Explicitly Pressing Send: Impact of Sexting on Relationship Satisfaction

Given that few researchers have addressed sexting among adult samples, we sought to evaluate the prevalence of adults who sext, their sexting behaviors, and how it impacted relationship satisfaction. Analyses on the sample (N = 1171) revealed that heterosexual women are negatively impacted if they do not reciprocate a sext message; yet nonheterosexual women, and men in general, are not negatively impacted. This finding can be best understood within the framework of relational cultural theory (RCT). Implications for future research and for the practice of mental health providers are discussed.     

Psychiatry,Cultural Competency,and the Care of Ultra-Orthodox Jews: Achieving Secular and Theocentric Convergence Through Introspection

Several socio-cultural factors complicate mental health care in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population. These include societal stigma, fear of the influence of secular ideas, the need for rabbinic approval of the method and provider, and the notion that excessive concern with the self is counter-productive to religious growth. Little is known about how the religious beliefs of this population might be employed in therapeutic contexts. One potential point of convergence is the Jewish philosophical tradition of introspection as a means toward personal, interpersonal, and spiritual growth. We reviewed Jewish religious-philosophical writings on introspection from antiquity (the Babylonian Talmud) to the Middle Ages (Duties of the Heart), the eighteenth century (Path of the Just), the early Hasidic movement (the Tanya), and modernity (Alei Shur, Halakhic Man). Analysis of these texts indicates that: (1) introspection can be a religiously acceptable reaction to existential distress; (2) introspection might promote alignment of religious beliefs with emotions, intellect and behavior; (3) some religious philosophers were concerned about the demotivating effects of excessive introspection and self-critique on religious devotion and emotional well-being; (4) certain religious forms of introspection are remarkably analogous to modern methods of psychiatry and psychology, particularly psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. We conclude that homology between religious philosophy of emotion and secular methods of psychiatry and psychotherapy may inform the choice and method of mental health care, foster the therapist-patient relationship, and thereby enable therapeutic convergence.     

From Thought to Deed: Understanding Abortion Activism1

Many people have opinions on abortion, but relatively few contribute a substantial amount of time and effort to actively support their causes. This study investigated factors associated with level of activism in the abortion movement. The issue was addressed from a cost‐benefit framework based on theory and research from other social movements. In a sample drawn from pro‐life and pro‐choice organizations, activism was related to attitude salience, attitude polarization, social ties to abortion activists, and agentic self‐esteem. Potential constraint variables (e.g., employment) and social approval from important others showed little relation to activism. Factors affecting activism were similar for pro‐choice and pro‐life activists. Findings were generally consistent with studies of political activism for other social causes.     

When Situations Call for Instrumentality and Expressiveness: Resource Appraisal,Coping Strategy Choice,and Adjustment

The coping model of Holahan and Moos (1987) served as a framework for examining associations among resource appraisals, gender-role coping strategy choices, and adjustment in situations having salient social expectations for expressiveness and instrumentality (i.e., dual-expectation situations). Participants were 70 male and 124 female undergraduates. Appraisals of setting-specific social support availability and self-esteem were related to coping strategy choices. Androgynous copers had higher social support appraisals than instrumental or indeterminate copers and higher self-appraisals than indeterminate copers. Androgynous coping was (a) positively related to well-being at all levels of resource appraisals and (b) negatively related to stress at moderate and low levels of social support and all levels of self-esteem.

     

GENDER DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES IN SELF-CONCEPT WITHIN EVERYDAY LIFE CONTEXTS

A stereotypic pattern of gender differences has been found in previous self-concept research. Men have tended to rate themselves higher on self- concept measures of giftedness, power, and invulnerability, and women have rated themselves higher on self-concept measures of likability and morality. This study tested the validity of these gender differences for two natural life contexts-family and work-from the perspective of target persons and others in the family and work contexts who knew the target persons well. Overall, the gender stereotypic pattern of self-concept scores was evident in work and family self-ratings and observer-inferred ratings. Gender accounted for 3–7% of the variance of the five self- concept dimensions for which a significant gender difference was found.     

THE WOMEN'S STUDIES EXPERIENCE

The impact of women's studies courses on students'feminist activism and related behaviors was assessed through quantitative and qualitative methods. At pretesting, women's studies students (10 classes: 161 women and 18 men) did not report significantly more activism than nonwomen's studies students taught by women's studies faculty (9 classes: 73 women and 48 men) or nonwomen's studies students taught by nonwomen's studies faculty (12 classes: 107 women and 47 men). At posttesting, women's studies students, relative to the comparison students, reported more activism during the semester of evaluation, stronger intentions to engage in future feminist activism, and more important and more positive course-related influences on their personal lives ( p < .0001).     

Gender and the Choice of a Science Career: The Impact of Social Support and Possible Selves

This study examined the relationships among perceived social support, beliefs about how one would fare in a science career, and perceptions and choice of a career in science. Participants were 48 men and 33 women from the Midwestern United States who had been identified as gifted in mathematics and science and participated in a high school science enrichment program. They ranged in age from 24 to 28?years old, and the sample was predominantly White (83.3%). Participants completed an online measure approximately 10?years after the program ended examining their sources of support and beliefs about the self as a scientist to see how these variables influence perceptions of a science career and actual career. We expected that the relationship between perceived support from people and current job held would be mediated by participants’ beliefs about their personal life as a scientist in the future. Similarly, we expected that the relationship between a perceived supportive environment and having a science career would be mediated by participants’ beliefs about their career as a scientist in the future. Findings indicated that social support contributed directly to men’s and women’s ability to envision themselves in a future science career, which, in turn, predicted their interest in and motivation for a science career. No significant gender differences were found in the predictors of men’s and women’s perceptions and choice of a science career. Implications for recruitment of students into scientific majors and careers are discussed.     

Social awareness and early self-recognition

Self-recognition by 86 children (14-52months) was assessed using the mirror mark test in two different social contexts. In the classic mirror task condition, only the child was marked prior to mirror exposure (Classic condition). In the social norm condition, the child, experimenter, and accompanying parent were marked prior to the child's mirror exposure (Norm condition). Results indicate that in both conditions children pass the test in comparable proportion, with the same increase as a function of age. However, in the Norm condition, children displayed significantly more hesitation while removing the mark, often touching it without removing it or, if so, promptly putting the mark back onto their forehead. In the Classic condition, only one child showed such hesitation. These results suggest that from the outset, mirror self-recognition can refer to social awareness. This link is interpreted as the trademark of human self-consciousness, a deeply rooted "looking glass" self-awareness.