Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Psychometric Properties of the O’Kelly Women’s Belief Scales

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wolfe and Naimark (Using rational-emotive therapy effectively. Plenum, New York, 265–301, 1991) claim that women, through sex-role stereotyping, may develop sex-role beliefs that are not helpful. However, there is a dearth of research in this area with one of the major problems being the lack of an instrument to measure such sex-role beliefs. To date the Bem Sex Role Inventory has been the main instrument used to measure gender schema. As it has been criticised extensively, a new instrument to measure gender schema was proposed. The O’Kelly Women’s Belief Scales was therefore developed within a rational-emotive behaviour therapy framework, reflecting the belief processes of demandingness, awfulising, low frustration tolerance and negative self rating. Following the development of the scale, questionnaires were sent to 2,562 women working at a large, multi-site, teaching hospital. Data from the 974 respondents resulted in the development of five subscales of the O’Kelly Women’s Belief Scales: General Traditional Beliefs, Demands, Awfulising, Low Frustration Tolerance and Negative Self Rating. Each of these subscales loaded on one factor and had high internal consistency. The scales were shown to have test–retest reliability and concurrent, divergent and construct validity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Addis, J. (1989). An examination of the relationship between marital distress and irrational beliefs in couples. Unpublished manuscript, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

  • Australian Standard Classification of Occupational Dictionary. (1992). Canberra. ACT, Australia: Department of Employment and Industrial Relations & Bureau of Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bem, S. L. (1981). Bem sex role inventory. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologist Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, M. E. (1981). Private thoughts in rational-emotive psychotherapy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 5, 125–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, M. E. (1988). Teacher irrationality and teacher stress. Paper presented at the 24th International Congress of Psychology. Australia: Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, M. E. (1990). Validation of general attitude and belief scale. Keystone, CO: Paper presented at the meeting of the World Congress on Mental Health Counselling.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard, M. E., & Laws, W. (1988). Childhood irrationality and mental health: Development of a scale. Paper presented at the 24th International Congress of Psychology. Australia: Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard-Fields, F., Suhrer-Roussel, L., & Hertzog, C. (1994). A confirmatory factor analysis of the Bem sex role inventory: Old questions, new answers. Sex Roles, 30, 423–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard-Fields, F., Sulsky, L., & Robinson-Whelan, S. (1991). Moderating effects of age and context on the relationship between gender, sex role differences, and coping. Sex Roles, 25, 645–660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briere, J. (1995). Trauma symptom inventory. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, P. M. (1986). Belief systems and emotional disturbance: An evaluation of the rational-emotive model. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

  • Burgess, P. (1990). Towards resolution of conceptual issues in the assessment of belief systems in rational-emotive therapy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 4, 171–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, I. M. (1985). The psychology of homosexuality. In A. Ellis & M. E. Bernard (Eds.), Clinical applications of rational-emotive therapy (pp. 153–180). New York: Plenium.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi, N., Fuqua, D., & Newman, J. (2007). Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 67, 818–832.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, N., & Fuqua, D. (2003). The structure of the Bem Sex Role Inventory: A summary report of 23 validation studies. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63, 872–887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, D., & Padesky, C. (1990). Enhancing cognitive therapy with women. In A. Freeman, K. Simon, L. Buetler, & H. Arkowitz (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of cognitive therapy (pp. 535–557). New York: Platinum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiGiuseppe, R. A., Leaf, R., Robin, M. W., & Exner, T. (1988). The development of a measure of irrational/rational thinking. Edinburgh, Scotland: Poster session presented at the World Congress of Behavior Therapy.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiGiuseppi, R. (1996). The nature of irrational and rational beliefs: Progress in rational emotive behavior theory. Journal of Rational Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 14, 5–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiGiuseppi, R., Robin, M., Leaf, R., & Gormon, B. (1989). A discriminative-validation and factor analysis of a measure of irrational/rational beliefs. England: Paper presented at a poster session of the World Congress of Cognitive Therapy in Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dryden, W. (1984). Rational -emotive therapy: Fundamentals and innovations. London: Croom Helm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1973). Humanistic psychotherapy: The rational emotive approach. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1977). How to live with and without anger. Secaucus: Citadel Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1984). The essence if RET—1984. Journal of Rational-Emotive Therapy, 2, 19–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1989). Comments on my critics. In M. E. Bernard & R. DiGiuseppe (Eds.), Inside rational-emotive therapy (pp. 199–233). San Diego: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. (1994). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy: Revised and updated. New York: Birch Lane Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenk, H. J., & Eysenk, S. G. (1964). Eysenk personality inventory. London: Brown, Knight & Truscott.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gocka, E. F., & Mees, H. K. (1960). The representation of MMPI scales by MMPI factor scales. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 10, 291–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golge, Z. B., Yavuz, M. F., Muderrisoglu, S., & Yavuz, M. S. (2003). Turkish university students’ attitude toward rape. Sex Roles. A Journal of Research, 49, 653–662.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, K., Lewars, H., Emslie, C., & Batty, G. D. (2007). Decreased risk of death from coronary heart disease amongst men with higher ‘femininity’ scores: a general population cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 36(3), 612–620.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, M. R. (1988). An evaluation of the effectiveness of a rational-emotive parent education program. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

  • Judd, C. M., Smith, E. R., & Kiddler, L. M. (1991). Research methods in social relations. Orlando, Fl: Harcourt, Brace Javanovich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Konrad, A. M., & Harris, C. (2002). Desirability of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory items for women and men: A comparison between African Americans and European Americans. Sex roles. A Journal of Research, 51, 259–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, R. E. (1955). Political personality and electoral choice. American Political Science Review, 49, 173–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, K., & Long, E. (1988). Attitudes toward sex-roles: Traditional or egalitarian? Sex Roles, 19, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locksley, A., & Colten, M. E. (1979). Psychological androgyny: A case of mistaken identity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1017–1031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, D. (2007). Self perceptions and social misconceptions: the implications of gender traits for locus of control and life satisfaction. Sex Roles, 56, 767–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mori, M., Nakashima, Y., Yamazaki, Y., & Kurita, H. (2002). Sex-role orientation, marital status and mental health in working women. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 5(4), 161–177.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Novick, M. R., & Lewis, C. (1967). Coefficient alpha and the reliability of composite measures. Psychometrika, 32, 1–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ozkan, T., & Lajunen, T. (2005). Masculinity, femininity, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory in Turkey. Sex Roles. A Journal of Research, 52, 103–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedhazur, E. J., & Tetenbaum, T. J. (1979). Bem Sex Role Inventory: A theoretical and methodological critique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 996–1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, T. (2006). Construct validation of the Bem Sex Role Inventory in Taiwan. Sex Roles. A Journal of Research, 55, 843–852.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putney, S., & Middleton, R. (1961). Dimensions and correlates of religious ideologies. Social Forces, 39, 285–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resick, P. (1985). Sex role consideration for the behavior therapist. In M. Hersen & A. Bellack (Eds.), Handbook of clinical behavior therapy with adults. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robin, M., DiGiuseppe, R., & Naimark, H. (1990). Irrational beliefs and MCMI-2 personality disorder scores. Poster session presented at the 98th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston.

  • Spence, (1991). Do the BSRI and PAQ measure the same or different concepts? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 141–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence, J., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. (1973). A short version of the Attitudes toward Women Scale (AWS). Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 2, 219–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • SPSS Inc. (1988). SPSS users guide (3rd ed.). Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stickney, L., & Konrad, A. (2007). Gender-role attitudes and earnings: A multinational study of married women and men. Sex Roles, 57, 801–812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strough, J., Leszczynski, J., Neely, T., Flinn, J., & Margrett, J. (2007). From adolescence to later adulthood: Femininity, masculinity and androgyny in six age groups. Sex Roles, 57, 385–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallen, R. S., DiGiuseppi, R., & Dryden, W. (1990). A practitioner’s guide to rational-emotive therapy. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wech, B. A. (1983). Sex-role orientation, stress, and subsequent health status demonstrated by two scoring procedures for Bem’s scale. Psychological Reports, 52, 69–79.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, J. L., & Naimark, H. (1991). Psychological messages and social context. In M. E. Bernard (Ed.), Using rational-emotive therapy effectively (pp. 265–301). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yaremko, S., & Lawson, K. (2007). Gender, internalization of expressive traits, and expectations of parenting. Sex Roles, 57, 675–688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

    Monica O’Kelly

  2. 6 Roy Close, Narre Warren North, Melbourne, VIC, 3804, Australia

    Monica O’Kelly

Authors
  1. Monica O’Kelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Monica O’Kelly.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

O’Kelly, M. Psychometric Properties of the O’Kelly Women’s Belief Scales. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 29, 145–157 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-010-0120-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-010-0120-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation