Description

The Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES-95) is a psychometric instrument designed to measure the extent to which individuals support equal roles and opportunities for men and women across different areas of social, professional, and family life.

The scale evaluates attitudes regarding gender equality and examines beliefs related to traditional versus egalitarian gender-role expectations. It includes statements covering domains such as career, education, family life, politics, and social relationships.

Objective

The primary objective of the SRES-95 is to assess perceptions and attitudes toward gender equality and identify the degree of acceptance or resistance to roles that are influenced by traditional gender stereotypes.

The scale is used in:

Social psychology research.

Educational research.

Studies examining gender attitudes and stereotypes.

Evaluation of awareness and intervention programs promoting equality.

Structure and Content

The SRES-95 assesses gender-role attitudes across multiple social domains, including:

Occupational Roles, evaluating beliefs regarding equality in professional opportunities and workplace responsibilities.

Family Roles, examining attitudes toward equality within family responsibilities and relationships.

Educational Roles, assessing perceptions regarding equal access and expectations in education.

Social and Political Roles, exploring views about equal participation and representation in society.

Scoring Method

Participants respond to each statement using a five- or seven-point Likert scale, for example:

1 = Strongly Disagree

to

5/7 = Strongly Agree.

Some items are reverse-worded and require reverse scoring before calculating the final score.

The total score represents the overall level of gender-role egalitarianism.

Higher scores indicate greater acceptance of equality between genders, whereas lower scores indicate stronger adherence to traditional gender-role beliefs.

Data Analysis and Use

Analysis of SRES-95 data includes calculation of the total score and, when required, separate subscale scores for different thematic domains.

The data can be used to:

Examine differences in gender-role attitudes among demographic groups.

Study the influence of factors such as culture, age, and education on perceptions of gender equality.

Evaluate changes in attitudes following educational or social interventions.

Validity

The SRES demonstrates strong content validity, as its items are based on extensive literature review and expert analysis in gender studies.

Construct validity has been supported through factor analyses confirming the structure of the scale’s dimensions, including occupational, family, and educational roles.

Reliability

The SRES demonstrates high internal consistency reliability.

Reported Cronbach’s alpha coefficients typically range from:

α = 0.85–0.95

depending on the sample and version of the scale.

Test–retest reliability has also been found satisfactory, with correlation coefficients above:

r > 0.80

over intervals of several weeks.

Applications

The SRES-95 can be applied in:

Gender equality research.

Social and educational psychology.

Studies of gender stereotypes and social beliefs.

Workplace equality research.

Evaluation of programs promoting gender awareness and inclusion.

References

Beere, C. A., King, D. W., Beere, D. B., & King, L. A. (1984). The Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale: Development, reliability, and validity. Psychological Reports, 55(3), 911–919.

King, L. A., & King, D. W. (1997). Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale: Development, psychometric properties, and applications. In C. A. Beere (Ed.), Gender Roles: A Handbook of Tests and Measures (pp. 378–384). Greenwood Press.

Beere, C. A. (1990). Gender Roles: A Handbook of Tests and Measures. Greenwood Press.