An Examination of Sex and Masculinity/Femininity as Related to the Taste Sensitivity of Japanese Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influences of gender differences and masculinity–femininity on taste thresholds and food preferences. The participants were 108 Japanese undergraduate students (44 men and 64 women); their mean age was 19.6 years (SD = 1.3). Their detection and recognition thresholds for caffeine and sucrose were measured. Multiple regression analyses showed that women tended to have a lower detection threshold for caffeine than men did. The recognition threshold for caffeine was positively associated with scores for masculinity. For men, masculinity may be associated with smoking and drinking behavior, thereby resulting in a lower sensitivity for bitterness. Masculinity and femininity related to food preferences are also discussed.     

Sex and Punishment: An Examination of Sexual Consequences and the Sexual Double Standard in Teen Programming

A content analysis was conducted to examine sexual consequences on teen programming. The sample consisted of prime-time television dramas that featured characters between the ages of 12 and 22 years. Two major goals guided the study. First, the types of sexual consequences in teen programming were investigated. Results showed that emotional and social consequences far outnumbered physical consequences. Second, the portrayal of the sexual double standard was investigated. Negative consequences were more common in scenes in which female characters initiated sexual activities than in scenes in which male characters initiated sexual activities. Implications for future content analyses and media-effects research are discussed.     

Value Satisfaction as a Function of Role Salience,Age, and Sex

This study explores the interactions of age, sex, and role salience toward predicting value satisfaction in career decision making among community college students. Suggestions of ways employment counselors can assess values in all aspects of an individual's life-style for use in career-life planning are offered.     

Patent Productivity of Research Chemists as Related to Age and Experience

Some previous publications have indicated that the creative skills of chemists tend to decline once they are past their thirties or early forties. These conclusions have been based on such criteria of creativity as merit ratings, citations in the literature, etc. In the present study, patent records for all 89 professional men (mostly chemists and chemical engineers) in one division of a large industrial scientific organization were analyzed to determine whether creativity as measured by the production of patentable ideas tended to decrease with age, to increase, or to remain about the same. In the statistical treatment of data both longitudinal and cross-sectional methods were used. All the results were consistent in revealing no decline in creative productivity with increase in age, and indicated instead a tendency for productivity to increase as chemists mature.     

An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior

Using content analysis, this research examinesthe portrayal of women and the use of violent themes ina sample of 33 popular Nintendo and Sega Genesis videogames. It is proposed that video games, like other media forms, impact the identity ofchildren. This analysis reveals that traditional genderroles and violence are central to many games in thesample. There were no female characters in 41% of the games with characters. In 28% of these, womenwere portrayed as sex objects. Nearly 80% of the gamesincluded aggression or violence as part of the strategyor object. While 27% of the games containedsociallyacceptable aggression, nearlyhalf included violencedirected specifically at others and 21% depictedviolence directed at women. Most of the characters inthe games were Anglo.     

Intimate Partner Violence in Same-Sex Relationships and The Role of Sexual Minority Stressors: A Systematic Review of the Past 10 Years

To clarify the role of sexual minority stressors on intimate partner violence in same-sex relationships, the authors undertook a systematic review of literature on this topic from 2005 to 2015. Our results indicate different forms of intimate partner violence (physical, psychological, sexual) tend to co-occur in same-sex relationships, bidirectional violence might be a common pattern; and internalized homophobia, degree of “outness,” stigma consciousness, and experiences of discrimination based on sexual orientation are all related to intimate partner violence. However, these associations are not fully supported by all studies. Our findings emphasize the importance of integrating risk factors typical of sexual minorities with the risk factors predictive of intimate partner violence in heterosexual couples. Therefore, intervention and prevention programs must be designed so as to address and reduce the stress typical of sexual minorities.     

Understanding the Sex Difference in Vulnerability to Adolescent Depression: An Examination of Child and Parent Characteristics

This study examined sex differences in risk factors associated with adolescent depression in a large sample of boys and girls. Moderation and mediation explanatory models of the sex difference in likelihood of depression were examined. Findings indicate that the factors associated with depression in adolescent boys and girls are quite similar. All of the variables considered were associated with depression, but sex did not moderate the impact of vulnerability factors on likelihood of depression diagnosis. However, negative self-perceptions in the domains of achievement, global self-worth, and physical appearance partially mediated the relationship between sex and depression. Further, girls had higher levels of positive self-perceptions in interpersonal domains that acted as suppressors and reduced the likelihood of depression in girls. These findings suggest that girls' higher incidence of depression is due in part to their higher levels of negative self-perceptions, whereas positive interpersonal factors serve to protect them from depressive episodes.     

Video Intervention for Child and Caregiver Distress Related to the Child Sexual Abuse Medical Examination: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Children who disclose child sexual abuse are often referred for a comprehensive medical exam to ensure physical well-being and gather evidence. This study examined a brief, developmentally appropriate, psychoeducational video designed to instruct children and caregivers about the exam procedures and coping strategies to be used during the exam. Sixty-nine children ages 4–15 and their caregivers were randomly assigned to view the psychoeducational video (n = 35) or to receive standard practice (n = 34). Distress before, during, and after the exam was assessed in both children and caregiver, as were measures of satisfaction and knowledge about the investigation process and coping strategies. Consistent with hypotheses, results indicated that the video intervention was well-received by families, increased caregiver knowledge, and decreased stress during the examination. Caregiver and child distress decreased from pre to post examination across both conditions, and, unexpectedly, there were no significant differences in these decreases between groups. Overall results from this pilot study are promising in supporting a cost-effective and brief early intervention approach at the time of the medical examination for child sexual abuse for children and their caregivers.     

Differentiating Gender Discrimination and Sexist Behavior: An Examination of Antecedents and Outcomes

The United States Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) currently assesses gender discrimination and sexist behavior separately in its surveys of active duty and reserve service members. However, based on their definitional and theoretical similarities, it is possible that the two constructs may overlap to some extent. Using a military sample of 8,123 female respondents, this issue was examined using path analysis. The results of this study show that gender discrimination and sexist behavior are predicted by several common antecedent variables. In addition, each construct is shown to predict both common and unique outcomes. Implications for the organizational assessment of sexist behavior and gender discrimination are discussed.     

Factors Related to Outcome in a School-based Intensive Mental Health Program: An Examination of Nonresponders

We examined factors related to treatment responders (n = 35) and nonresponders (n = 16) in a group of 51 children admitted to the Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP). Children’s response to treatment was coded based on their functioning at intake and discharge using total CAFAS scores. Demographic variables, length of treatment, number of diagnoses and medications, and history of physical/emotional abuse or neglect did not significantly distinguish between responders and nonresponders. Nonresponders were more likely to present with a history of suspected or confirmed sexual abuse, internalizing diagnoses, or comorbid internalizing and externalizing diagnoses. Although the small sample size may limit interpretations, our findings indicate treatment programs need augmentation when children with serious emotional disturbances (SED) may be at risk for not responding to interventions.     

Productive and Counterproductive Attendance Behavior: An Examination of Early and Late Arrival to and Departure From Work

Although previous research has examined late arrival to and early departure from work, little is known about early arrival and late departure. Using data from 227 participants employed in a number of different organizations, the current study found that early arrival, late arrival, early departure, and late departure represent four distinct constructs. Furthermore, early arrival and late departure loaded onto the same second-order factor as organizational citizenship behaviors and late arrival and early departure loaded onto the same second-order factor as counterproductive work behaviors. Additional analyses found that Conscientiousness and job attitudes predicted significant variance in each of these attendance behaviors. We also collected qualitative data from a second sample (N = 176), which found that early employees generally spend their extra time at work engaging in work-related activities.     

Social Cognitions and Past Behavior as Predictors of Behavioral Intentions Related to Cardiovascular Health

The present study assessed the usefulness of social cognitions shared by several health behavior models for predicting behavioral intentions regarding cardiovascular health, independent of past/current behavior. Over 800 adolescents were administered a cross-sectional survey measuring intentions (regarding cigarette use, fat consumption, physical exercise), social cognitions (severity, vulnerability, benefits, self-efficacy), and past/current behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for past/current behavior, showed a varied predictive profile across behavioral intentions. Severity estimates predicted intended cigarette use and fat consumption, while perceived benefits predicted intended physical activity. However, self-efficacy predicted intentions consistently. Collectively, social cognitions contributed an additional 0.8%, 2.5%, and 11. 6%, of the variance in smoking, dietary fat, and exercise intentions, over and above past/current behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.     

Masculinity and Cognitive Age Perception: An Examination of their Relationship and Implications for Advertising Persuasion

This paper explores whether gender and sex role orientation, in terms of masculinity and femininity, may be associated with older cognitive age among young people. It predicts that masculinity should be associated with an older cognitive age. Two surveys (N?=?254 respondents aged 18–22 years and N?=?327 respondents aged 18–55 years), conducted in Taiwan, generally support this prediction. Moreover, this study predicts that masculinity influences people’s responses to media information that contains age cues, such as ads featuring models of various ages. The findings of another experiment (N?=?141 respondents) in Taiwan show that young participants who are more masculine like relatively older models to a greater degree, and the degree to which they like the model influences their attitudes toward the advertised brand.     

Precocious Knowledge of Trees as Antipredator Refuge in Preschool Children: An Examination of Aesthetics,Attributive Judgments,and Relic Sexual Dinichism

In simulations of predator avoidance, 3 experiments examined whether preschool children with virtually no tree-climbing experience exhibit precocious knowledge of what different tree shapes afford as climbable refuge. Sex difference in the choice of arboreal or terrestrial refuge was also evaluated with the aim of detecting evidence of ancestral sexual dinichism, the differential use of trees by hominid males and females thought to have occurred more than 2 million years ago when females were much lighter bodied than males and thus more agile tree climbers. Preschool girls were predicted to seek refuge in a tree to escape a predator; boys were predicted to seek terrestrial refuge. When shown pictures of trees, girls were also predicted to be more cognizant than boys of the safety of seeking refuge near the edge of the crown to evade a heavy bodied predator. In Experiment 1, 4- to 6-year-old Israeli children were shown a series of computer-generated pictures of a boulder outcrop (kopje) in an East African savanna setting. Individual children viewed narrated scenes of entering and leaving a narrow crevice, climbing a large boulder, and climbing an acacia tree. They were then shown a picture of a male lion and randomly ordered views of the lion from each refuge, and asked to point to the best place to feel safe from the lion. In Experiment 2, 3- to 5-year-old Israeli, Japanese, and American children were asked to point to 1 of 4 tree silhouettes (Australian Pine, African Fever Tree, and 2 African Umbrella Thorns). Children were asked to point to the prettiest tree and best tree for various refuge attributes, including feeling safe from a lion. Choice of the prettiest tree was examined because adults from several countries prefer trees with wide crowns, a property that might characterize habitat quality as proffered by the savanna hypothesis. The same silhouettes were used in Experiment 3 to examine 3- to 4-year-old American children, adding questions about the best tree for shade and best location in the canopy of each tree to feel safe from the lion. Results suggestive of relic sexual dinichism were most apparent in the first and third experiments, in which girls selected the acacia tree in a significantly greater proportion than the crevice and top of boulder, and 4-year-old girls selected refuge sites significantly closer to the crown edges than boys did for the widest crowned acacias. About half of the children selected the Australian Pine as the prettiest tree, a finding that does not support the aesthetic component of the savanna hypothesis.