The Masculinity Contingency Scale (MCS): Scale Development and Psychometric Properties

This article reports the development and psychometric properties of the Masculinity Contingency Scale (MCS), a measure designed to assess the extent that a man's self-worth is derived from his sense of masculinity. Across 4 studies, results provided support for this new measure's reliability and validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a hierarchical model with a superordinate factor (masculinity contingency) and 2 factors that correspond to 2 subscales: MCS-Threat (self-worth is threatened by a lack of masculinity) and MCS-Boost (self-worth is boosted by confirmation of masculinity). Evidence for good reliability was demonstrated by high alpha coefficients and test-retest reliability. Evidence for convergent, discriminant, criterion-related, and incremental validity was demonstrated by testing the associations between the MCS and existing masculinity measures, sexism measures, homophobia, and trait self-esteem. The results indicated that, in general, high masculinity contingency scores were associated with negative social and personal outcomes. Furthermore, MSC-Threat scores were more strongly associated with these negative outcomes than MCS-Boost scores. These findings are discussed in light of the conceptual, methodological, and practical contributions of the MCS.