Use of Objectification Theory to Examine the Effects of a Media Literacy Intervention on Women

Although the impact of the media’s thin ideal on body image may be lessened by media literacy, empirical support for this is inconsistent. Objectification theory, which suggests that certain social situations serve to increase women’s self-objectification (i.e., viewing self from a third person perspective), was used as a framework to understand this inconsistency. In particular, it was hypothesized that media literacy may involve both negative (heightened self-objectification) and positive (well-being) effects. We used both qualitative and quantitative measures, and two studies showed that viewing the video Slim Hopes increased state self-objectification, as well as self-esteem and positive affect. Implications for effective media literacy and self-objectification are discussed.     

UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING ADOLESCENT DATING VIOLENCE: THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL, SOCIOCULTURAL, AND GENDERED PERSPECTIVES

The three articles in this special section on the development of adolescent dating violence provide important insights that can help shape future research and theory. Several common themes emerged. The roots of adolescent dating violence are broad and deep; thus, developmental and sociocultural perspectives are necessary to adequately understand this phenomenon. Adolescent dating violence is deeply gendered and requires that researchers make gender a centerpiece of their theorizing. These two insights lead to the conclusion that prevention efforts must start early, be broad based, and include gender in a fundamental way. In addition, longitudinal and ecological approaches hold the most promise for future research.     

Social Interaction During Computer-based Activities: Comparisons by Number of Sessions, Gender, School-level, Gender Composition of the Group, and Computer-child Ratio

This study assessed the quality of social interactions that occur in group-based computer learning contexts. Gender comparisons of interactions were examined across 3 sessions with 116 preschoolers (M age?=?4.9 years) and 108 fifth and sixth-grade (M age?=?11.7 years) Canadian children from southwestern Ontario, when children had access to one computer per child (parallel computer) or one computer per group (integrated computer), and when they worked with same-gender or mixed-gender peers. Preschoolers engaged in more collaborative behaviors in mixed-gender than same-gender groups, while elementary children engaged in collaborative behaviors more often in integrated than parallel computer conditions. In mixed-gender groups, boys were more likely than girls to dominate the computer in elementary school while girls were more likely than boys to dominate the computer in preschool.     

The development of the ability to assess recall performance

The ability of first and third graders to evaluate their recall performance was assessed. Third graders were more accurate in estimating the number of items they had recalled, although both groups showed considerable accuracy. The subjects' accuracy in assessing their recall after the fact was contrasted with indications that children are poor predictors of their recall performance.     

Stepmothers and natural mothers: A study of maternal attitudes

The maternal attitudes of 15 natural mothers (M_d age 46) and 15 stepmothers (M_d age 47) were compared. The HerefordParent Attitude Survey was the instrument used to assess differences between the two populations on five scales measuring confidence, causation, acceptance, understanding, and trust. No significant differences were found between the two populations with the exception of the causation dimension (t=2.4840 p<.05), which indicated that stepmothers attribute the problem behavior of the child to genetic and environmental factors while natural mothers accept the influence of the maternal role in the child's problem behavior. It is the authors' opinion that the statistical similarities and differences found between the two samples is a reflection of the common problem they share, that of a child in treatment.     

Who is Afraid of Flexitime: Correlates of Personal Choice of a Flexitime Schedule

L'étude examina les facteurs influençant la volonté d'entrer dans un système d'horaires fiexibles. Les facteurs observés comprenaient des variables de travail c.a.d. la satisfaction au travail, le niveau de la profession et la centralité du travail, et des variables hors travail c.a.d. le temps de trajet, le stress du trajet et les activités de loisirs, et des variables de personnalité, c.a.d. le besoin de développement. Des questionnaires furent administrés à 125 employés examinant les propositions de leur entreprise d'adopter des horaires variables. Une analyse discriminante indiqua que le choix des horaires variables était d'abord liéà des besoins personnels de développement. Un rôle plus secondaire était joué par la perception des horaires variables comme moyens d'éviter, réduire ou compenser les aspects indésirables de la vie de travail ou hors travail d'un individu.
This study examined factors influencing die willingness to enter into a flexitime schedule. Factors surveyed included: Work variables such as work satisfaction, job level, and work centrality; non-work variables such as commuting time, commuting strain, and leisure activities; and personality variables such as need for growth. Questionnaires were administered to 125 employees contemplating a work-site proposal to move to a flexitime schedule. Discriminant analysis indicated that flexitime choice was primarily related to personal growth needs. A more secondary role was played by perceptions of flexitime as a means to avoid, reduce, or compensate for undesirable aspects of a person's working or non-working life.     

Inference vs control sentences: are readers able to detect our intended differences?

The reliance of comprehension processes on knowledge to form explanatory inferences has been well established (Grasser, Singer, & Trabasso, 1994), yet the evidence that supports these studies is derived from sentence pairs that are largely unexamined. While some recent studies have suggested that the stimulus sentences utilized in comprehension research need further specification (Shears & Chiarello, 2004), there has been little 'normal reading' data provided that examines what readers are able to detect from traditional inference-requiring vs control sentence pairs. The current study utilized stimuli sentences that have historically been used to support inference research (Singer, 1995) as well as some newly developed sentences, to examine whether readers detect differences between control vs inference conditions, and to further examine whether readers could discern when inference sentences achieved an outcome or goal vs when these sentences did not achieve an outcome or goal.