The Gender Conflict Scale (GCS) is a psychometric instrument used to measure gender–based conflict in relationships. It was developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota in the mid–1990s. The GCS is composed of 14 items that measure both active and passive forms of gender–based conflict. The items are divided into two subscales: the Intimate Partner Conflict subscale and the Gender Role Conflict subscale. The Intimate Partner Conflict subscale measures the degree to which couples experience active conflict in their relationship. This subscale includes items such as “We argue about things that are important to us” and “We disagree about how to make decisions.” The Gender Role Conflict subscale measures the degree to which couples experience passive conflict in their relationship. This subscale includes items such as “I feel like I have to do more than my fair share of household chores” and “I feel like my partner expects me to be the one to make most of the decisions.” The GCS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring gender–based conflict in relationships. It can be used to assess the level of conflict in a relationship, as well as to identify potential areas of conflict that need to be addressed. The GCS can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce gender–based conflict in relationships.
How often do you:
1. Feel like you are expected to be something you just cannot be
2. Feel like you need to be strong but sensitive at the same time
3. Worry about balancing a career and a family in the future
4. Want to be sexy for the opposite sex but not wanting to be false or change who you are
5. Feel like having the “perfect” body (e.g. superthin or superbuff) and staying healthy are sometimes at odds with each other
6. Feel like it is impossible to meet all the expectations because no one person can do itall
7. Feel like who I am conflicts with what I am expected to be as a man or a woman
8. Feel like expectations of how I should behave and feel change all the time
9. Feel like being a good parent and having a good career are sometimes at odds witheach other
10. Feel torn between different expectations
11. Feel like it is impossible to be “equals” with the opposite sex
12. Feel you are expected to conform to others’ expectations even if it goes against whatyou believe or want
13. Feel like the expectations differ depending on who you are with
14. Feel like societal expectations of being a man or a woman conflicts with who I want tobe
This instrument can be found on page 129 of “Adolescents in Conflict: Associations between Gender Socialization‚ Gender Conflict‚ and Well-being”. Available online at: http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/60708 & http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/60708/marinae_1.pdf?sequence=1
1=not at all never‚ 2‚ 3‚ 4‚ 5=extremely all the time.
Epstein‚ Marina. 2008. Adolescents in Conflict: Associations between Gender Socialization‚ Gender Conflict‚ and Well-being. University of Michigan. Dissertations and Theses (PhD)