The Adolescent Attempter: Sex,Sibling Position,and Family Constellation

ABSTRACT: Data from 17 adolescents who attempted suicide and came to the attention of the Payne Whitney Suicide Prevention Clinic during the years 1968–70 were analyzed for information regarding sex, birth order, sex of siblings, and family constellation. The results indicated that there was a significant trend for firstborn females to be overrepresented among adolescent suicide attempters. In addition, father loss was frequently noted in their histories. A theoretical rationale for the investigation is presented with the results of the study.     

ETHNIC VARIATIONS IN PERCEPTIONS OF MEN'S PROVIDER ROLE

Relatively little research has examined current perceptions of men's provider role in light of widespread support for women's employment. This study examined attitudes toward provider role enactment and provider role responsibility and how such views varied by ethnicity, gender, demographic characteristics, immigration status, acculturation, and community economic conditions. Telephone interviews were conducted with 3,213 residents across 21 cities. The sample was 40% African American, 7% Mexican American, and 53% White. Though there was strong support for dual provider role enactment by female and male respondents, beliefs about men's responsibility for family provision displayed greater variability. Ethnic minorities, particularly less acculturated Mexican immigrants, were more likely than Whites to believe that men were responsible for making economic provisions. Favorable economic conditions for men were associated with a greater emphasis on male provider responsibilities among Mexican Americans and Whites, whereas the opposite was true for Blacks. Overall, the findings suggest that one's position in the socioeconomic structure and the economic potential for men in one's environment help shape these attitudes.     

FOCUSING ON PARTICIPANTS

This article presents a model developed and assessed by a women's health research team to enhance sensitivity and increase readability of a survey to be used with community-based women. The survey consisted of quantitative measures of AIDS-related attitudes and behaviors, developed and used with traditional-aged college populations, and included questions of a highly personal nature. In Study 1, 30 women with English reading levels of third grade and above from two targeted community populations completed a survey in two waves of focus groups and gave feedback about readability, length, format, content, emotional responses, truthfulness in responding, and opinions about the research. Problem areas and changes that made the survey more readable, understandable, emotionally sensitive, and effective are reviewed. In Study 2, pre- and postmodification versions of nine scales are compared in 430 traditional-aged college women (pre) and 793 community-based women (post), the latter broken into subsamples for more refined comparisons. Results of five psychometric analyses demonstrate that psychometric integrity does not have to be hurt by such changes. In addition, this process illustrates how researchers can gain a better understanding of participants and their reactions to the research process through qualitative research methods.     

Validation of scales measuring attitudes and norms related to mammography screening in women veterans.

Validation of psychosocial measures for use in mammography screening research has been given inadequate attention in the literature. The authors report on the validation of 5 measures examining 4 attitudinal constructs (i.e., pros, cons, outcome expectations, and cancer worries) and 1 social influence construct (i.e., subjective norms) in a 22-item inventory. The study participants consisted of a national, randomly sampled population of women veterans (n = 2,910). After minor revision of scales, the authors found independent measures for 4 constructs: pros, cons, cancer worries, and subjective norms. The authors concluded that these scales have acceptable psychometric properties; support construct validity; and provide brief, reliable, and valid measures of attitudes toward and norms regarding mammography screening. These scales may be useful for intervention research.     

Men as Allies: The Efficacy of a High School Rape Prevention Intervention

This study investigated the effects of a Men as Allies‐based intervention on high school students' rape‐supportive attitudes and behaviors. As hypothesized at posttest, the male and female experimental groups demonstrated a significant decrease in rape‐supportive attitudes, which was maintained at follow‐up. Male participants viewed peers' attitudes toward sexual violence as significantly different (worse) from peers' pretest self‐ratings; after intervention, male and female experimental group participants' peer ratings were significantly more accurate.     

Gender Differences in Loneliness Across the Lifespan: A Meta‐Analysis

Different theoretical contentions on gender differences in loneliness exist, often including the emergence of gender differences in particular developmental periods. To explain those ideas, the current meta‐analysis synthesizes the available evidence on gender differences in loneliness across the lifespan. Three‐level meta‐analyses were conducted with 751 effect sizes, covering 399,798 individuals (45.56% males). Results showed a close‐to‐zero overall effect (g = 0.07). Most examined moderators were non‐significant, except for age, the scope of the sampling area, and year of publication. Most importantly, all effects were small, suggesting that across the lifespan mean levels of loneliness are similar for males and females.