Gender roles and adjustment in elementary-school children: A multidimensional approach

The present study of fourth through sixth graders examined the relationships between their school adjustment and the extent to which their self-concepts conformed to stereotypic gender roles. Several dimensions of gender roles were assessed. Adjustments was assessed by teacher ratings of externalizing and of internalizing symptoms. Among boys, more stereotypic self-concepts were associated with high levels of externalizing symptoms. Among girls, stereotypy was associated with high levels of internalizing. Discussion emphasized the practical importance of these relationships between gender-role stereotypy and poor adjustment, since externalizing and internalizing symptoms constitute the most frequent reasons for clinical referral among boys and among girls, respectively. Further findings, however, indicated that conclusions about the unfavorable adjustment correlates of stereotypy should not be extended to the less gender-typical symptoms (i.e., neither to boys' internalizing nor to girls' externalizing symptoms). Implications of the findings were also discussed with regard to earlier results obtained with adults that suggest mental health advantages associated with higher levels of masculinity. It was suggested that the contradiction between adult and child results partially reflects an emphasis upon externalizing symptoms with children, while studies employing adults have emphasized internalizing ones.The authors acknowledge the assistance of the Jefferson County School District, and especially Ms. Diane Hill, Director of Research, for their assistance in this study. The following persons are thanked for their assistance in interviewing children and collecting data: Heidi Hauge, Carol Hathaway-Clark, Judith King, and Ed Priddy. The authors also wish to thank Drs. Ann Boggiano and William Hodges for commenting on earlier drafts of this paper.     

Conservatism of Israeli junior high school students: interethnic differences

The aims of the study were (a) to establish the factor structure characterizing Israeli junior high school students of Western and Oriental ethnic origin on the Children's Scale of Social Attitudes, (b) to compare the Israeli factor structure with those for school children from other societies, and (c) to examine whether the Israeli school children's factor structure resembled those for Israeli adults as well as for adults from other societies. Analysis indicated that Israeli junior high school children from both Western and Oriental ethnic groups were characterized by similar factors of general conservatism, namely, Religion, Antihedonism, and Punitiveness, although the Orientals were more conservative on these factors than the Westerners. In addition, the present factor structure resembled those for groups of school children as well as adults from other societies, reconfirming that factors of general conservatism have cross-cultural validity.     

Recognizing orally spelled words: an analysis of procedures shared with reading and spelling

Some investigators have suggested that recognizing orally spelled words is dependent on the same procedures ordinarily used in spelling, whereas others have viewed it either as dependent on reading procedures or as an independent ability. In the present study, a single subject with dyslexia and dysgraphia was examined on parallel tests of recognizing orally spelled words, reading, and spelling (writing), and a comparison was made of his performance on the three tasks. On both words and nonwords, the patient's errors in recognizing orally spelled words and in reading were alike, whereas his spelling errors were often different. The distinction between recognizing orally spelled words and spelling was further shown by his inability to recognize a set of orally spelled words that he could write correctly to dictation or on the basis of word meaning. These findings suggest that the procedures normally used for reading can accept sequences of letter identities as input when orally spelled words must be recognized.     

A test of the reinforcing properties of stimuli correlated with nonreinforcement

The information hypothesis of conditioned reinforcement predicts that a stimulus that “reduces uncertainty” about the outcome of a trial will acquire reinforcing properties, even when the stimulus reliably predicts nonreinforcement. Four pigeons' key pecks produced one of two 5-sec stimuli with 0.50 probability according to a discriminated variable-interval schedule. One stimulus was followed by reinforcement; a second stimulus was followed by blackout. To the same extent, therefore, both stimuli reduced uncertainty about the possibility that food would arrive at the termination of the schedule interval. When a second key in the chamber was lighted, each peck on it could produce the stimulus preceding reinforcement, the stimulus preceding nonreinforcement, a novel stimulus, or no stimulus, across separate conditions. The stimulus preceding food maintained responding at substantial levels on the second, stimulus-producing, key. Such responding was not maintained by other stimuli. These data, replicated when the stimuli were reversed on the variable-interval schedule, do not support the prediction that uncertainty-reducing stimuli are necessarily conditioned reinforcers.     

Jewish values and sociopsychological perspectives on aging

The Jewish approach to aging and the aged is constructive. If one no longer works, guilt is inappropriate. Old age may be a sabbath of human life. In our culture, older people are led to low self-esteem less by their age than by occupational and economic status. Hence fundamental social change is needed if there is to be dignity and quality in life for older people. Old age can become, as it should, the high point of the human career.He is a rabbi in the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Among his books isEmpathy.     

Cognitive tempo as a Rorschach color variable.

The study investigated the relation of cognitive impulsivity (Kagan, 1966) to color responding on the Rorschach. Chromatic Rorschach Plates II, III, VII, IX and X were administered to 30 male and 43 female subjects. Subjects were then categorized as Impulsive or Reflective according to performance on the Matching Familiar Figures Test.Impulsive subjects made more C and CF responses than Reflective subjects. They also responded more quickly than Reflectives though that difference did not reach significance. The data supported the hypothesis relating impulsivity to color responding. Implications for theories of emotionality and color shock were discussed.