Diagnostic sex-role bias: how can we measure it?

Summary: A new instrument was designed to measure sex-role bias towards children. The instrument, the Chasen Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias Scale, is composed of case histories focusing on the "somewhat unhealthy" aspects of two main factors of behavior: activity (composed of independence and aggression); and passivity (composed of dependence and nonaggression). Validity and reliability coefficients were reported as well as a formula by which to use the scale to diagnose individual bias, in addition to group bias. In using the scale on a national sample of school psychologists, it was determined that differences in Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias scores exist, as do wide variations about what is considered healthy and unhealthy behavior among girls and boys.     

Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias and its relation to authoritarianism,Sex-Role Attitudes,and sex of the school psychologist

At the 1973 National Association of School Psychologists' Convention (NASP) in New York City, a national sample of 120 school psychologists (61 female, 59 male), were asked to participate in a survey measuring a wide spectrum of their attitudes. The Chasen Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias scale, consisting of eight equated “somewhat unhealthy” case histories of active and passive girls and boys, developed and validated for this study, was administered with the Trachtman Authoritarianism Scale, and the Hymer Sex-Role Attitude Scale. For the total group, authoritarianism and sex-role attitudes are not related to Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias, yet males with traditional sex-role attitudes exhibit Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias and males with untraditional sex-role attitudes exhibit counterstereotypic Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias. The sex of the school psychologist is related to Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias; that is, male school psychologists do not exhibit Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias, while female school psychologists exhibit counterstereotypic Diagnostic Sex-Role Bias. Females are most accepting of active girls, which may be considered a compensatory diagnostic mechanism to counteract stereotyping.