More on The Structure of Male Role Norms: Exploratory and Multiple Sample Confirmatory Analyses

• Published in: Psychology of women quarterly 1998-06, Vol.22 (2), p.135-155
• Main Authors: Fischer, Ann R., Tokar, David M., Good, Glenn E., Snell, Andrea F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College students; Feminism; Feminist psychology; Gender roles; Ideologies; Ideology; Male roles; Males; Masculinity; Measures; Men; Psychology; Sex roles; Social research; Students; Universities; USA; Womens studies
• ISSN: 0361-6843; 1471-6402
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.1998.tb00147.x

This study assessed the structure of a widely used measure of masculinity ideology, the Male Role Norms Scale (Thompson & Pleck, 1986), using data from four samples of male college students (total N= 656) at two large, public universities (one Midwestern, one Eastern-Central). Exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor model best fit the data in the exploratory sample (sample 1; N = 210). The four factors were Status/Rationality, Antifemininity, Tough Image, and Violent Toughness. A series of confirmatory factor analyses on a validation sample (samples 2, 3, and 4; N = 446), tested four models based on theory (i.e., Brannon, 1976) and previous research (i.e., Thompson & Pleck, 1986). Results from Study 1, our exploratory analysis, indicated that the four-factor model derived from the exploratory sample in Study 1 provided the best fit for the validation sample data of all models tested and also provided a good fit in absolute terms, according to several model–data fit indices. Implications for the assessment of masculinity ideology and suggestions for future research are discussed.