Longitudinal Gender Differences in Objectified Body Consciousness and Weight-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: Cultural and Developmental Contexts in the Transition from College

Longitudinal analysis of objectified body consciousness, body esteem, self-acceptance, and weight-related attitudes and behaviors in young adults (115 women and 49 men), who were undergraduates in 1993, tested hypotheses developed from theory on the social construction of gendered bodies and the developmental contexts of the post-college transition. Gender differences in body surveillance, body shame, and body esteem and the relationships between these persisted, whereas the relationship between body esteem and self-acceptance decreased for women and was similar to men at Wave 2. For both women and men, body surveillance and body shame decreased and body esteem increased over time, even though BMI also increased. Men wanted to lose weight at levels similar to women at Wave 2 and were equally likely to exercise to control weight, but they were less likely than women to diet. These results fit both cohort and age-related changes models of body experience for women and men.     

Changes in externalizing and internalizing behaviours over a school‐year: differences between 6‐year‐old boys and girls

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in externalizing and internalizing problem behaviours in 6‐year‐olds with a focus on sex differences. Teachers rated problem behaviours at the beginning and at the end of the school year, 8 months apart, in 370 children (197 boys and 173 girls) attending 22 school preparatory classrooms. Although the majority of the children were quite stable, considerable negative and positive changes for both boys and girls in problem behaviours were found. The results showed that girls were more likely to change their externalizing behaviours in a positive direction than boys, whereas a tendency to the opposite pattern was found for internalizing behaviours. Boys were also found to be more prone to a negative change in problem behaviours of both types than girls were. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“May I present you: my disgust!” – Declared disgust sensitivity in the presence of attractive models

Disgust sensitivity differs among men and women, and this phenomenon has been observed across numerous cultures. It remains unknown why such sex differences occur, but one of the reasons may relate to differences in self-presentation. We tested that hypothesis in an experiment comprising 299 participants (49% women) randomly allocated into three groups. Each group completed the Three Domains Disgust Scale (TDDS) and rated how disgusting they found olfactory, visual, gustatory, and tactile disgust elicitors either when a male experimenter was present, a female experimenter was present, or no experimenter was present. We hypothesised that male participants in the female experimenter group would declare decreased levels of disgust sensitivity, and female participants in the male experimenter group would declare increased levels of disgust sensitivity. Results showed that despite sex differences in pathogen and sexual disgust, attractive experimenters did not evoke any differences in declared disgust across groups with one exception–both men and women self-presented as more sensitive to sexual disgust in the presence of the female experimenter. We discuss our findings in the light of evolutionary and social theories.     

Sex differences in the association of math achievement with visual-spatial and verbal working memory: Does the type of math test matter?

Previous research on sex differences in mathematical achievement shows mixed findings, which have been argued to depend on types of math tests used and the type of solution strategies (i.e., verbal versus visual-spatial) these tests evoke. The current study evaluated sex differences in (a) performance (development) on two types of math tests in primary schools and (b) the predictive value of verbal and visual-spatial working memory on math achievement. Children (N = 3175) from grades 2 through five participated. Visual-spatial and verbal working memory were assessed using online computerized tasks. Math performance was assessed five times during two school years using a speeded arithmetic test (math fluency) and a word problem test (math problem solving). Results from Multilevel Multigroup Latent Growth Modeling, showed that sex differences in level and growth of math performance were mixed and very small. Sex differences in the predictive value of verbal and visual-spatial working memory for math performance suggested that boys seemed to rely more on verbal strategies than girls. Explanations focus on cognitive and emotional factors and how these may interact to possibly amplify sex differences as children grow older.     

Social Determinants of Attitudes towards Women’s Premarital Sexuality among Female Turkish University Students

This paper explores the effects of demographic and attitudinal variables on attitudes toward women’s premarital sexuality in a sample of 277 undergraduate female students at Istanbul University, Turkey. The results of the research demonstrated that sexual attitudes best predicted the dependent variable in regression analysis. Once the variable sexual attitudes was excluded from the equation, mother’s education and personal religiosity were the best predictors of attitudes toward women’s premarital sexuality. For a more extensive version of this study, see     

4～5岁儿童一一对应任务中的比例效应

一一对应和数量比较是幼儿数概念发展的两个重要方面。在本研究中．40名4岁和39名5岁的儿童分别完成了不同比例数量的一一对应任务和数量比较任务。结果表明：（1）两种实验任务下均出现比例效应．说明儿童在解决一一对应问题时,仍然用数量比较的方法来进行判断;（2）任务类型的主效应显著,一一对应任务下的正确率要显著低于数量比较任务下的正确率;（3）知觉线索更多地影响数量比较任务。     

中国人群脂肪肝主要影响因素的荟萃分析

为系统评价中国居民脂肪肝发病的主要危险因素,检索文献数据库,收集国内1997年～2008年有关脂肪肝发病危险因素的16篇文献,利用Meta分析方法,进行综合统计分析,累计病例7200例,对照11884例。结果超重（23≤BMI〈25）、肥胖（BMI≥25）、过量饮酒、吸烟、高脂饮食、食用蔬菜、饮绿茶、爱好运动、运动少、高脂血症、高HDL—Ch、低HDL-Ch、高血压、高血糖、高血总胆固醇（≥6．5mmol／L）及糖尿病合并0R值（95％CI）分别为1．68（0．68～3．90）、5．01（3．23～7．76）、3．52（1．52～8．15）、1．18（1．01～1．37）、2．82（1．50～5．31）、0．45（0．37～0．55）、0．52（0．43～0．64）、0．32（0．14～O．74）、3．49（1．26～9．65）、4．91（2．69～8．96）、0．31（0．17～0．57）、2．14（1．50～3．03）、2．19（1．43～3．35）、2．75（1．66～4．58）、2．96（0．26～32．98）、2．29（1．30～4．01）。结论为目前影响中国人群脂肪肝发生的危险因素依次为肥胖、高脂血症、饮酒、运动少、高脂饮食、高血糖、糖尿病、高血压、低HDL—Ch和吸烟;保护因素为饮用绿茶,食用蔬菜,以及高HDL—ch;尚不能确定与中国人脂肪肝发生的相关性因素为超重和高血胆固醇。     

对恶性肿瘤性别差异的再认识

恶性肿瘤性别差异表现在发病率、预后、治疗等多方面。生理结构、生活方式、工作、性格等流行病学因素是造成恶性肿瘤性别差异的外因,性激素及其受体研究在一定程度上解释了性别差异的本质,且为恶性肿瘤的内分泌治疗提供了理论依据。随着分子生物学技术发展,基因多态、分子突变等深入研究成果揭示更深层次的原因。     

Overweight and cognition

There is a growing concern among health authorities that an increasing number of people in the Western world become overweight and even obese. It is well known that obesity is related to several diseases (e.g., diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure) and that such diseases related to obesity lead to early death. It has also been discussed whether overweight and obesity in themselves or in relation to such diseases lead to cognitive decline. On the basis of data from a large, population‐based, prospective study we examined three cognitive domains: episodic memory, semantic memory, and spatial ability. Two body measures were used to define normal weight and overweight, body‐mass index and waist/hip ratio. Although these two body measures reveal quite different prevalence data of overweight, the associations between overweight and cognition are similar. For episodic memory, overweight interacts with age, but when controlling for hypertension, stroke and diabetes, this interaction disappears. For semantic memory, normal weight participants outperform overweight participants even after controlling for these diseases. For spatial ability, the well‐established advantage for men holds for young‐old and old‐old normal‐weight participants. For overweight participants, this advantage holds for middle‐age participants only. We conclude that there is a weight‐cognition relationship even after controlling for obesity‐related diseases. The results are discussed in terms of possible biological mechanisms.     

双性化大学生人格特征研究

通过对北京市某所大学826名大学生的调查,探讨性别、性别角色类型和新性别角色类型对大学生人格特征的影响。结果表明：1）双性化性别角色类型大学生约占1／4;2）用贝姆的分类方法,双性化大学生在开放性、宜人性、责任感、和谐性、人情、灵活性人格特征上均高于其他性别角色类型的大学生,可见,双性化性别角色大学生具有较积极的人格特征。按照Brenda Mae Woodhill和CurtisA．Samuels的分类方法,在外向性、开放性、宜人性、责任感、和谐性人格特征上,正性双性化性别角色类型的大学生均高于负性双性化大学生和其他性别角色类型的大学生。