Comfort and Conformity of Gender Expression Scale – CAGES
Measures an individual's comfort and conformity levels regarding societal gender role expectations and expression.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Comfort and Conformity of Gender Expression Scale – CAGES was developed by Katherine Spencer (2007). It is designed to measure Comfort and conformity of gender expression. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 24 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Discomfort with Nonconformity (DWN), Resentful Conformity (RC), Active-Physical Comfort Conformity (APCC), Comfort with Conformity-Appearance (CCA).
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Discomfort with Nonconformity (DWN) | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 | 11 |
| Resentful Conformity (RC) | 12,13,14 | 3 |
| Active-Physical Comfort Conformity (APCC) | 15,16,17 | 3 |
| Comfort with Conformity-Appearance (CCA) | 18,19,20,21,22,23,24 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 7 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 24 to 96. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Comfort/Conformity: 24 – 48
- Moderate Comfort/Conformity: 49 – 72
- High Comfort/Conformity: 73 – 96
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.