Investment in body image among patients diagnosed with or at risk for malignant melanoma

We examined investment in body image among 48 patients diagnosed with, or at risk for malignant melanoma (MM), as well as factors hypothesized as related to increased investment, such as gender, perceived stress, mood, fatigue, and personality characteristics. Investment in body image was evaluated using the Measure of Body Apperception [Carver, C. S., Pozo-Kaderman, C., Price, A. A., Noriega, V., Harris, S. D., Derhagopian, R. S., Robinson, D. S., & Moffat, F. L. Jr. (1998). Concern about aspects of body image and adjustment to early state breast cancer. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 168–174]. Results showed that women reported more concerns about physical appearance than men, and patients with MM exhibited more concerns about body integrity than at-risk patients. Concerns about body integrity were related to more compulsive personality characteristics, whereas concerns about appearance were associated with more histrionic personality characteristics. Body image investment was related to poorer adjustment as indicated by heightened symptoms of fatigue and stress. This study suggests that further research on investment in body image in this patient population is warranted.     

Learning Disabilities, Gender, Sources of Efficacy, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Academic Achievement in High School Students

This study examined the impact of gender, learning disability (LD) status, and sources of efficacy on self-efficacy beliefs and academic achievement in the concept of Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Two hundred and seventy-eight high school students participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used. The results revealed that LD status had indirect influence on self-efficacy via the source variable; gender did not have direct or indirect influences on self-efficacy; sources of efficacy had direct impact on self-efficacy, which in turn affected academic performance. The structural model fit the data well and explained 55% of the variance in academic achievement.     

Measured and self-estimated trait emotional intelligence in a UK sample of managers

Trait emotional intelligence (EI) was measured and self-estimated in a UK sample of 128 managers (52.3% female), recruited at a professional services firm. Participants’ measured scores were compared to standardization sample data and gender differences in measured and estimated scores, as well as in estimation bias and accuracy were examined. As hypothesized, managers’ global trait EI scores were significantly higher than those of the normative sample of the measure used, although the scores of female participants were largely responsible for this difference. Gender-specific hypotheses were confirmed for measured scores (differences only hypothesized at the factor level) and estimation accuracy (males estimating their trait EI more accurately), but not for estimated scores (female participants had higher estimates, but the opposite was hypothesized). Further, female managers showed signs of estimation bias.     

"Moralism" and the Gender Gap: Judgments of Political Ethics in Japan

This article investigates whether women are, as many claim, "moralists"—that is, moral and ethical standard-setters who seek clean politics and have strict standards for public officials. An analysis of data from the 1996 Japanese Elections and Democracy Study survey and from 18 focus groups conducted in 1996 indicates that women in Japan are not moralists. As elsewhere, there is a gender gap in Japan on "issue preference sets," with women favoring a "care" agenda, but women assign political ethics less importance than do men, even though women are more likely to see adverse effects from political corruption. Studying people's judgments of four ethics scenarios reveals minimal gender gaps; controlling for education and age, women's judgments overall are less, not more, strict than men's. Among women, age is a better predictor of moralism than education; older women are stricter than younger women on political ethics. This is attributed to gender-based differences in moral reasoning: Japanese women and men both rely heavily on a "relation-based" frame (which is situation-specific and requires extensive social information), but gender stratification patterns create information inequalities. Younger women lack social information necessary for judging political misconduct, whereas older women overcome the information deficit through life experience.     

After the Fall of the Wall: The Impact of the Transition on East German Women

This article addresses the impact of unification on East German families and on the situation of women in the East. The main hypothesis is that women are the losers of German unification, not only in terms of their decreasing participation in the labor force, but also in terms of their weakened position in partnerships and their increasing responsibilities in the domestic sphere. The findings are based primarily on personal interviews of different types of families. The first part of the article describes respondents' recollections of their everyday lives during the days of the former DDR (East Germany) and analyzes the specific family structures and relations between family members that prevailed. It focuses on the domestic division of labor and discusses the impact of high female employment on gender roles in the family and in the socialist society. The second part deals with the effects of German unification on families in East Germany.     

Gender and age-related differences in attitudes toward traffic laws and traffic violations

The study examined gender and age-related differences in drivers’ normative motives for compliance with traffic laws and in gain–loss considerations related to driving. Two age groups of male and female students, totaling 181 respondents, completed a questionnaire measuring several normative motives for compliance with traffic laws, perceived gains and danger involved in the commission of traffic violations, and the frequency of committing various driving violations. The results show that younger drivers and male drivers express a lower level of normative motivation to comply with traffic laws than do female and older drivers. The lowest level of perceived importance of traffic laws relative to other laws was found among young male drivers. The commission of traffic violations was found to be related more to the evaluation of traffic laws among men and younger drivers, compared to women and older drivers. The perceived danger involved in the commission of a driving violation, however, was found to constitute much more of a factor among women than among men before the commission of traffic violations. Perceived gains involved in the commission of violations were more strongly pronounced among older drivers than among younger drivers. Results are discussed concerning different types of attitude–behavior relationships in the context of driving.     

Effects of perceived social support and family demands on college students' mental well‐being: A cross‐cultural investigation

The effects of perceived social support and family demands on college students' mental well‐being (perceived stress and depression) were assessed in 2 samples of Jordanian and Turkish college students. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between perceived support and mental well‐being. Multiple regression analyses showed that perceived family support was a better predictor of mental well‐being for Jordanian students, while perceived support from friends was a better predictor of mental well‐being for Turkish students. Perceived family demands were stronger predictors of mental well‐being for participants from both ethnic groups. Jordanian and Turkish participants who perceived their families to be too demanding were more likely to report higher depression and stress levels. None of the interactions between social support or family demands and either of the 2 demographic variables were statistically significant. These findings provide a more nuanced view of the relationship between social support and mental health among college students, and point to the relevance of some cultural and situational factors. They also draw further attention to the detrimental effects of unrealistic family demands and pressures on the mental health of college youths.     

Antecedent variables of innovation behaviors in organizations: Differences between men and women

IntroductionRelevance of innovation behaviors for organizational success led to study its main individual, job-related and organizational antecedents. Moreover, research on differences in innovation between men and women showed inconclusive results. Ambidexterity (Bledow, Frese, Anderson, Erez, & Farr, 2009) and Zhou and Hoever (2014) call for combining contextual and personal characteristics in innovation research suggest that pathways and variables leading to innovation between men and women could be different.Objective(s)This study aims to analyze if men and women differ in the main antecedents for innovative behaviors. Thus, a moderating effect of gender on the relationship between innovative behaviors and their main antecedent variables is hypothesized. Results are of interest for promoting innovation and empowering women at work context.MethodIn a sample of 458 employees from 16 Spanish companies, we carried out hierarchical regression analyses on innovation behaviors, including as main antecedents academic level, proactive personality, job demands, organizational commitment, HR practices addressed to participation, and transformational leadership. In addition, interaction terms between gender and such antecedents were entered in regression analysis.ResultsProactive personality, HR participation practices, inspirational motivation, job demands and academic level significantly predicted innovative behaviors at their different phases. Moreover, gender moderated the relationship between generation of new ideas with academic level and organizational commitment, and between promotion of ideas with job demands and idealized influence. Organizational commitment promoted generation of ideas among women but not among men, whereas idealized influence is detrimental for women. Reversely, higher job demands stimulate promotion of ideas among men but were detrimental for innovation among women.ConclusionOur results suggest that innovation among women seems to be more sensitive to the influence of leadership and require more social support, whereas higher job demands are detrimental. These results suggest that innovation is more related to intrinsic variables (as self-confidence, empowerment and social processes) among women, whereas for men, it seems to be more related to work demands. Results could help companies to stimulate innovation, between both men and women.     

Optimising landmark-based route guidance for older drivers

In-vehicle navigation systems (IVNS) have the potential to benefit older drivers, reducing stress associated with way-finding and providing on-trip support, especially in unfamiliar locations. However, existing IVNS present challenges to usability, resulting in lack of uptake and over-reliance on pre-trip planning.This paper presents research aimed at identifying features that make IVNS user-friendly and appropriate for older drivers. Studying navigational performance within a simulated driving environment, it focuses on the use of landmarks with route guidance information, and the most appropriate method of information provision (audio only, visual only or a combination of audio and visual). It also assesses potential gender differences that might arise with landmark-based navigational information.Solutions include use of appropriate roadside landmarks, and information delivered through a combination of audio and icon-based visual format. These features result in lower workload and fewer navigational errors. The audio/visual modality reduces the hazard of distraction by landmarks resulting in fewer visual glances and lower glance duration to the roadside compared to other modalities.Design and provision of IVNS tailored to older drivers’ needs can make a considerable contribution to maintaining individual mobility for longer.