The Subjective Masculinity Stress Scale: Scale development and psychometric properties.

Abstract

This article describes the development and psychometric properties of the Subjective Masculinity Stress Scale (SMSS), which assesses the stress associated with men’s subjective experiences of what it means to be male. Two hundred twenty men from the United States completed the sentence, “As a ma n... ” 10 times, after which they indicated the frequency with which each of the 10 experiences was stressful. Evidence for the internal consistency and test–retest reliability as well as the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity of the SMSS was provided. In terms of incremental validity, a multiple regression analysis revealed that after controlling for three other masculinity measures and a generic measure of stress, the SMSS remained significantly and positively related to psychological distress. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.