Development and initial validation of the measure of internalized misogyny with cisgender U.S. women

Internalized misogyny-defined as self-hatred among women, as well as hate, contempt, and disdain toward other women-remains an understudied construct in the psychological literature despite having large implications for women's mental health and well-being. To resolve measurement issues and clarify the construct, this study sought to develop and provide initial support for the new measure of internalized misogyny (MIM). With a diverse sample of 797 adult cisgender U.S. women partitioned into separate development (N = 394) and validation (N = 403) samples, we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses as well as tests of construct validity, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis yielded a 13-item, one-factor scale with strong support for internal consistency reliability. Study 2 demonstrated support for the one-factor scale with the new sample as well as support for measurement invariance across race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Study 2 also evidenced convergent validity of the MIM with related measures of sexist or oppressive attitudes toward women, discriminant validity with both unrelated (e.g., social desirability) and similar but distinct measures (e.g., hostile sexism), and incremental validity via association of the MIM with psychological distress and flourishing above and beyond the influence of hostile, benevolent, and modern sexism. Finally, we also found support for strong test-retest reliability 1 month later. Findings provide strong support for the use of the new MIM and offer implications for future research seeking to identify and address adverse mental health outcomes in women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).