The Masculine Gender Role Stress Scale is a 40-item measure of individual experience of stress associated with masculine gender roles, separated into five sub-scales: Physical Inadequacy, Emotional Inexpressiveness, Subordination to Women, Intellectual Inferiority, and Performance Failure. Different aspects of masculine gender role stress captured by the scale include stress associated with being portrayed as feminine, being inferior to women, or perceived failure in career or sexual activity.
Geographies Tested: United States of America
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Physical Inadequacy
1. Feeling that you are not in good physical condition
2. Not being able to find a sexual partner
3. Having your lover say that shehe is not satisfied
4. Being perceived by someone as “gay”
5. Losing in a sports competition
6. Being perceived as having feminine traits
7. Appearing less athletic than a friend
8. Being compared unfavorably to men
9. Knowing you cannot hold your liquor as well as others
Emotional Inexpressiveness
10. Telling your spouse that you love herhim
11. Telling someone that you feel hurt by what shehe said
12. Admitting that you are afraid of something
13.Having your children see you cry
14. Talking with a woman who is crying
15. Comforting a male friend who is upset
16. Having a man put his arm around your shoulder
Subordination to Women
17. Being outperformed at work by a women
18. Having a female boss
19. Letting a woman take control of the situation
20. Being married to someone who makes more money than you
21. Being with a woman who is more successful than you
22. Being outperformed in a game by a women
23. Needing your spouse to work to help support the family
24. Admitting to your friends that you do housework
25. Being with a woman who is much taller than you
Intellectual Inferiority
26. Having to ask for directions when you are lost
27. Working with people who seem more ambitious than you
28. Talking with a “feminist”
29. Having people say that you are indecisive
30. Having others say that you are too emotional
31. Working with people who are brighter than yourself
32. Staying home during the day with a sick child
Performance Failure
33. Being unemployed
34. Not making enough money
35. Finding you lack the occupational skills to succeed
36. Being unable to perform sexually
37. Being too tired for sex when your lover initiates it
38. Being unable to become sexually aroused when you want
39. Getting passed over for a promotion
40. Getting fired from your job
Response Options:
7-point unipolar scale ranging from “not at all” stressful to “extremely” stressful.
Not Available
Eisler, R. M., & Skidmore, J. R. (1987). Masculine gender role stress: Scale development and component factors in the appraisal of stressful situations. Behavior modification, 11(2), 123-136. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455870112001
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