Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ):
A Measure of Masculine and Feminine Traits
Keywords:
Masculinity and femininity, Gender identity, Expressive and instrumental traitsAbstract
The aim of this study was to adapt, to the Brazilian population, the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire
(EPAQ), by Spence, Helmreich and Holahan (1979), which is a measure of socially desirable and undesirable masculine
(instrumental) and feminine (expressive) traits. The instrument was administered to 800 undergraduate students of both sexes.
The results on factor analyses and self-evaluations revealed the need for some modifícations on the original version of the
instrument. In general, the internai consistency indexes were weak. Even so, the data from Brazilian sample replicated those
reported for U.S. A. subjects, supporting the bifactorial conceptual model of masculine and feminine personality traits proposed
by Spence and Helmreich (1978). It was concluded that the EPAQ Brazilian version has some psychometric deficiencies but
is a promising instrument. It was suggested the carrying out of future studies in order to refine its psychometric qualities.
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