Gender Differences in Academic Achievement: Is Writing an Exception to the Gender Similarities Hypothesis?

The gender similarities hypothesis by J. S. Hyde (2005 Hyde, J.S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60, 581–592.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), based on large-scale reviews of studies, concludes that boys and girls are more alike than different on most psychological variables, including academic skills such as reading and math (J. S. Hyde, 2005 Hyde, J.S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60, 581–592.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Writing is an academic skill that may be an exception. The authors investigated gender differences in academic achievement using a large, nationally stratified sample of children and adolescents ranging from ages 7–19 years (N = 2,027). Achievement data were from the conormed sample for the Kaufman intelligence and achievement tests. Multiple-indicator, multiple-cause, and multigroup mean and covariance structure models were used to test for mean differences. Girls had higher latent reading ability and higher scores on a test of math computation, but the effect sizes were consistent with the gender similarities hypothesis. Conversely, girls scored higher on spelling and written expression, with effect sizes inconsistent with the gender similarities hypothesis. The findings remained the same after controlling for cognitive ability. Girls outperform boys on tasks of writing.     

Is Gender or Gender-Role Orientation a Better Predictor of Empathy in Adolescence?

To assess the relative contribution of genderand gender-role orientation to empathy and itsdevelopment, 8th and 11th grade Israeli adolescentscompleted Davis' empathy scale and Bem's gender-roleorientation inventory, which yields a femininity score anda masculinity score for each participant. Withmasculinity and femininity treated as a within subjectsvariable, masculinity/femininity interacted with grade, such that whereas masculinity in both boys andgirls increased with grade, femininity decreased ingirls and increased in boys. Empathy was unrelated tograde or to masculinity but was related to gender and to femininity. When the contribution ofmasculinity/femininity was covaried, empathy was foundto be unrelated to gender. This pattern was found forthree of the empathy subscales: Perspective Taking, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress, whichwere positively correlated. On the basis of a mediansplit, participants were then classified as Masculine,Feminine, Undifferentiated, or Androgynous. Androgynous individuals did not differ from Feminineindividuals on any of the empathy subscales. Thefindings were discussed in terms of the socialization ofemotions and gender-role orientation.     

Is Knowledge of God a Cognitive Achievement?

This essay considers whether reformed epistemology is compatible with the claim that knowledge is a cognitive achievement. It is argued that knowledge of God is not only compatible with a more general achievement claim, but is also compatible with a much stronger achievement claim – namely, the strong achievement thesis where achievements are characterized by the overcoming of some obstacle. With respect to reformed epistemology, then, it is argued that the obstacle that is overcome is an environment that is not conducive to belief in God given the cognitive consequence of sin. This essay suggests two ways in which the agent is involved in the process of overcoming this obstacle.     

Is Age a Good Predictor of Research Productivity?

The research productivity of psychologists holding appointment in Australian universities was established at two times of measurement across groups defined with respect to chronological age and date of birth. The design allowed cross-sectional gradients to be contrasted over times of measurement, and longitudinal gradients to be compared across cohorts. Psychologists aged 26–35 years in 1970 showed no decline in publication rate between 1968–1970 and 1978–1980, while psychologists aged more than 35 years in 1970 showed a drop in research output over the 10-year period. However, a person's publication rate in 1978–1980 was better predicted by their past productivity (publication rate in 1968–1970) than by their age. These results are discussed in the context of factors that affect research productivity, as well as changes that will occur in the age distribution of Australian academics over the next 20 years.     

Is Age Just a Number? Cognitive Reserve as a Predictor of Divergent Thinking in Late Adulthood

The purpose of the study was to test a model of causal relationships among cognitive reserve (CR), personality variables such as Neuroticism and Openness to experience, and divergent thinking (DT), independently evaluating performance in different domains (verbal and graphic). It was hypothesized that CR, Openness, and Neuroticism would each directly influence verbal and graphic DT. A total of 135 subjects between 55 and 84 years old participated in the study and were interviewed in individual sessions. For a correct fit Neuroticism was eliminated from the measurement model. The goodness-of-fit indexes of the measurement model, the adequate composite reliability index and the discriminant validity supported the viability of the structural equation model (SEM). The goodness-of-fit indexes confirmed the existence of a significant effect of CR and Openness to experience in predicting both verbal and graphic DT. The three CR indicators had high loadings in their theoretical factor, with the observed variables study-work and WAIS vocabulary showing the highest loads. In summary, subjects with CR and Openness to experience were more flexible and original when solving verbal problems, and to a lesser degree, graphic problems.     

Speaking like a Man: Women’s Pitch as a Cue for Gender Stereotyping

Sex Roles - Women’s average voice pitch has decreased in recent years, reducing the gap between men on this vocal dimension. The present study examined whether a woman speaking at a lower...     

Is the Implicit Association Test a Valid and Valuable Measure of Implicit Consumer Social Cognition?

This article discusses the need for more satisfactory implicit measures in consumer psychology and assesses the theoretical foundations, validity, and value of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as a measure of implicit consumer social cognition. Study 1 demonstrates the IAT's sensitivity to explicit individual differences in brand attitudes, ownership, and usage frequency, and shows their correlations with lAT‐based measures of implicit brand attitudes and brand relationship strength. In Study 2, the contrast between explicit and implicit measures of attitude toward the ad for sportswear advertisements portraying African American (Black) and European American (White) athlete–spokespersons revealed different patterns of responses to explicit and implicit measures in Black and White respondents. These were explained in terms of self‐presentation biases and system justification theory. Overall, the results demonstrate that the IAT enhances our understanding of consumer responses, particularly when consumers are either unable or unwilling to identify the sources of influence on their behaviors or opinions.     

Is Mental Rotation Ability a Predictor of Success for Motor Performance?

Previous studies provided evidence of a relationship between mental rotation (MR) and motor processes in children and adults. However, there is no direct evidence that MR ability is a reliable predictor of success for motor performance. After completion of a MR test, the motor performance of 7- to 8-year-old and 11- to 12-year-old children was measured along a steeple chase and an equivalent straight distance sprint. The chase involved several motor actions requiring, among different competencies, spatial abilities such as performing a forward roll, jumping, crawling, turning, and changing directions. Data revealed that the time taken to complete the chase was influenced by speed and sex, but also by the individual MR ability. Based on these findings, we assume that MR and motor performance may share similar subprocesses.     

What about the Male Victims? Exploring the Impact of Gender Stereotyping on Implicit Attitudes and Behavioural Intentions Associated with Intimate Partner Violence

Sex Roles - Past research has indicated that women who work in male-dominated fields, such as politics, face discrimination due to a stereotypically perceived poor fit between their gender and...     

Why Reject Creative Ideas? Fear as a Driver of Implicit Bias Against Creativity

Biases against creativity seem to be activated when people are motivated to reduce uncertainty. Drawing on the appraisal model of emotion, this study tested whether and how emotions with varying levels of uncertainty appraisals affect biases against creativity. This experimental study showed that fear, characterized by a high-uncertainty appraisal, promoted implicit, but not explicit, biases against creativity more strongly than low-uncertainty emotions such as anger and happiness. Compared with individuals who experienced anger and happiness, those who experienced fear provided lower creativity ratings because of their implicit biases against creativity. These results highlight the importance of considering emotions to understand the individuals’ biases against creativity and their recognition of creative ideas.     

Evaluating Gender Discrimination Claims: Is There a Gender Similarity Bias?

A rich literature exists that examines individuals' perceptions of affirmative action in organizations. However, little is known regarding the evaluation of reverse gender discrimination claims arising from gender-based preferential treatment. This study investigated the possible existence of a gender similarity bias in evaluations of gender discrimination allegations using a laboratory experiment in which the strength of evidence against the defendant company and the gender of the plaintiff were manipulated. Our sample consisted of 120 undergraduate students (60 men, 60 women) from diverse racial/ethnic groups (35% Asian, 6% African American, 18% Hispanic, and 41% Caucasian). Results suggested that female mock jurors favored female plaintiffs over male plaintiffs. In contrast, there were no gender-related differences in perceptions of male plaintiffs. Thus, although women did not disadvantage male plaintiffs, there was a tendency for them to be favorably biased in favor of female plaintiffs. As expected, this tendency was greatest under conditions of evidential uncertainty about the company's guilt.     

Is Attachment to God a Unique Predictor of Mental Health? Test in a Jewish Sample

Research suggests that religion and spirituality generally correlate positively with various aspects of mental health, although mediators remain unclear. We explored whether attachment to God is a unique predictor above and beyond other key religious variables within a Jewish sample. Given the religion-as-culture perspective suggesting that Judaism can be characterized as primarily focused on behavior versus internal mental experiences, we expected that attachment to God would be less relevant to Jewish mental health. Surprisingly, attachment emerged as the strongest predictor of mental health among both more traditional Orthodox Jewish participants and less traditional non-Orthodox Jews. Although additional cross-cultural research is clearly needed, our results suggest that even in more behaviorally focused religious cultures, attachment to God is a key mediator of the protective effects of religion and spirituality.     

Multitrait Multimethod validation of Implicit Association Test as a measure of individual differences in personality: Is there personality at all?

The objective of the study was to investigate the validity of IAT in the assessment of the Big five personality traits. We employed the Multi-Trait Multi-Method (MTMM) approach on a sample of 146 respondents. We collected measures on IATs assessing Big five personality traits, self-reports, and two ratings of close others of different gender on NEO PI-R. Additionally, we assessed behavior related to the Big five personality traits in a structured interview where three experts independently provided rating measures. MTMM analyses suggest that personality IAT measures have little in common with personality traits measured traditionally using explicit methods. The evidence does not support the claim that personality IAT can serve as a valid measure of individual differences in personality traits.     

Parental Involvement and Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Latent Profiles of Mother and Father Warmth as a Moderating Influence

Parental involvement in their adolescents’ education plays an important role in promoting their children's academic outcomes. Yet, more research is needed to examine the relationship between parenting practices and parental warmth as well as to consider the potential joint contribution of warmth from both fathers and mothers. Thus, the primary purpose of the current study is to examine the extent to which patterns of parental warmth across fathers and mothers moderate the association between parental involvement and adolescents’ grade point average (GPA) and school engagement behaviors. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify disparate profiles of fathers’ and mothers’ warmth within a nationally representative sample of 2,306 youths (51% male; mean age = 15.31 years, SD = 1.50; 77% non-Hispanic White) residing in opposite-sex, two-parent families from Wave I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Latent-class enumeration processes support a five-profile solution characterized by differences in levels of parental warmth and congruency across parents: (a) Congruent High Warmth, (b) Congruent Moderate Warmth, (c) Congruent Low Warmth, (d) Incongruent High Mother/Low Father Warmth, and (e) Incongruent Low Father/Lower Mother Warmth. Subsequent multiple linear regression analyses reveal a moderating effect for Congruent Low Warmth on the relationship between parental involvement and adolescents’ GPA. Ultimately, the results show that variation in parental warmth exists across fathers and mothers with differing impact on adolescents’ outcomes. Excluding one parent without considering the joint effects of both parents will not produce an accurate and precise understanding of parenting in research or practice.     

Does Television Viewing Hinder Academic Achievement Among Adolescents?

This study examines the relationship between exposure to various types of television programs and measures of achievement, both of knowledge and skills. The results support a differential viewing hypothesis and a displacement of time hypothesis as explanations for the relationship. Furthermore, a threshold effect resulted that indicates that television viewing does not adversely affect achievement until viewing exceeds about 10 hours per week.     

Gender Differences in the Creativity–Academic Achievement Relationship: A Study from China

This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between creativity and academic achievement. A sample of 1082 primary students participated in this study in Beijing, China. Their age ranged between 8 and 15 years old (M = 10.41, SD = 0.99). Students’ creativity was measured by the Chinese version of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Figural Form A, and academic achievement was based on students’ self-reported grades of last semester. Results revealed that there was a significantly positive relationship between creativity and academic achievement, ranging from r = .07 to r = .21. Gender differences regarding which aspects of creativity were related to academic achievement were also found. Plausible explanations and implications of the findings in creativity research and education are discussed.     

Effects of Parent’s Gender, Child’s Gender, and Parental Involvement on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents in Single Parent Families

We used a national database (Educational Longitudinal Study) to investigate the effects of parent’s gender, child’s gender, and parental involvement in school on the academic achievement of adolescents in single-parent families. A three way 2 × 2 × 2 (parent’s gender × child’s gender × parental involvement) MANCOVA was conducted with four student academic achievement indicators as dependent variables and SES as a covariate. The results indicated that parent gender and child gender interact with parent involvement to affect adolescents’ academic achievement differentially. Specifically, daughters who lived with highly involved single-fathers performed better academically than the other groups did. These findings suggest that researchers who study single-parents’ involvement in their adolescents’ academic achievement need to pay more attention to gender-specific effects.     

Is Gender Identity Disorder in Children a Mental Disorder?

Empirical studies were evaluated to determine whether Gender Identity Disorder (GID) in children meets the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994) definitional criteria of mental disorder. Specifically, we examined whether GID in children is associated with (a) present distress; (b) present disability; (c) a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom; and if (d) GID represents dysfunction in the individual or is simply deviant behavior or a conflict between the individual and society. The evaluation indicates that children who experience a sense of inappropriateness in the culturally prescribed gender role of their sex but do not experience discomfort with their biological sex should not be considered to have GID. Because of flaws in the DSM-IV definition of mental disorder, and limitations of the current research base, there is insufficient evidence to make any conclusive statement regarding children who experience discomfort with their biological sex. The concluding recommendation is that, given current knowledge, the diagnostic category of GID in children in its current form should not appear in future editions of the DSM.     

Is Time Perspective a Predictor of Anxiety and Perceived Stress? Some Preliminary Results from Greece

In the current studies, we explore the relationship between anxiety / perceived stress and time perspectives. Study 1 tested the relationship between the dimensions of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and anxiety in a male sample. Study 2 examined the relationship between time perspectives and perceived stress in a sample of students. Both studies considered the Deviation of the Balanced Time Perspective (DBTP). In Study 1 psychiatrists of the Mental Health Centre of the Armed Forces in Athens diagnosed generalised anxiety in a number of male participants of the overall sample (n?=?204). All participants completed a validated Greek translation of the ZTPI. In Study 2 a sample of students (n?=?71) of Panteion University completed the Greek translations of the ZTPI and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14 items). In Study 1 a negative correlation between Future orientation and anxiety was found. The DBTP was higher in persons with anxiety. In Study 2 the Past Negative and Present Fatalistic orientations correlated with high-perceived stress as assumed. Furthermore, high-perceived stress was associated with a higher DBTP. The ZTPI is particularly important for the explanation of perceived stress. DBTP, Past Negative and Present Fatalistic perspectives are important factors of influence. The measurement of anxiety should be re-examined.