College women's career and motherhood expectations: New options,old dilemmas

Gender differences in spatial ability in old age were examined longitudinally and the effectiveness of cognitive training in reducing these differences was assessed. The mental rotation ability of older participants (N=229; M age=72.8 years) from the Seattle Longitudinal Study was examined over a 14-year period (1970–1984) from late middle age into old age. Both men and women exhibited normative age-related decline in spatial ability performance across the 14-year period; the magnitude of the gender difference remained constant across this period of decline. A significantly greater proportion of the age-related decline was associated with a drop in speed of problem solving for men than for women. Following training on mental rotation ability, there was no significant gender difference in spatial ability performance. Women exhibited significantly greater pretest-posttest gains, on average, than did men. A greater proportion of training improvement for women compared to men was attributable to increased accuracy. Training was particularly effective for older women who had experienced prior age-related decline.The research reported in this article was supported by grant no. AG03544 from the National Institute on Aging. We gratefully acknowledge the enthusiastic cooperation of members and staff of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound. Thanks are also due to Diane Backschies, Jean Day, Jackie Levine, Cherril Perera, Alejandra Suarez, and Richard Vigesaa, who ably assisted in the testing and training, and to Anne O'Hanlon and Theresa Cooney, who assisted in the data analyses.     

Differences in Ego Identity Among College Students Across Age,Ethnicity, and Gender

In this study I explored differences in scores on identity status associated with age, ethnicity, and gender. To assess identity status, 434 college students were administered the Revised Version of the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (Bennion & Adams, 1986). Results indicated that, in general, those who were younger in age or Asian exhibited higher Foreclosure and Identity Diffusion scores. In overall identity scores, there was no difference between men and women. However, for the interpersonal component, men scored higher in levels of Identity Diffusion and Foreclosure. A Gender × Age interaction indicated that women scored higher than men in Identity Achievement at every age range except that of 24 to 26 years, where the women in this group scored lowest in Identity Achievement. This study supports much of the research that has found differences in identity status associated with age, ethnicity, and gender, but some additional unexpected results indicate possible paths for future research.     

Why do Women get Depressed and Men get Drunk? An Examination of Attributional Style and Coping Style in Response to Negative Life Events Among Canadian Young Adults

Gender differences in alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms are well known. This study focused on the associations of gender with attributional style, coping style, and negative life events in explaining these differences. The association of gender with each of the predictor and outcome variables was examined. One hundred eight (51 men, 57 women) undergraduate university students, ages 18–21, completed validated measures of depression, alcohol consumption, attributional style, coping style, and negative life events. Participants reported mild-moderate levels of depressive symptoms, similar to comparable samples. In contrast, alcohol consumption was lower than expected. Depressive symptoms were associated with negative events and rumination among both men and women. Pessimism and wine consumption were correlated with depression among women only. Although men consumed more alcohol than did women, a gender difference in depressive symptoms was not found. Potential implications of these findings are discussed.     

Gender differences in implicit gender self‐categorization lead to stronger gender self‐stereotyping by women than by men

It was hypothesized that, in natural group contexts, low‐status in‐group membership would be highly accessible, whereas membership to high‐status groups would not. Therefore, gender group membership was predicted to be more accessible for women than for men. It was further hypothesized that the high accessibility of gender group membership would lead to stronger self‐stereotyping for women than for men. To measure the accessibility of gender group membership, participants performed a Gender Self‐Categorization Implicit Association Test (Studies 1 and 2), measuring the strength of automatic associations between the self and the gender in‐group. Participants also performed a Self‐Stereotyping Implicit Association Test (Study 2), assessing the strength of automatic associations between the self and the stereotypical traits of the in‐group. As expected, implicit gender self‐categorization and implicit gender self‐stereotyping were stronger for women than for men. Importantly, implicit gender self‐categorization mediated the relation between gender and self‐stereotyping. Therefore, implicit gender self‐categorization was the mechanism underlying stronger implicit self‐stereotyping by women. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting Dysphoria and Relationship Adjustment: Gender Differences in Their Longitudinal Relationship

Gender differences were explored in the longitudinal association between relationship satisfaction and dysphoria in 145 dating college students attending a large public university. Of the participants, 80% were Caucasian, 14% were African American, 3% were Asian, and 3% represented other racial/ethnic groups. Based upon a previous longitudinal investigation (F. D. Fincham, S. R. H. Beach, G. T. Harold, & L. N. Osborne, 1997) and recent theoretical explanations for the gender difference in depression, it was hypothesized that initial relationship satisfaction would predict later dysphoria in women but not in men. Conversely, it was predicted that initial dysphoria would be predictive of later relationship satisfaction for men but not women. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analyses in which initial levels of the predicted variables were controlled. Whereas results supported the first hypothesis, initial dysphoria was predictive of later relationship adjustment for both men and women.     

Gender Differences in Pointing Accuracy in Computer-Simulated 3D Mazes

Gender differences in pointing accuracy incomputer-simulated mazes were studied as a function ofmaze complexity and training effects. College students(primarily White) were led through mazes with different numbers of turns; at the end of each maze, theywere asked to indicate the direction of the maze origin(starting point). Pointing accuracy declined with numberof turns, but men were consistently more accurate than women by about 20°,regardless of maze complexity. Training participants totrack the relative position of the maze origin whilemoving through the maze produced equivalent benefits inpointing accuracy for both women and men. Thus, althoughpointing accuracy of men remained higher than that ofwomen, the results suggest that pointing performance canbe modified by experience.     

Evening and morning EEG differences between young men and women adults

Evening and morning waking EEG (eyes closed) was recorded in 16 women and 13 men aged 18-26 years old. Participants were fitted with a 13-electrode montage (Fp1, Fp2, FZ, F7, F8, C3, C4, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1, and O2) referred to linked ears. For each recording electrode, EEG total spectral amplitude power (microV/Hz, 0.75-19.75 Hz) was compared using 2 (Gender) x 2 (Moments) analyses of variance for repeated measures and LSD post-hoc tests. We found significant simple Gender effects, with women displaying higher EEG values for Central, Frontal, Parietal, and left Temporal leads. Simple Moment effects were also found, with lower morning values in Temporal and left Frontal recording sites. A Gender x Moment interaction was found at the right Frontal recording site. No significant effects were found for Prefrontal and Occipital recording sites, whatsoever. These results bring new understandings of gender and time of day effects in waking EEG and point to different sensitivity in different cortical areas. The present results could explain some of the observations related to gender differences in cognitive performance.     

An examination of gender differences in the construct validity of the silencing the self scale

Jack’s (1991) theory of self-silencing was originally designed to explain higher rates of depression in women in comparison to men. However, research finding that men score equal or even higher than women on measures of self-silencing has lead theorists to speculate that self-silencing tendencies may be driven by different motivations and have different consequences for women versus men (Jack & Ali, 2010). Using a sample of 247 college students, we examined gender differences in the construct validity of the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack & Dill, 1992). We hypothesized that women would score higher on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, but not the other three subscales. Gender differences in the relationship between the STSS subscales and theoretically-relevant constructs were also explored. The results indicated that women on average scored higher than men on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, whereas men scored higher on the Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale. Further, there was a significant Gender × Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale interaction in the prediction of depression, such that this subscale was negatively correlated to depression in men, and uncorrelated in women. These results clarify how self-silencing might translate into different mental health outcomes for women and men.     

Gender differences in pressure pain threshold in a repeated measures assessment

The objective of this study was to evaluate gender differences in the pain threshold, considering the type of pressure point, its location and the repetition of the assessment. The pressure pain threshold was evaluated in 30 healthy volunteers (12 men and 18 women) in three assessment sessions separated by 15 min and 7 days, respectively. Each assessment session was in turn composed of two trials in each of which 24 different pressure points (symmetrically located), representing the 18 tender points for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and six control points, were assessed. Gender differences were found in the pain threshold for all of the points and the measures taken, women showing a lower pain threshold in comparison to men and being these differences more pronounced for control points than for tender points, the former reaching statistical significance in all cases. The analysis of the influence of repeated measures on gender differences in the pain threshold showed a distinct pattern of recuperation in men than in women, although only one difference in pain threshold was significant. The utility of the tender point concept to study gender differences in pain threshold and the mechanisms that may explain different patterns of recuperation between genders are discussed.     

Gender Differences in Self-Attributions: Relationship of Gender to Attributional Consistency, Style, and Expectations for Performance in a College Course

Results are reported for a study of collegestudents that examined gender differences in theconsistency of attributions over time, in generalattributional style, and in specific explanations forperformance in a course. Both genders demonstratedconsistency over time. There was no difference ingeneral attributional style by gender, and there was nodifference in specific attributions for courseperformance by gender combined with accuracy in predictingperformance. However, there was a difference in theexplanations for performance selected by men versuswomen and in the explanations for performance selected by those students who accurately predictedtheir own performance versus inaccurate predictors. Thesample was comprised of 113 men and 94 women; mostly inthe 21 to 24 age range (108), followed by the 17 to 20 age range (78), the 24 to 27 range (16),27 to 30 range (3) and the older than 30 range (2). Thesample was mostly Caucasian (176), followed by Asian(13), African American (8), Hispanic (7), Other (2), and missing data (1). Most students werebusiness majors (180), with 21 other majors and 6missing data. Implications of these results arediscussed in this article.     

Gender Differences in Ways of Knowing: The Context Dependence of the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey

In this article we challenge the notion of stable, gender-related differences in the way people acquire and process information, with men more likely to utilize separate knowing and women connected knowing. An alternative analysis highlights malleability and the importance of social context in determining knowing style. We examined the responses of 186 women and 81 men on the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey (ATTLS; Galotti, Clinchy, Ainsworth, Lavin, & Mansfield, 1999) across 3 contexts. Results revealed that both men and women were more likely to use connected knowing in the context of similar in-groups compared to the context of dissimilar out-groups. Gender differences were only apparent where gender was made salient. Our data support an analysis of ways of knowing as flexible and context dependent and question the notion that knowing is intrinsically related to gender.     

A mediation model of individual differences in attitudes toward affirmative actions for women

A mediation model of the relation between gender and attitudes toward affirmative action in favor of working women was tested. Four mediation variables were considered: perceived unfairness in the situation of working women, perceived threat to the non-designated group (men), self-esteem, and gender self-concept (masculinity and femininity). 192 women and 128 men, with differing occupations, participated. Gender affects individuals' attitudes toward affirmative actions for women, mediated by perceived unfairness in the situation of working women, perceived threat to the non-designated group, and feminine self-concept. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Sex, gender role, attribution of pathology, and handwriting tidiness

An archival study sampled personality test protocols with spontaneous handwriting specimens from 73 men and 168 women for signatures and scores on selected scales from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. Judges applied a 5-point scale to sort signatures for tidiness. Interrater agreement was .93. The mean handwriting tidiness score for men was 1.8 and 2.8 for women, a significant difference of 1 point. Correlations between handwriting tidiness and MMPI-2 scores did not support the hypothesis that erratic handwriting is associated with pathology but scores for gender role correlated significantly with handwriting tidiness. Masculine Gender Role predicted sloppy penmanship and Feminine Gender Role predicted tidy writing, independent of the writers' biological sex.     

Assessment of Conflicts Associated with a Traditional Masculine Gender Role in Spanish College Men and Women

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Gender Role Conflict Scale – Short Form (GRCS-SF; Wester et al. 2012) in a sample of men. In addition, we extend the gender conflict paradigm by evaluating two samples of women with the same instrument. In Study 1, we investigated the internal structure of the instrument in a sample of 281 Spanish undergraduate women using exploratory factor analysis, finding support to the original factor structure. In Study 2, we analyzed its psychometric properties in a college sample of 184 men and 255 women using confirmatory factor analysis, and we explored differences between the two genders through a factor invariance analysis and a comparison of group means. Sufficient equivalence was found, allowing for comparisons among men’s and women’s scores. Overall, masculine gender conflict was significantly associated with greater distress and less general subjective well-being in both men and women. Our research extends the gender role conflict paradigm to the Spanish context and enhances the study of women’s conflicts associated with the adoption of behaviors traditionally attributed to the male gender role.     

Role of Gender in Dual-Tasking Timed Up and Go Tests: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gender plays a role in cognitive performance. Yet the selection of a secondary task, an important paradigm in studies of posture control, has not considered gender as a variable. We explored whether different cognitive tasks differentially influence performance during the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in men and women. Twenty young adults performed five cognitive tasks while seated and during the TUG test. Men exhibited a slower normalized cadence than women. When seated, women recalled more items than men and men were more accurate in mental calculation task. There were no changes in spatiotemporal measures. We conclude that gender did not play a major role in motor-cognitive interference during dual task TUG test.     

Men Are Funnier than Women under a Condition of Low Self-Efficacy but Women Are Funnier than Men under a Condition of High Self-Efficacy

The debate about whether women can be as funny as men pervades the popular press, and research has sometimes supported the stereotype that men are funnier (Mickes et al. 2011). The goal of the present research was to determine whether this gender difference can be explained by differences in beliefs about one’s capability for humor (“humor self-efficacy”). Male and female U.S. undergraduates (n?=?64) generated captions for 20 cartoons and rated their own humor self-efficacy. Subsequently, an independent sample of 370 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) users evaluated these captions in a knockout-style tournament in which pairs of captions were presented with each of the cartoons. Each participant was randomly assigned to evaluate captions which were authored by men and women selected to be either low or high in humor self-efficacy. In the initial round of the tournament, each caption was authored by a man and a woman matched for comparable levels of self-identified humor self-efficacy. In subsequent rounds, the remaining captions were paired randomly. MTurk users, unaware of the captioners’ gender, selected the captions of men as funnier only under the low self-efficacy condition and those of women as funnier under the high self-efficacy condition. These data suggest that self-efficacy may be a critical determinant of the successful performance of humor. When people say that women are not funny, they may be relying on an unfounded stereotype. We discuss how this stereotype may negatively affect perceptions of women in the workplace and other settings.

     

Effects of Gender Diversity on Performance and Interpersonal Behavior in Small Work Groups

We examined the separate and combined impact of gender composition and training method on both the performance and interpersonal behaviors exhibited in small work groups. Participants were scheduled in groups of three for two 1-h sessions that occurred 1 week apart. In Session 1, groups were trained to assemble the AM portion of a radio. In Session 2, groups were tested on their training. Analyses indicated that groups whose members were trained together took longer to assemble their radios and made more errors than groups whose members were trained apart. No performance differences were found between mixed-gender and same-gender groups. However, women were less task-oriented in mixed-gender than in same-gender groups, but men were more task-oriented in mixed-gender than in same-gender groups. Further, solo women were less talkative than women in the majority, whereas men were more talkative when they were solos rather than in the majority. Implications for the nature of training and gender composition in groups in the workplace are discussed.     

Effects of Gender,Socioeconomic Status,and Early Academic Performance on Postsecondary Educational Choice

National data were used to study the effects of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and 4 types of eighth‐grade academic performance on postsecondary educational choices at late adolescence. Educational choices were classified by predominant Holland type (R, I, A, S, E, C). Gender had strongest independent influences on educational choice. Gender also interacted with SES and academic performance. Relationships between SES and educational choice were stronger for women than for men. For women, eighth‐grade reading scores were the strongest predictor of educational choice, whereas for men, mathematics scores were the strongest predictor. Implications for theory and counseling practice are discussed.     

Adaptation of Marketing Activities to Cultural and Social Context: Gender Role Portrayals and Sexism in Spanish Commercials

This study was designed to examine the portrayal of men and women in a sample of 370 Spanish television commercials. The general objective was to compare and contrast the plurality and similarities between men and women as regards both gender role portrayals and sexism levels and also product stereotyping as the association of certain kinds of products with gender. In addition, we examined the type of social relationship held by the main actor/actress in the commercial. Applying content analysis methodology, the results highlight a feminine culture and a social reality moving steadily toward gender equality and complementariness between genders, albeit still within the framework of the traditional family model, which characterizes women as homemakers and mothers. Impact of Cultural and Social Reality on Marketing Activities: Gender Role Portrayals and Sexism in Spanish Commercials.