Development of a Measure of Stereotypical Attitudes towards Older Workers

Prolonging the working life of older adults has been suggested by various researchers and policymakers as a strategy to alleviate challenges posed by the inevitable ageing of the population. It is thus important to have measures with which to assess and monitor factors relevant to older adults' employment. Research indicates that negative attitudes towards older workers are at the heart of employment discrimination; hence, the current research developed and assessed a new measure of attitudes towards older workers. A questionnaire asking about older workers was prepared in three versions (male, female, and gender neutral). Each version of the Attitudes towards Older Workers Scale (AOWS) was pilot tested, refined, and field tested with random samples totalling 246 hiring decision‐makers and 219 undergraduate students. Internal consistency ranged between .89 and .95 across the samples and questionnaire versions. Test–retest reliability correlations for male, female, and gender‐neutral versions were .83, .78, and .90, respectively. The AOWS will be a valuable tool for research, development of interventions, and for informing policy formulation in the areas of ageing, retirement, and employment.     

Perceived Government Actions and Attitudes Toward the Needy

Potential negative effects of welfare agencies on attitudes toward the needy were examined in the context of a communications study. After listening to a bogus newscast describing one of four levels of government involvement and one of two levels of need, 120 undergraduate women indicated their perceptions of the degree of need and their perceptions of the extent of citizens’ responsibility for helping to meet this need. Results showed that government failure to provide proposed assistance resulted in Ss perceiving the need to be less severe. Ss’ perceptions of citizens’ responsibility were lowered when the government either withdrew existing support or failed to provide proposed aid. Government involvement, existing or withdrawn, attenuated the effect of the manipulation of need.     

McSexy: Exotic Dancing and Institutional Power

A growing body of research is exploring the relationship between power and women's sexuality in occupations that involve the vending of sex or the sale of sexuality. Previous research has examined power in the field of exotic dancing on the individual level and at the interactional/organizational level. This research examines dancer power at the institutional level. Data were gleaned from interviews with 133 female dancers in several cities and level of clubs.     

Macro and Micro Views of Erotic Tourism

This article examines the deviant phenomenon of erotic tourism from both macro and micro level perspectives. The current study deals exclusively with erotic tourism involving the provision of a sexual experience for male tourists either as voyeurs or participants in sex acts with females. The origins of the industry are discussed as well as its implications for sexual deviance.     

Hormonal contraceptive congruency: Implications for relationship jealousy

Research shows that women who use hormonal contraceptives (HCs) differ in their mate preferences from women who have regular cycles. It has been proposed that when a partnered woman either begins to use or ceases to use HCs, she may experience changes in her relationship since her preferences become incongruent with those prevalent at the time of her partner choice. This has not yet been directly tested. Here, in doing this, we aim to specifically test whether current and past HC use contributes to present levels of relationship jealousy. We find a significant interaction in levels of jealousy based on current HC use and HC use at the start of the relationship. When current HC use is incongruent with that at the start of the relationship, women report significantly higher levels of jealousy. Results are among the first to suggest that both current and past HC use may influence relationship dynamics.