Insecure Attachment,Gender Roles,and Interpersonal Dependency in the Basque Country

Gender, gender role, and attachment style were used to predict emotional and instrumental dependency in a Basque student sample (N = 602). Psychometrically sound Spanish adaptations of English–language measures of dependency and attachment were created. As predicted, women were more emotionally and instrumentally dependent than men, but the sex differences were mediated by psychological masculinity and femininity. The anxious attachment dimension was correlated with emotional and instrumental dependency, the preoccupied rating with emotional dependency, and the avoidant attachment dimension and fearful rating with instrumental dependency. When the two attachment dimensions and the two gender–role variables were combined to predict dependency, emotional dependency was a function of anxious attachment and femininity; instrumental dependency was a function of anxious and avoidant attachment and low masculinity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.     

Language Use and Persuasion: Multiple Roles for Linguistic Styles

Language is the most common medium for persuasion. Stylistic variations in how individuals communicate can influence a number of processes and outcomes in a persuasion setting. This article reviews previous research on a number of commonly studied language styles and their influence on persuasion and provides suggestions for future research. First, we provide a review of some of the commonly studied stylistic features and their relation to persuasion. We then use a common multi‐process model of persuasion (i.e., the elaboration likelihood model; Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1986, New York: Academic Press) to provide an overview of how linguistic styles can influence persuasion. In the final section, we discuss directions for future research on linguistic styles and persuasion.     

Gender and Relationship Roles in the Analects and the Mencius

In this paper I argue that the conception of gender as illustrated in the Analects and the Mencius is basically a functional one that assigns women a domestic role. I show how this conception might imply the exclusion of women from the moral ideal of chun-tzu, which would result in the further subordination of women as wives to men as husbands in the context of the Confucian role system. On the other hand, I show how the Confucian role system can have a positive influence on the status of women through its elements of reciprocity and respect. Finally, I argue that the conception itself is not justified.     

The Femininity Effect: Relationship Quality,Sex, Gender,Attachment, and Significant–Other Concepts

Both sex and gender predict relationship quality, but is one variable more important that the other? Does sex or gender predict relationship quality over other important factors such as attachment style and mental representations of close others? In this study of 116 dating individuals, gender differences were contrasted with sex differences as predictors of several measures of relationship quality (satisfaction, commitment, perceived social support, acceptance, and level of conflict). After controlling for sex, age, and relationship duration, femininity was found to predict positive relationship outcomes over and above attachment styles and significant–other concept measures. Significant–other concepts mediated this relationship. The combination of correlational data and regression analyses proves that femininity (regardless of sex) in both men and women contributes to positive, clear, and connected significant–other concepts that directly influence relationship quality.     

Gender,Gender Roles,and Personality: Gender Differences in the Prediction of Coping and Psychological Symptoms

Path models of the effects of gender, gender roles, and personality variables (achievement and affiliation orientation, locus of control, empathy) on coping and symptoms were tested to explore the risk and protective effects of gender roles and personality on psychological symptoms, and to test whether or not gender roles or personality accounted for gender differences in coping and symptoms. In a sample of university undergraduates (35% Asian American, 59% European American or Caucasian, 6% other ethnic/racial background), masculinity predicted lower depression but higher antisocial and substance use problems, whereas femininity predicted lower antisocial and substance use problems. Personality variables did not account for the effects of gender or gender roles on coping or symptoms, but rather gender roles and personality each predicted unique variance in those variables. Significant gender differences in the relations among gender roles and personality emerged; however, there were no gender differences in the relations between coping and symptoms. Findings highlight the importance of studying gender differences in the effects of gender roles and personality on coping and symptoms, because it appears that gender roles and personality operate differently for males and females.     

Gender Schemas, Gender Roles, and Expressive Writing: Toward a Process-focused Model

Range and Jenkins (2010) timely and compelling review of Pennebaker’s (1989, 1993) Expressive Writing Paradigm (EWP) provides a valuable framework for conceptualizing the role of gender-related variables in EWP studies, and for examining these variables in the context of gender schema theory, social role theory, and gender socialization theory. This comment contributes to Range and Jenkins efforts by integrating their analysis with: 1) findings regarding multimodal assessment of individual differences and outcomes; and 2) process-focused studies of participants’ responses to different psychological assessment tools. When multimodal assessment procedures are coupled with experimental manipulations that differentially impact different measures, researchers’ understanding of the benefits of trauma writing will increase and the efficacy of disclosure interventions in applied settings will be enhanced.     

Creative Use of Gender While Addressing Early Attachment,Trauma, and Cross-Cultural Issues in a Cotherapy Group

This paper examines how early attachments, trauma, and transference are modified by cross-cultural issues in a group therapy setting. The paper focuses on preparation of an appropriate group after individual treatment, attention to composition in that group, and use of a female-male cotherapist team in helping two Latin American female group members work through their early traumas. In addition, the paper speaks about times when individual treatment with the group therapist of the opposite sex should be added. The paper emphasizes and clarifies how not to get caught up in cultural stereotypes and how the clinician needs to stay with the specificity of the person's organizing experiences.     

Age,Gender, and Self-Esteem Differences in Adolescent Coping Styles

Abstract

A self-complete inventory was used to collect data concerning consumer cognition and activity among a sample of 211 young adults. Eysenck's (1958) short personality questionnaire was incorporated into the inventory, so that the respondents could be classified by both degree of extraversion-introversion (E) and stability-neuroticism (N). The results show that, although levels of E and N were not directly related to measures of spatial cognition among the sample consumers, a statistically significant relationship was found between N and actual spatial behavior, with stable consumers tending to use relatively fewer centers. Further analysis, however, revealed that the E dimension of personality was of significance when levels of actual center usage were considered as a proportion of the total universe of known opportunities. Moreover, when the sample was disaggregated by gender, it was found that extraverted-unstable men indulged in more extensive spatial behavior in relation to known opportunities than did other personality groups.     

Parenting Styles and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents: Mediating Effect of Attachment

The present study aims to analyze the role of parenting styles in the development of suicidal ideation in adolescents, as well as test the mediating role of attachment to parents in the association between authoritative, authoritarian and permissive parenting style and suicidal ideation. The sample was made up of 604 individuals, aged between 15 and 18. In order to gather data, the Styles & Dimensions Questionnaire: Short Version, the Father/Mother Attachment Questionnaire and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire were used. The results suggest that the relations with parents, which are characterized by inhibition of exploration and of individuality, contribute to an emotional maladjustment being positively associated with suicidal ideation (r?=?.26 to r?=?.28). This confirmed the mediating role of parental attachment in the association between authoritative and permissive parenting styles from father and mother to suicidal ideation. It was also verified also a partial mediation, through the attachment to parents, in the association between the parent’s authoritarian style and the mother’s permissive styles and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, it was found the presence of total mediation, by throughout to attachment to the father, in the association between the father’s permissive style and suicidal ideation. The results suggest the importance of adopting authoritative parenting styles, since they seem to facilitate the development of the quality of attachment with parents. The results were analyzed in light of the attachment theory, taking into consideration the importance of parenting styles in understanding the processes inherent to suicidal ideation in adolescence.     

Gender,Social Roles,and Mental Health: An Epidemiological Perspective

The social roles men and women occupy may account for gender differences in rates of psychiatric disorder. Women are thought to have poorer experiences within any given role (role strain theory), have more conflicts among their different roles (role-configuration theory), or have fewer role opportunities available to them (role accumulation hypothesis) compared to men. These theories are examined in a community sample (n = 4,745, 52% females and 48% males; Caucasian [84.2%], Hispanics [10.0%], African Americans [3.8%], Native American [1.4%], Asian [0.6%], and Pacific Islander [0.1%]). No gender differences in the overall rate of DSM, psychiatric disorders were found; however, differences were found for specific disorders. Although multiple roles were generally found to be associated with lower rates of disorders for both men and women, some role combinations were associated with a higher rate of disorders. The possibility that roles may be associated with both stressors and protective factors is discussed.     

Gender Roles in Immigrant Families: Parenting Views, Practices, and Child Development

Ecological and acculturation frameworks are especially central to understanding the experiences of immigrant populations and to date, current research has yielded new conceptual and methodological tools for documenting the cultural and developmental processes of children and their families. This special issue of 12 articles focuses on immigrant families and the importance of gender along various dimensions: parental roles, parent–child relationships, child outcomes. The collection of articles also represents various innovative methodologies used, including quantitative and qualitative approaches.     

Gender Roles in the Arab World: Development and Psychometric Properties of the Arab Adolescents Gender Roles Attitude Scale

Scant research has been conducted on gender in the Arab world; one explanation is due to a lack of Arabic measures on gender-related issues. To advance scientific work on gender in the Arab world, we developed the Arab Adolescents Gender Roles Attitude Scale (AAGRAS), the first known reliable and valid Arabic measure of gender-role attitudes. To develop this measure, we conducted two studies based on data collected from 776 high school students 15–19 years-old from the state of Qatar. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis produced 12 items divided equally into two subscales. One subscale assesses traditional gender-role attitudes, whereas the other measures egalitarian gender-role attitudes. Our findings indicate that young men are more likely to resist gender equality than young women are. Moreover, those who hold traditional attitudes are more likely to disapprove of women occupying positions of authority. The AAGRAS is a useful assessment tool that policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and educators can use to study gender-role attitudes in the Arab world and to develop educational and intervention programs that encourage adolescents to identify, confront, and avoid prejudice and discrimination against women and ultimately adopt more egalitarian gender roles.     

Repercussions of Mortgage Foreclosure: Loss of Place Attachment,Adult Roles,and Trust

Clients coping with mortgage foreclosure suffer from multiple losses, including the loss of placement attachment, neighborhood, and trust in organizations. These losses can result in depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and complicated grief. Counselors can enhance treatment by integrating organizational role and attachment theory.     

Public Attitudes about Transgender Participation in Sports: The Roles of Gender,Gender Identity Conformity,and Sports Fandom

Sex Roles - We examine the roles of gender, gender attitudes, and interest in sports on public attitudes about transgender people’s participation in athletics. Using a representative survey...     

Parental Attitudes,Attachment Styles,Social Networks,and Psychological Processes in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

In this study the authors used a cross-cultural approach to examine parental attitudes, attachment styles, social networks, and some of the psychological processes involved in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Fifty-two children (aged 4–11 years) took part in the study: 30 Italians (15 with ASD and 15 controls) and 22 Cubans (11 with ASD and 11 controls). Findings indicated significant differences between the two cultural groups in terms of the structure of the children's social network and parental attitudes toward their children. However, the mother–child attachment relationship and cognitive and emotional functioning of the study participants were independent of culture.     

Classifying Dating Couples: Gender as Reflected in Traits,Roles, and Resulting Behavior

A cluster analysis was conducted in an attempt to uncover a taxonomy of specific gender-related, trait-role constellations within a sample of 117 pairs of men and women involved in serious dating relationships. This taxonomy was then used in predicting the extent to which men and women reportedly gave (or failed to give) affection and respect to each other during the 2 weeks prior to the study. The cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups, which were labeled Respect-Giving Reversed (Group 1), Affectionate (Group 2), and Traditional (Group 3) Results of multivariate analyses of variance revealed that, overall, significant behavioral differences existed among the three groups. Group 1 was characterized by low reported giving of affection and respect among women. Group 2 was characterized by high reported giving of affection and respect among men and women, and Group 3 was characterized by low reported giving of affection and respect among men. Implications for the use of empirically derived taxonomies in the study of close relationships are discussed.     

Tolerance of Sexual Harassment: An Examination of Gender Differences,Ambivalent Sexism,Social Dominance,and Gender Roles

In this study we examined the effects of gender, gender roles (masculinity and femininity), ambivalent sexism, and social dominance orientation with regard to tolerance of sexual harassment. It was predicted that women would be less tolerant than men of sexual harassment, however, men and women who were tolerant of sexual harassment would share ambivalence and hostility toward women, and they would exhibit higher levels of social dominance and masculinity. Results partially supported the hypotheses. Women were significantly less tolerant of harassment than men were, however, regression analyses showed that ambivalent sexism and hostility toward women accounted for the majority of total variance (35%), followed by gender (5%), social dominance (1%), femininity (0.7%), and nonsexism (0.6%). Masculinity and benevolent sexism were not significant predictors. Results suggest that ambivalence and hostility toward women are much greater predictors of tolerance of sexual harassment than is gender alone.     

Perceived Rejection in Personality Psychopathology: The Role of Attachment and Gender

Prior research suggests that individuals with higher rates of personality psychopathology are more likely to endorse insecure attachment patterns which can lead to stronger reactions towards perceived rejection. This study investigated how attachment style and gender moderate the strength of the association between personality psychopathology and reactions to perceived rejection. To examine the role of attachment and gender in the relationship between personality psychopathology and reactions to perceived rejection, an undergraduate sample of 150 students, as well as an Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) sample of 278 individuals, completed various personality and attachment self-report measures and watched video clips addressing rejection from parents, peers, and romantic partners. Multivariate analyses of variance and moderation effects suggested that attachment patterns inconsistently moderate maladaptive reactions to rejection, and that gender moderates the relationship between personality psychopathology and externalizing reactions to rejection. Specifically, men with more pronounced Antagonism and Psychoticism trait facets demonstrated a higher propensity towards externalizing and internalizing reactions to rejection than women in these domains.