I like to drive fast right on the edge of danger. (*D)
    1. Pick-ups should expect to put out. (*CS)
    2. So-called pick-ups should choose their men carefully.
    1. Some women are good for only one thing. (*CS)
    2. All women deserve the same respect as your own mother.
    1. I only want to have sex with women who are in total agreement.
    2. I never feel bad about my tactics when I have sex. (*CS)
    1. I would rather be a famous scientist than a famous prizefighter.
    2. I would rather be a famous prizefighter than a famous scientist. (*D)
    1. Lesbians have a chosen a particular lifestyle and should be respected for it.
    2. The only thing a lesbian needs is a good, stiff cock. (*CS)
    1. If you are chosen for a fight, there’s no choice but to fight. (*V)
    2. If you are chosen, for a fight, it’s time to talk your way out of it.
    1. If you insult me, be prepared to back it up. (*V)
    2. If you insult me, I’ll try to turn the other cheek.

Scoring Procedures

Scores are summed based on the number of hypermasculine scenarios a respondent selects. Although each of the three 10-item subscales could be considered individually, they are all part of the hypermasculine or “macho” personality construct.

Original Citation

Mosher, D. L., & Sirkin, M. (1984). Measuring a macho personality constellation. Journal of research in personality, 18(2), 150-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(84)90026-6


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

Join the EMERGE Community

to get the latest updates on new measures and guidance for survey researchers