BODY IMAGE AND DISORDERED EATING AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN AND CAUCASIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Using a sample of Caucasian and Asian American college students, this research examined gender differences within race and race differences within gender with respect to a wide range of body image and disordered eating variables. Results indicated that: (a) regardless of race, women reported more problem attitudes and behaviors than did men; (b) gender differences were similar for Asian Americans and Caucasians, although Caucasians evidenced slightly more gender differences than did Asian Americans; (c) for men, race made no difference; and (d) for women, some race differences were found, with Caucasian women engaging in more dieting and binging behavior and Asian American women reporting lower self-esteem and less satisfaction with their racially defined features. Suggestions for future research are made, and implications are discussed.     

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARABILITY OF TEMPERAMENT AMONG JAPANESE AND AMERICAN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The generalizability of temperament, as measured by the Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey (DOTS-R) (Windle and Lerner 1986), was investigated through a series of data analytic procedures comparing the item responses of Japanese and American preschool children. Consistent with the results of an American preschool sample, a nine-factor model emerged for the sample of Japanese preschool children. Configurational similarity of salient and non-salient factor loadings for the nine temperament constructs across the two cultural groups was supported via congruence coefficients which ranged from 0.73 to 0.98 (Mdn = 0.91). Restricted (confirmatory) simultaneous group models for each of the nine temperament constructs indicated that the factor loading patterns were invariant across the two preschool samples, thus supporting the equality of scale metrics or units of measurement across groups. Statistical tests of differences in factor means between the two cultural samples suggested that the primary caregivers of Japanese preschoolers, relative to the primary caregivers of American preschoolers, rated their children as higher in Activity Level - Sleep and lower in Approach - Withdrawal, Flexibility - Rigidity, Quality of Mood, and Rhythmicity-Sleep; no statistically significant differences in mean levels were reported for Activity Level - General, Task Orientation, Rhythmicity-Eating and Rhythmicity-Daily Habits.     

EFFECTS OF TRAINING AND RATING SCALES ON RATING ERRORS

Ninety business students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where they used behavioral observation scales (BOS), behavioral expectation scales (BES), or trait scales in observing people on videotape. Half the individuals received four hours of training to minimize rating errors. Rating errors were reduced significantly regardless of the rating scale that was used. However, behavioral criteria were more resistant to rating errors than trait scales. There was no significant difference between BOS and BES on this dimension. With regard to practicality, BOS were evaluated as significantly better than BES and trait scales. BES and trait scales did not differ significantly on this measure.     

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS ON PSYCHOSEMANTICS OF ICONS AND GRAPHICS

This study is to report a cross-cultural comparison on perceptions of icons and graphics and their relationships. Data were ratings of 10 icons and 10 graphics against 21 bipolar semantic differential scales from 325 college students in three countries, Mexico, Columbia, and Japan. Cross-cultural factor analyses resulted in the identification of four semantic (three affective and one denotative) features, three icon factors, and three graphic factors. Indigenous cultural means of these iconic and graphic factors were computed and used to probe cross-cultural similarities and differences in perceptions. Psychosemantics of icon factors were further predicted by graphic factors through canonical correlation. This study concludes the importance of implicit cultural meanings of nonverbal figures in intercultural communications. The implications of this study are also discussed.     

INTERPERSONAL ATTITUDES AMONG AMERICAN,INDIAN AND JAPANESE STUDENTS1

Attitudes interpersonnelles parmi les étudiants américains, indiens et japonais. — Le différentiateur sémantique et le différenciateur de comportement ont été administrés à des étudiants, 98 américains (Illinois), 112 japonais (Tokyo) et 99 indiens (Mysore). Les concepts-stimuli étaient composites : il s'agissait d'individus diversifiés selon toutes les combinaisons possibles de profession (médecin ou menuisier), de religion (identique ou différente de celle du sujet), de sexe (homme ou femme), et d'âge (jeune, d'âge mûr, vieux). Les éhelles du différentiateur sémantique ont été empruntées à une étude d'Osgood et al. Les échelles du différentiateur de comportement ont été traduites à partir des échelles de comportement qui avaient les saturations les plus élevées dans l'analyse factorielle des composantes comportementales des attitudes, faites par Triandis (1964 b). Indépendamment des jugements formulés sur les stimuli composites, les sujets devaient juger les éléments constituants des stimuli composites. Le principe de congruité d'Osgood et la théorie de la sommation de Fishbein ainsi qu'un certain nombre d'autres principes, ont été utilisés pour découvrir si l'on peut prédire les jugements d'un sujet à l'égard des stimuli composites à partir de ses jugements à l'égard des stimuli simples. Le but de cette étude était d'établir la généralité des résultats américains concernant certains aspects de la perception interpersonnelle. Les résultats montrent que les résultats antérieurs peuvent être grossièrement généralisés, bien que, dans le détail, les résultats ne se recoupent pas d'une culture à l'autre. Ainsi par exemple, bien que les mêmes structures factorielles se retrouvent dans tous les échantillons qu'il s'agisse du différentiateur sémantique ou du différentiateur de comportement, l'analyse détaillée des échelles qui ont des saturations élevées dans les différents facteurs suggére l'existence d'une spécificité culturelle. La théorie de la sommation s'avère supérieure à la théorie de la congruité, pour prédire les jugements des sujets relativement aux stimuli composites à partir des jugements sur les stimuli simples.     

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF STUDIES COMPARING BEHAVIORALLY ANCHORED RATING SCALES (BARS) AND OTHER RATING FORMATS1

All published studies comparing behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) with other rating formats were reviewed. Results indicate that BARS and other formats appear to differ relatively little (if at all) with regard to psychometric characteristics (leniency, halo, interrater agreement, ratee discriminability, validity and “accuracy”). Other variables, such as degree of rater participation in scale construction and rater preferences for different rating scale formats, also exhibited relatively little differences between BARS and other formats. A close examination of the studies, however, reveals numerous methodological problems confounding interpretations of results, making conclusions about the superiority or inferiority of BARS quite tenuous. Suggestions are made for more appropriate research directions and questions which seem more appropriate for rating scale investigations.     

AN EXTENSION AND FIELD TEST OF THE RETRANSLATION METHOD FOR DEVELOPING RATING SCALES

The retranslation method for rating scale development was used to develop a scale to evaluate an educational television series designed to teach basal reading skills. This extension of the method, outside the context of job performance rating, was evaluated using both developmental and actual field use data. The results during the developmental stage of the method are generally supportive of the use of the technique in this situation; the results from the field test yielded mixed support.     

APPEARANCE SELF-ATTITUDES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN AMERICAN WOMEN: MEDIA COMPARISONS AND INTERNALIZATION OF BEAUTY IDEALS

African American (AA) women have reported less body image disturbance than European American (EA) women, but questions remain about the nature and extent of this difference. This study examined differences in the body image of 80 AA women and 89 EA women with an improved methodology that controlled for body size, distinguished between satisfaction with and importance of body features, and included nonweight (e.g., hair texture, skin color) as well as weight-related features. Results provide evidence that, in contrast to AA women, EA women (a) were more dissatisfied with both weight and specific appearance features, (b) compared themselves more often to media beauty figures and internalized Western beauty standards more, and (c) showed a significant relation between media comparisons and body dissatisfaction. Internalization of Western beauty ideals was related to body dissatisfaction in both groups of women.     

RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM PEERS VERSUS ADULTS AMONG SOVIET AND AMERICAN SCHOOL CHILDREN1

Réponses d'enfants soviétiques et américains aux pressions de leurs pairs ou des adultes. Dans une étude antérieure, L'auteur et ses collègues ont attiré L'attention sur le rôle que joue le groupe des pairs dans la socialisation aux USA et en Grande-Bretagne d'une part, en URSS d'autre part. Dans les deux premiers pays, le groupe des pairs a, dans une large mesure, une action autonome, relativement indépendante des valeurs du milieu adulte et qui va quelquefois à L'encontre de ces valeurs. En Union Soviétique, le groupe des pairs est utilisé par la société des adultes comme un instrument majeur d'éducation. Ces observations ont conduit à L'hypothèse qu'en URSS, la probabilité que les enfants se trouvent confrontés à un conflit entre la pression des camarades et les valeurs des adultes. est moins grande qu'aux USA et en Angleterre; ils peuvent, en conséquence, s'identifier plus fortement avec les normes de conduite approuvées par les adultes. Cette hypothèse a été testée expérimentalement sur un échantillon de six classes américaines (N = 158) et de six classes soviétiques (N = 188), de niveau et d'âge comparables (âge moyen: 12 ans dans chaque pays). On demandait aux enfants de répondre à une série de situations conflictuelles sous trois conditions expérimentales: 1) Condition de base ou neutre: on dit aux enfants que seuls les expérimentateurs auront connaissance de leurs réponses; 2) Condition Adultes: on les informe que leurs réponses seront portées à la connaissance de leurs parents et de leurs maîtres; 3) Condition Pairs: on leur annonce que leurs réponses seront connues de leurs camarades de classe. Les situations conflictuelles consistent en une série de dilemmes hypothétiques à propos desquels on demande aux enfants ce qu'ils feraient si leurs camarades les poussaient à commettre diverses actions qui sont typiques de ce que les adultes désapprouvent (par exemple, tricher en composition, négliger ses devoirs pour aller rejoindre des copains, s'habiller d'une façon qui plait à ses amis mais non à ses parents, etc.). Dix dilemnes comparables sont présentés dans chacune des trois conditions expérimentales. Les principaux résultats sont les suivants: 1) les enfants américains ont beaucoup plus tendance que leurs homologues soviétiques à s'engager dans des actions socialement désapprouvées; 2) dans les deux pays, les garçons sont plus enclins à participer à de mauvaises actions que les filles; 3) les enfants américains et soviétiques se montrent plus prêts à se mal conduire quand leurs actions risquent d'être portées à la connaissance de leurs pairs plutôt qu'à celle des adultes; 4) la pression exercée par les camarades change les réponses qu'ont faites les enfants dans la condition neutre, mais elle opère diffèremment dans les deux pays: aux USA, elle augmente le comportement anti-social, en URSS, elle renforce L'attachement aux normes de conduite des adultes; 5) les filles sovietiques non seulement donnent les réponses les plus orientées vers les adultes, mais encore présentent des différences individuelles intra-classes exceptionnellement faibles; 6) il y a des differences significatives entre les classes dans les deux cultures, mais elles disparaissent dans la condition 2 (Adultes). L'A. trouve dans ces résultats une confirmation de L'hypothèse originale. De plus, les résultats mettent en lumière le rôle important joué par les filles, spécialement en URSS, par leur attachement aux normes de conduites approuvées par les adultes et L'appui qu'elles leur donnent. Enfin et surtout, les résultats soulignent le pouvoir qu'a le groupe des pairs d'influencer la conduite et le potentiel qu'il représente pour un développement positif et de L'enfant et de la société.     

THE RELATIONSHIP OF GENDER AND ETHNICITY TO SELF-SILENCING AND DEPRESSION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study expands on the initial work with the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack, 1991) by presenting data using a more diverse, nonclinical sample. Included were both men and women ( n = 604) who were African American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic. It was expected that women would be more self-silencing than men, and that there would be ethnic differences. There were three principal findings: (a) men were more self-silencing than were women on the STSS; (b) there was a main effect for ethnicity on the STSS, with Asians expressing the highest levels of self-silencing; and (c) there was a positive correlation between self-silencing and depression for all ethnic/gender groups.     

EVALUATION OF A STRUCTURAL MODEL OF OBJECTIFICATION THEORY AND EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMATOLOGY AMONG EUROPEAN AMERICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN

This study evaluated a structural equation model of objectification theory among European American (EA;  n  = 408) and African American women (AA;  n  = 233). Modeling results indicated a particularly strong association between thin-ideal internalization/body monitoring and eating disorder symptoms, with weaker relationships among body dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms. The measurement model was not equivalent for EAs and AAs; however, the structural model was invariant, suggesting that the relationships among these variables may be similar for both groups. Thus, objectification theory does appear to be applicable to AA women, although specification of relevant constructs and refinement of assessment instruments is warranted.     

高中学生心理应激及其中介变量的研究

学生的心理应激与心理健康问题日益受到人们的关注。本研究对浙江省范围内的４３７名高中学生进行应激源、中介变量和应激反应方面的调查研究,并在此基础上,对高中学生的心理应激过程作了较详细的探讨。研究表明：（１）高中学生的主要应激源是学习压力及与家庭亲友的人际关系问题,（２）对高中学生的应激反应有影响的中介变量主要是社会支持和“问题解决”、“逃避”等应对策略。本研究结论认为,在高中学生的心理卫生工作中要注意减轻他们的学习压力,加强社会支持系统的建立及积极应对方式的教育。     

ACQUISITION OF BLENDING SKILLS: COMPARISONS AMONG BODY-CODA,ONSET-RIME,AND PHONEME BLENDING TASKS

Following research on phonological awareness development, this study explores children's acquisition of blending skills using three types of stimuli: body-coda, onset-rime, and phonemes. The results demonstrated that kindergarten children consistently gained proficiency for blending body-coda stimuli prior to onset-rime stimuli and phonemes. The results are interpreted to support an instructional process where blending is treated as a generalizable skill, and children work with the simplest material first. Thus, our proposition is that children be trained to blend body-codas first, then progress to more phonologically difficult blending tasks such as onset-rimes and phonemes.     

中学生知识学习观研究

采用自编的《中学生知识学习观量表》,探讨了中学生知识学习观的现状和特点。结果表明:(1)中学生的知识学习观在总体上还是建设性的;(2)不同性别、文理科学生在知识学习观各维度上存在显著差异;(3)初中生的知识学习观比高中生的知识学习观更具建构性;(4)不同成绩水平的学生在知识学习观各维度上存在显著的差异,知识学习过程观、知识价值观、知识学习态度观是中学生学习成绩的有效预测变量。     

中学生自我同一性的发展与父母教养方式、亲子沟通的关系

对639名中学生进行问卷调查,结果发现,从初一到高三,自我同一性状态呈现出前进的发展趋势,与初中生相比,高二和高三学生更多地处于获得状态、更少处于早闭和扩散状态;除高一男生比女生更多处于获得状态外,其他年级同一性状态上均不存在显著性别差异。溺爱型、权威型和忽视型教养方式在获得状态上得分均较高,权威型还具有最高的早闭状态得分,专制型教养方式最不利于同一性状态发展,有最高的扩散状态得分和最低的获得状态分数;亲子沟通可正向预测获得和早闭状态,负向预测同一性扩散状态。     

ATTRIBUTIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE LIFE SATISFACTIONS OF THE ELDERLY: A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF ASIAN AND UNITED STATES SUBJECTS*

A cross-cultural examination of the attributions for the life satisfactions of the elderly was conducted by using a sample of 80 Asian-Indian and 80 United States retired citizens. It was hypothesized that factors of hard work, luck, family ties, religious faith, travel and recreation, personal abilities, money, social status, service to others and friendships would account for differences in the attributions for life-satisfactions of the two cultural groups. Results showed that more Asian than United States subjects reported satisfaction with life. Consistent with predictions, the attributions of the Asian group showed religious faith, service to others, family ties and luck as being very important factors contributing to life satisfaction. By contrast, more United States subjects reported that hard work, personal abilities, travel and recreation, and social status had significantly influenced their life satisfactions. Findings were interpreted in terms of cultural and socio-psychological variables which influence the attributions for life satisfactions.