Personality Differences and Sex Similarities in American and Indonesian College Students

Abstract

Male-female personality differences have been assumed but seldom empirically demonstrated. American and Indonesian college students were assessed for personality traits by the Cattell Clinical Analysis Questionnaire in the appropriate language. Predicted differences based on culture and nationality were found. Despite the cultural differences, similar sex differences were also found. Women of both groups were higher than their male counterparts on warmth, emotionality, prudence, sensitivity, and conformity; men were higher than their counterparts on emotional stability, dominance, and impulsivity. These findings support Chodorow's theory of universal differences in male and female personalities based on the universal role of the woman as the caretaker of the young.     

Cultural Differences in Psychological Distress Between Asian and Caucasian American College Students

The authors examined possible cultural differences in psychological distress between Asian and Caucasion American college students using the Brief Symptom Inventory.     

Religiosity,Spirituality, Sexual Attitudes,and Sexual Behaviors Among College Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether religiosity, spirituality, and sexual attitudes accounted for differences in sexual behaviors among college students. The sample included 960 college students enrolled at four northeastern colleges. Results indicated differences in sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality by gender. Moreover, sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality were associated with sexual behaviors among college students. Sexual behaviors among males were influenced by their sexual attitudes, religiosity, and spirituality, while for females, their sexual behaviors were mostly influenced by their sexual attitudes. College health professionals can use these findings when discussing sexual practices with students.     

Religiosity, Spirituality, and the Subjective Quality of African American Men's Friendships: An Exploratory Study

The present study fills a crucial gap in literature surrounding the lives of African American men by exploring factors that shape the quality of these men's friendships. Drawing on data from a sample of 171 African American men, the study examines the relative utility of subjective religiosity, subjective spirituality, advice exchange, and affective sharing as predictors of the level of perceived support from male and female friends. Findings reveal age differences in subjective religiosity, subjective spirituality, and in level of advice and affective exchange in men's same-sex as well as cross-sex friendships. Age differences emerged in men's perceptions of the supportiveness of their friendships with women but not with men. Age was not a predictor of perceived supportiveness of same-sex or cross-sex friendships. Subjective religiosity did not predict support in same-sex or cross-sex friendships. Subjective spirituality positively predicted perceived support in men's same-sex friendships but not in cross-sex friendships. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

African American Acculturation and Black Racial Identity: A Preliminary Investigation

This exploratory study examined the relationship between acculturation and racial identity among African Americans. One hundred eighty‐seven African American students completed the Black Racial Identity Attitude Scale (J. F. Helms & T. A. Parham, 1990) and the African American Acculturation Scale (AAAS; H. Landrine & E. Klonoff, 1995). Acculturation was associated with 3 of the 5 AAAS subscales: Dissonance, Immersion, and Emersion; Immersion had the greatest correlation with acculturation. A simultaneous regression analysis showed that the Pre‐Encounter subscale was a significant predictor of acculturation.     

Relationship Between Religiosity and Conduct Problems Among African American and Caucasian Adolescents

This study investigated the relationship between religiosity and conduct problems in a racially diverse sample of high school aged adolescents (ages 13–19) who attended public schools in a large metropolitan area. The results of the study found racial and gender differences in religiosity: African American adolescents were more likely to attend church, describe themselves as very religious and use Collaborative and Deferring religious coping styles; they were less likely to use Self-Directing religious coping styles when compared to Caucasian adolescents. Females were more likely to be involved in church activities, use a Collaborative religious coping style and tended to be less likely to use a Self-Directing religious coping style when compared to males. The results of multiple regression analyses, after controlling for race, gender, and self-reported religiousness found that Self-Directing and Deferring religious coping styles were risk factors for conduct problems; there was no relationship between Collaborative religious coping and conduct problems. The findings from the study provide additional support for the importance of considering religiosity, race and gender when examining mental health outcomes in adolescents and have implications for the development of mental health interventions for adolescents.     

Encouragement and Ethnicity in African American College Students

Encouragement and ethnicity were examined in 112 African American college students attending 2 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and a predominantly White institution (PWI). Results indicated a positive relationship between Ethnic Pride and View of Others for the HBCU group and positive relationships between Ethnic Pride and the Encouragement Scale for the PWI group. Ethnic Worry was negatively correlated with the Encouragement Scale for both groups. In addition, Ethnic Discrimination was negatively correlated with Openness to Experience for the PWI group. The usefulness of conceptualizing encouragement and ethnicity together for African American college students and practice implications are discussed.     

Spirituality and Young Women in Transition: A Preliminary Investigation

This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about spirituality and life transitions. Through qualitative investigation, 9 young women in professional education programs described their definition of spirituality, their spiritual activities, and how they used their spirituality to cope with life transitions as they prepared to enter the workforce. These women viewed spirituality as including connectedness and a special relationship with a Being outside of themselves. Their spiritual activities were private and non‐traditional (e.g., meditation, prayer, being in nature), and most of them reported that their spirituality helped them deal with their life transition.     

Depressive Symptomatology and College Persistence among African American College Students

ABSTRACT. While many studies find women self-report higher disgust sensitivity than men, few studies have examined gender differences with behavioral tasks in senses other than vision. On a haptic task, we tested the hypothesis that women would report greater disgust but not greater unpleasantness than men. Forty-four undergraduates (29 women) touched 8 out-of-sight stimuli with sensory (unpleasantness) and emotional (disgust) responses recorded. The stimuli consisted of 2 neutral, 2 pleasant, and 4 unpleasant (3 disgust-evoking) objects. No gender differences were found for reporting stimuli unpleasantness. In contrast, women rated their disgust significantly higher than men when touching the high disgust-evoking objects. Unpleasantness of the stimuli correlated with disgust to the objects, but disgust sensitivity (Disgust Scale-Revised) was not a strong predictor of disgust responses. Besides differentiating unpleasantness from disgust, this was also the first study to show gender differences in a disgust-evoking haptic task.     

Midlife Transition and Women's Spirituality Groups: A Preliminary Investigation

The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe midlife transition, spirituality, and healing of relationships for members of women's spirituality groups. Ten women completed the Spiritual Well‐Being Scale (R. Paloutzian & C. Ellison, 1982) and a 45‐minute interview about spirituality, religion, life transitions, relationships, and beneficial aspects of women's spirituality groups. Qualitative analysis found themes to describe spirituality: connection with a Higher Power, personal choice, connectedness with nature and people, healing, and support. The women viewed spirituality and religion as separate, yet connected, entities. Benefits of women's spirituality groups included the groups' being therapeutic, providing valued relationships, and providing social support.     

The Relationship Between Racial Identity Cluster Profiles and Psychological Distress Among African American College Students

One hundred eighty‐two African American college students completed the Racial Identity Attitudes Scale. Results from the multivariate categorization scheme revealed 5 types of empirically derived racial identity attitude profiles: “dissonance internalization” (34%), “committed internalization” (30%), “cngaged internalization” (21%), “undifferentiated racial identity” (8%), and “dormant racial identity” (7%). The profiles significantly differed on Brief Symptom Inventory subscale scores.     

Close Relationships Between Asian American and European American College Students

Abstract

The authors examined attitudes and behaviors regarding close relationships between European and Asian Americans, with a particular emphasis on 5 major subgroups of Asian Americans (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino Americans). Participants were 218 Asian American college students and 171 European American college students attending a culturally diverse university. The European Americans did not differentiate among the various subgroups of Asian Americans. Their attitudes regarding close relationships were less positive toward Asian Americans than toward Mexican and African Americans, a finding contrary to the prediction of social exchange theory (H. Tajfel, 1975). In contrast to the European Americans' view of homogeneity among Asian Americans, the 5 major subgroups of Asian Americans expressed a distinctive hierarchy of social preference among themselves. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research on interethnic relations involving Asian Americans.     

Spirituality and Subjective Religiosity among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks and Non-Hispanic Whites

Patterns and correlates of self-perceptions of spirituality and subjective religiosity are examined using data from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative study of African Americans, Caribbean Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites. Demographic and denominational correlates of patterns of subjective religiosity and spirituality (i.e., religious only, spiritual only, both religious/spiritual and neither religious/spiritual) are examined. In addition, the study of African Americans and Caribbean Blacks permits the investigation of possible ethnic variation in the meaning and conceptual significance of these constructs within the U.S. Black population. African Americans and Caribbean Blacks are more likely than Non-Hispanic Whites to indicate that they are "both religious and spiritual" and less likely to indicate that they are "spiritual only" or "neither spiritual nor religious." Demographic and denominational differences in the patterns of spirituality and subjective religiosity are also indicated. Study findings are discussed in relation to prior research in this field and noted conceptual and methodological issues deserving further study.     

Worldview Differences Between College Students and Graduate Counseling Trainees

The purpose of this study was to examine whether graduate students in counseling (n = 95) have different worldviews than undergraduate students (n = 177) who might be potential clients. Students in both groups completed the Scale to Assess World Views (Ibrahim & Kahn, 1987). Results indicated that undergraduate students' worldviews were significantly different from graduate counseling students'. In comparison, undergraduates were more likely than graduate counseling students to focus on the past, to perceive human nature as evil, human relationships as linear-hierarchical and collateral-mutual, and nature as powerful. Graduate counseling trainees, on average, were more likely than undergraduates to perceive human nature as good. Men were more likely than women to perceive human nature as evil, human relationships as linear-hierarchical and individualistic, and nature as controllable. Women, in contrast, preferred the being-in-becoming modality. Implications and limited generalizability of these findings for counseling are discussed.     

Exploring the Links Between Racial Identity Attitudes and Psychological Feelings of Closeness in African American College Students

The relationship between racial identity attitudes and psychological closeness to various African American groups was examined in 171 African American college students at a predominantly White southeastern university. The data were collected using the Racial Identity Attitude Scale (Helms & Parham, 1985), and a scale measuring Perceived Psychological Closeness to African Americans. The closeness scale is a 14-item instrument that was found to represent (in this sample) psychological closeness to 4 African American groups. Internalized racial identity attitudes indicated positive feelings toward various groups of African Americans. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that internalized racial identity attitudes were predictive of psychological closeness to African Americans, although this varied somewhat depending on the subgroup.     

Hair Pulling Behavior Reported by African American and Non-African American College Students

Of the few attempts to determine the prevalence rate of trichotillomania, virtually none have investigated potential ethnic differences. The present study provides data on the prevalence of hair twirling and hair pulling behavior among 176 African American and 422 non-African American students and systematically explores differences between these 2 groups. Fully 10.2% of the sample reported hair pulling that resulted in noticeable hair loss, with African American women reporting the highest rate (15.7%). Overall, 2% of participants responded consistently with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for trichotillomania; rates did not differ significantly among genders or ethnic backgrounds. African Americans, and especially African American women, were more likely than other participants to report hair pulling in response to skin irritation. Results are discussed in the context of previous research, the importance of hair care in the African American community, and directions for future research.