Social class as a correlate of gender identity among lesbian women

Traditionally, researchers have portrayed butch and femme identities among lesbian women as gender roles. To complicate matters, rather than ask lesbian women to define butch and femme within the context of their own culture, researchers defined the terms themselves. This study adds to the literature in two ways: (1) lesbian women are asked to define butch and femme on their own terms and (2) social class is considered as a correlate to the formation of butch and femme gender identities. A snowball sample of 235 women participated in the study. Ninety-three percent of the participants are white, 7% are women of color. Social classes, as measured by income and education, are diverse within the sample. Findings indicate that lesbian women define butch and femme differently than have researchers, and that social class is a significant determinant of whether or not a lesbian woman defines herself as butch or femme.Part of this paper was presented at the American Sociological Association 1995 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. I thank Dr. Leonard Beeghley and two anonymousSex Roles reviewers for their valuable comments on earlier drafts.     

Gifted Achievers and Underachievers: A Comparison of Patterns Found in School Files

Underachievement in gifted students has perplexed educators and parents for decades. Researchers are continually looking for information about the nature and patterns of gifted underachievers that will enlighten those concerned. Counselors are particularly involved, because they often are asked to provide illumination and interventions. This study demonstrates how information in the cumulative school file, accessible to the school counselor, is a rich resource for understanding the patterns of achievement and underachievement among students identified as gifted and for use in planning interventions for students at risk for underachievement. Participants were gifted students (N = 153) who were determined to be either achievers or under-achievers, based on their grade point average at graduation. High and moderate achievers and moderate and extreme underachievers were compared on information found in the school file, such as attendance, tardiness, course selection, and onset and duration of underachievement. Results indicate that there are differences between achievers and underachievers on a number of variables found in the school files. Profiles of these groups are presented with suggestions for actions by counselors.     

Reviews

F ranz , M arie -L ouise von . Projection and Reflection in Jungian Psychology.
N eumann , E rich . Creative Man.
H all , N or . The Moon and the Virgin.
K rohn , A lan . Hysteria: The Elusive Neurosis.
B oss , M edard . Existential Foundations of Medicine and Psychology.
H anly , C harles . Existentialism and Psychoanalysis.
S harp , D aryl . The Secret Raven: Conflict and Transformation in the Life of Franz Kafka.
H icklin , A. (Ed.). Psychosomatische Medizin.
B ertherat , T hérèse ,; B ernstein , C arolle . The Messenger of the Body.     

An information processing system for the psychiatric emergency room

An information processing system for a psychiatric emergency room is described. Several studies are presented that show the utility of the system. In the first study, variables involved in diagnosis are explicated. The second study attempts to determine the characteristics that distinguish recidivists from nonrecidivists at an emergency room. The third study attempts to find patient variables related to success in short-term treatment programs. The final study is aimed at discovering whether there are psychopathological effects related to the use of inhalants. Together, these studies show the potential of a mental health information system for learning more about the nature of mental disorders and their treatment.     

Ear differences in simple reaction time: The influence of attentional factors

Simple motor reaction times (right-handed) to tape-recorded consonant-vowel syllables were obtained from 12 subjects under two conditions of monotic stimulation: “expected” presentation (subject informed as to ear of presentation) and “random” presentation (ear of presentation varied randomly). Significantly faster left ear reaction times were obtained in the “expected” condition. The rank order of subjects' standard dichotic listening task scores correlated negatively with reaction time ear differences in the “expected” presentation condition. Results are discussed in terms of existing theories of response lateralization in simple reaction time tasks, and an expanded hypothesis is offered. Specifically, it is suggested that two or more distinct but potentially overlapping mechanisms may be responsible for observed asymmetries in monotic auditory perception. Both an attentional or lateralized motor response bias and an inherent lateralization of function may operate side by side, differentially activated by task demands, mode of stimulus presentation, and nature of stimuli.