More Similar Than Different? Testing the Construct Validity of Men's and Women's Traditional Masculinity Ideology Using the Male Role Norms Inventory-Very Brief

Masculinity stereotypes are held by both men and women, yet researchers have generally excluded women in studies of traditional masculinity ideology (TMI; beliefs about what men and boys should be and do). Additionally, a popular measure of TMI, the Male Role Norms Inventory, has failed tests of metric invariance (i.e., equivalence of factor loadings) between men and women, thus calling into question the construct validity of women's overall TMI. The present study examined the construct validity of TMI across men and women using the Male Role Norms Inventory-Very Brief. Multigroup structural equation modeling of men and women in primary (n = 2,389) and secondary (n = 361) data sets revealed that metric invariance failed for two out of the three samples, but the effect size of the measurement noninvariance was consistent with previous simulation studies demonstrating full measurement invariance. Structural equation modeling further revealed that higher TMI was moderately to strongly associated with more hostile and benevolent sexism and rape myth acceptance attitudes for both men and women. Gender (identifying as a man or a woman) did not moderate these associations. These results suggest that TMI, as measured by the Male Role Norms Inventory-Very Brief, is a valid construct for men and women that is closely related to (but distinct from) sexist perspectives. Additionally, there appeared to be more similarities than differences with respect to the measurement characteristics and sexist ideology correlates of men's and women's TMI.