Quantitative differences between male and female Hawaiian early adolescents in their primary factors of personality.

Empirically examined were the quantitative differences between 349 female and 230 male Hawaiian early adolescents (M age = 12.1 yr.) in the seven primary personality factors previously found: Super Ego, Ego Strength, Anxiety, Dependence vs Independence, Social Activity vs Shyness, Dominance vs Submission, and Masculinity vs Femininity. A multivariate analysis that examined the difference on each factor while statistically controlling for differences in the others indicated female Hawaiian early adolescents are higher on Dependence and Social Activity and lower on Super Ego and Masculinity scales. In contrast, a univariate analysis which did not statistically control for differences in other factors, although it correctly identified three differences, did not indicate one difference and falsely indicated three. Besides accurately indicating personality differences between Hawaiian early adolescent boys and girls, the research indicates the importance of multivariate analyses of differences between the sexes in further research.     

Social support and suicide potential: preliminary findings for adolescent populations.

The relationship between both the quantity and perceived quality of social support and suicidal risk was examined in a sample of 50 adolescents whose ages ranged from 16 to 20 years. A multiple regression analysis was performed, using scores from Cull and Gill's 1983 Suicide Probability Scale as the criterion measure along with the predictor variables of quantity and quality of experienced social support as measured by the 1983 Social Support Questionnaire of Sarason, Levine, Basham, and Sarason. Analysis showed the social support variables accounted for over 52% of the variance in suicide potential. The greatest proportion of the variance in suicide risk was attributable to the quality of the perceived social support. Adolescents at greater risk for suicide were significantly less satisfied with the quality of their social support.     

Women,men, and condoms: attitudes and experiences of heterosexual college students

Little is known concerning gender and ethnic differences in attitudes about condoms or about the impact of attitudes on condom use. College students ( N = 393) rated many features of condoms. Overall, students were mildly positive about condoms, believing they offer effective protection but detract from sexual sensation. Both past condom use and future intentions to use condoms were higher among students with more favorable global attitudes toward condoms and more favorable specific beliefs about the interpersonal dynamics of condom use. Future intentions to use condoms were also associated with greater worry about sexually transmitted diseases and fewer previous sexual partners. Women were more favorable toward condoms than men. Gender differences also emerged in the predictors of condom use. Implications for assessing condom attitudes and for increasing condom use among young heterosexuals are discussed.     

Describing our “humanness”: Can genetic science alter what it means to be “human”?

Over the past several decades, geneticists have succeeded in identifying the genetic mutations associated with disease. New strategies for treatment, including gene transfer and gene therapy, are under development. Although genetic science has been welcomed for its potential to predict and treat disease, interventions may become ethically objectionable if they threaten to alter characteristics that are distinctively human. Before we can determine whether or not a genetic technique carries this risk, we must clarify what it means to be “human”. This paper inquires how “humanness” has been defined within various academic fields. The views of several legal theoreists, scientists, bioethicists, psychologists, philosophers and anthropologists whose works seem to best reflect how “humanness” is understood in their respective fields of study are considered. Our survey attempts to chart a path for a more detailed study on the meaning of “humanness” in the future. We assess four traits commonly identified in the literature as defining what it means to be human: cognition, biological or physiological composition, social interaction with other “human” beings, and spirituality. The nature of the relationship between these characteristics, in our view, is symbiotic: genetic intervention which alters one of them could have repercussions on one or more of the others. In conclusion, we offer guidance to those participating in genetic research and treatment regarding the parameters within which they may proceed without threatening the preservation of what is distinctively human.     

Meta-Analyses of Gender Effects on Conversational Interruption: Who,What, When,Where, and How

Meta-analyses of 43 published studies comparingadult women's and men's interruptions duringconversations were conducted. Combined significancelevels and combined effect sizes were analyzed. Acrossstudies, men were significantly more likely than womento use interruptions. This difference, however, wasassociated with a negligible effect size (d = .15). Amore substantial effect size (d = .33) was found when studies looking specifically at intrusive typesof interruption were analyzed separately. Othermoderator variables were found to be related to gendereffects on the use of intrusive interruptions. Most notably, reports of gender differences inintrusive interruptions were more likely and larger inmagnitude when either women (versus men) were firstauthors, participants were observed in naturalistic(versus laboratory) settings, or participants wereobserved interacting in groups of three or more persons(versus in dyads). These results lend support to acontextual-interactive model of gender that emphasizes the importance of situational moderators ongender-related variations in social behavior.     

Development and validation of the Guided Group Discussion Self-Estimate Inventory (GGD-SEI)

A 19-item self-report measure was designed to promote increased self-awareness of a group leader's perceived ability to facilitate guided small-group discussion. A factor analysis of responses from students about to embark on a micro-training course in guided group discussion(N = 154) yielded four factors that reflected subjects' belief in their ability to utilise specific group management skills. The scale had high internal reliability (a = 0.92). Initial validity estimates show that the instrument is (i) positively associated with an assessment of interpersonal skills, and (ii) minimally related to self-perceptions of locus of control, fear of negative evaluation, and estimates of self-esteem. The instrument, developed for use within education and training settings, provides a useful measure of guided small-group discussion self-efficacy.     

Retrieval processes in arithmetic production and verification

To investigate whether arithmetic production and verification involve the same retrieval processes, we alternated multiplication production trials (e.g., 9 × 6 = ?) with verification trials (4 × 9 = 36, true or false?) and analyzed positive error priming.Positive error priming is the phenomenon in which errors frequently match correct answers from preceding problems. Production errors were strongly primed by previous production trials (the error-answer matching rate was about 90% greater than expected by chance), but production errors were not strongly primed by previous verification trials (≈13% above chance). Conversely, false-verification errors were primed by previous verification trials (≈25% above chance), but not by production trials. The results indicated that arithmetic production and verification were mediated by different memory processes and suggest a familiarity-based over a retrieval-based model of arithmetic verification.