On the utility of alternative procedures for assessing psychological androgyny

S. L. Bem's definition of psychological androgny as the integration of both masculinity and femininity within a single individual obscures a potentially important distinction between those individuals who score high on both masculinity and femininity and those who score low on both. To assess the importance of this distinction, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory was administered to 375 male and 290 female undergraduates, along with a variety of other pencil-and-paper questionnaires, and in addition, the results of Bem's earlier laboratory studies were reanalyzed with the low-low scorers separated out. High-high and low-low scorers did not differ significantly on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, the Mach IV Scale, or the Attitudes Toward Problem-Solving Scale, nor did they differ significantly in 2 of Bem's 3 previous studies. Nevertheless, low-low scorers were significantly lower in self-esteem (Texas Social Behavior Inventory) than high-high scorers, they displayed significantly less responsiveness toward a kitten, and, among men, they reported significantly less self-disclosure (Jourard's Self-Disclosure Scale). Although the results are not consistent, it is concluded that a distinction between high-high and low-low scorers does seem to be warranted. (29 ref)