The Turkish version of the masculine gender role stress questionnaire: dimensions of fears and their correlates in young adults

Abstract

Objective: Studying Gender Role Stress (GRS) is important to understanding how gender norms and related fears impact individuals' well-being, relationships, and societal dynamics, including gender equality. This study investigated the validity, reliability, and utility of the Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) questionnaire among young adults in Turkiye to obtain a standardized instrument suitable for future research. Method: Participants were recruited from students at three colleges in Istanbul through a convenient online sampling method. All participants completed the MGRS, Experiences of Shame, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaires. Due to gender-specific formulations in several items of the MGRS scale, participants identifying as female were excluded. The final sample comprised 110 male-identified participants and 26 individuals who identified as gender-queer or chose not to declare their gender. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses statistically rejected the MGRS questionnaire's original five-factor structure as shown by Comparative Fit Index. However, an exploratory factor analysis of the current data yielded the most interpretable fivefactor solution, representing fears of subordination, sexual inadequacy, performance failure, emotional expressiveness, and vulnerability. The MGRS questionnaire exhibited significant correlations between shame and childhood trauma scores. The revised version demonstrated excellent internal structure and test-retest consistency. Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that the Turkish version of the MGRS questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing gender role stress in young adults. This tool is expected to be useful in clinical and community research studies on the correlates of gender role stress in Turkiye.