A general approach for calculating the likelihood of dyadic interactions: Applications to sex preferences in rat pups and agonistic interactions in adults

We introduce a general approach for calculating the expected frequency of different types of dyadic interactions between animals and illustrate it with two applications. The first application determines whether there are sex contact biases between male and female Norway rat pups. We hypothesized that opposite-sex contact biases should be small, because it is likely that differences in contact based on the sex of animals would interfere with other biological functions, such as group temperature regulation. We found a small but significant bias of 3% in opposite-sex contacts. The second application reanalyzed J. B. Calhoun’s (1962) data on antagonistic encounters between rats for two factors (sex and birth location), each with two levels. The results of these two applications suggest that sex contact biases among pups are predictive of agonistic encounters among adults and that this approach has general application to the analysis of dyadic interactions among animals.     

Doctor or nurse: children's perception of sex typed occupations.

128 children between ages of 5 and 6 years were shown 4 films depicting all possible combinations of female and male physicians and nurses. Results showed that when confronted with counter-stereotypical occupational portrayals, children were likely to relabel them into the typical instance of the male physician and the female nurse. There was a stronger tendency for the subjects to relabel the male nurse than to relabel the female physician. The children's relabeling of the roles presented was not due to inattention to the stimulus materials (videotapes). Neither sex, nor age, nor the number of physician visits in the last year were related to the frequency of relabeling. Maternal employment and exposure to real male nurses were related to correct identification of the male nurse and the female physician. The results suggest that the relabeling and its asymmetric character may be due to the differential exposure of children to female physicians and male nurses.     

Body image dissatisfaction and distortion,steroid use,and sex differences in college age bodybuilders

College age bodybuilders were compared by sex (female, male) and steroid intake (nonuse, use) on two variables: body image dissatisfaction and body image distortion. Results of 2 × 2 ANOVAs (sex by steroid use) revealed only a significant effect for gender on body distortion. No steroid‐use differences were apparent for either body image dissatisfaction or body image distortion. Further analyses indicated that female bodybuilders were equally split between desiring more muscle bulk versus a thinner frame, whereas the majority of male bodybuilders wanted to build more muscle mass. These results are compared to previous research with non‐bodybuilders wherein body image dissatisfaction was unidirectional for females (i.e., all desired slimness) yet bidirectional for males (i.e., some aspired to increased muscle mass whereas others sought a reduction in body fat). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

大学生成就动机的性别差异研究

采用问卷调查并结合访谈和文献资料等方法,通过对某市男女大学生成就动机的分析研究,发现大学生在成就动机结构上存在着较为显著的性别差异,具体表现为:大学女生在价值取向成就动机上的得分显著高于大学男生,大学男生在职业取向成就动机和社会取向成就动机上的得分显著高于大学女生。但在成就动机强度水平上大学女生与大学男生之间的水平差异正在逐渐缩小。     

Gender and Social Inequality at Oxford and Cambridge Universities

Abstract

The academic efficiency and social justice of entry procedures at Oxford and Cambridge Universities are examined over the past quarter of a century. For each major subject the mean A‐level scores of males and females entering from state and independent schools are compared with mean final examination scores in the major subjects. In any comparison of state and independent cohorts of the same gender, within the bounds of normal statistical fluctuation, the difference in A‐level score is a good predictor of the difference in finals score. For example, when between state men and independent men the difference in A‐level score is zero, the difference between mean finals score is zero also. The origin of female under‐achievement is examined. In most subjects there is pronounced gender inequality due to the following chain of circumstances: (1) to break‐even in finals women require at entry better grades at Advanced Level than men; (2) women used to have much the better A‐levels and so, in finals a quarter of a century ago, they matched and even — in some subjects — surpassed the men; (3) the A‐levels of women entering Oxford and Cambridge Universities fell off during the 1970s; (4) today female A‐level scores are slightly worse than male A‐level scores, and so female finals scores are much worse, in most subjects, than male finals scores. The concept of an ideal subject is defined; this is a subject in which zero difference in A‐level score between male and female yields zero difference in finals score. Law at Cambridge and chemistry at Oxford are ideal subjects. Ideal subjects are rare at Oxbridge: most subjects exhibit a significant male lead in finals when male and female have equal A‐level scores. The most non‐ideal subject at Oxford is mathematics, in which zero difference in A‐level score between males and females yields a male lead in finals score of 13%: at Oxford the other non‐ideal subjects are physics (male lead at equal A‐levels 11%), philosophy, politics and economics (9%), history (8%), modem languages (8%) and English (5%). An ideal subject is a paradigm which requires even‐handedness between male and female cohorts in the following parameters: (1) efficiency of course selection from school; (2) efficiency of teaching; (3) efficiency of finals assessment; (4) latent ability. A pronounced relative decline in the A‐level scores of girls educated in state maintained schools entering English and Welsh universities occurred in the 1970s; it is attributed to the reform of the state school system, particularly the growth in mixed‐sex comprehensive schools and the decline in the number of female single‐sex grammar schools. A peculiar aspect of the admissions filters at both Oxford and Cambridge ensures that state‐school educated men gaining entry do so with A‐level scores markedly superior to those of the other three cohorts.     

Older opposite-sex romantic partners,sexual risk,and victimization in adolescence

This study examined how age gaps among opposite-sex romantic partners related to sexual risk-taking and victimization by partners among 201 at-risk adolescents (60.2% female). We examined three questions: (a) is younger partner age, age gap between partners, or a combination of these two factors most strongly related to negative outcomes; (b) do age gaps relate to negative outcomes differently for male versus female adolescents; and (c) why do age gaps relate to negative outcomes? Results revealed that the wider the age gap between partners, the more likely adolescents were to engage in sex and the less likely they were to use protection against pregnancy and STIs. Wider age gaps were also associated with more frequent emotional and physical victimization and higher odds of unwanted sexual behavior. Findings did not differ significantly by gender or younger partner age. Analyses revealed that the wider the age gap, the more likely both partners were to engage in risky lifestyles (i.e., substance use and delinquency), and risky lifestyles – rather than poor negotiation or decision-making equality – helped to explain associations between age gaps and engagement in sexual intercourse and victimization experiences. Results suggest that relationships with age gaps tend to involve two partners who are engaging in deviant lifestyles overall, further corroborating the need to identify and provide services to these youth. Results also support movements toward considering partner age gaps rather than relying on a set age of consent when determining adolescents’ legal competency to consent to sex.     

The Development of Occupational Sex‐role Stereotypes,Occupational Preferences and Academic Subject Preferences in Children at Ages 8, 12 and 16

This paper reports data from a questionnaire‐based UK study aimed at examining occupational sex‐role stereotypes and occupational preferences of male and female pupils at three ages. Data were collected from 594 children in total (108 8‐year‐olds, 307 12‐year‐olds and 177 16‐year‐olds) who responded to questions that asked for their views on who (males, females or both) should perform certain occupations and how much they would like to have each of the occupations as their career. The children were also asked to indicate their favourite school subject. Analysis indicated that the youngest age group held significantly more stereotyped views regarding who should perform certain jobs than the older children and that, generally, boys sex‐typed appropriateness of occupations to a significantly greater degree than girls, although this difference was not significant in the youngest age group. Furthermore, analysis of the occupational preference ratings revealed significant differences between male and female subjects for many occupations, with higher ratings generally being awarded to stereo‐typically gender‐appropriate careers. Significant differences between the three age groups were also observed in the preference ratings for many occupations, with a tendency for the majority of occupations to be perceived less favourably with increasing age of respondent. Finally, school subject preferences were considered. No consistent or stable pattern of preference emerged for males and females across age‐groups, confirming recent suggestions that gender stereotyping of school subjects is weakening.     

The relationship of time orientation with perceived academic performance and preparation for assessment in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to operationalise a model of time orientation and investigate the variability of its factors based on preparation for assessment and perceived academic performance. Responses from 113 male adolescents (mean age = 16.46 years) and 115 female adolescents (mean age = 16.42 years) to items operationalising an expanded model of the contextual approach to adolescent orientation to the future were analysed using principal component analysis. The results rendered five factors including a past orientation, three present orientation factors (task focus, positive social support, and negative social support), and a future orientation. A series of two‐way ANOVAs showed an association of present and future time orientation with academic achievement. Results also showed that students’ approaches to learning varied mainly as a function of present positive social support and task focus. Students who prepared well for assessment had the highest future time orientation. This research highlights the importance of an elevated present and future time orientation to academic achievement and appropriate preparation for assessment tasks.     

Attraction to mobile and immobile conspecifics

Male and female laboratory rats invariably investigate a novel conspecific placed in their home cages. In Experiment 1, mature male rats were exposed in their home cages to active and inactive juvenile males. Inactive juveniles were pretreated with haloperidol to induce behavioral stasis in a normally upright, quadrupedal stance. In repeated daily observations, males exposed to active juveniles displayed significantly longer intervals of investigation than did males exposed to inactive juveniles. In Experiment 2, mature males and females were repeatedly exposed to active and inactive castrate females. Males investigated significantly longer than did females, active female castrates were investigated significantly longer than were inactive female castrates, and sex of subject interacted significantly with activity-nonactivity of the social stimulus animal. In Experiment 3, mature males and females were repeatedly exposed to active and inactive castrate males. Males investigated significantly longer than did females, active male castrates were investigated significantly longer than were inactive male castrates, and sex of subject interacted significantly with activity-nonactivity of the social stimulus animal. The results demonstrate that sexual dimorphism in persistence of social investigation may be interpreted as a sex difference in response to normal movement cues of a stimulus complex characterizing a conspecific.     

Gendered Career Choice: is sex‐stereotyping the cause or the consequence?

The interaction between school pupils’ schematic representations of ‘social’ and ‘technical’ roles and the impact that the ‘sex‐typing’ of careers has on occupational choice were investigated using stimulus vignettes. Questionnaire data pertaining to occupational choice were collected from first‐year university students enrolled on courses designated as either ‘social’ or ‘technical’. The prototypical in‐group positions for the two occupational areas were calculated and used as the basis of vignettes depicting either a male or female school pupil experiencing difficulty in deciding whether to pursue a technical or socially oriented career. The vignettes were presented to 107 school pupils aged 16‐18 who were asked which career area they thought the target pupil was likely to choose. Results indicate that subjects were able to identify correctly the prototypical characteristics utilised in the vignettes and that these were of greater importance in their expectation of course choice than the ‘sex’ of the target pupil.     

Achievement Motivation: a cross‐cultural comparison of British and Chinese students

This study investigated age, sex and cultural differences in achievement motivation. Subjects were a total of 764 male and female British high school and Chinese students aged 13‐55. The thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was administered to measure need for achievement (nAch). Results revealed that Chinese high school students had significantly higher nAch scores than their British counterparts. They also had significantly higher scores than the two older groups of Chinese students. Female subjects of both cultures had higher scores than males, although this difference was significant for British female subjects only. The results were discussed in terms of sociocultural and situational factors.     

School Subject Preferences of Pupils in Single Sex and Co‐educational Secondary Schools

Rankings of school subject preferences were obtained from 321 male and 327 female pupils aged 11‐12 years, and 245 male and 240 female pupils aged 15‐16 years, from both single sex and co‐educational secondary schools. Overall rank orders showed an effect of school type for younger pupils only, in which evidence for less gender stereotyping of school subjects in single sex schools was found. The rankings of the older pupils, while not affected by school type, did show a clear effect of gender, with higher rankings being given to mathematics, science and physical education by boys and to art by girls.     

A longitudinal perspective on boys as victims of childhood sexual abuse in South Africa: Consequences for adult mental health

Childhood sexual abuse of boys was examined in a longitudinal cohort in South Africa, with data on abuse collected at six age points between 11 and 18 years. Potential personal and social vulnerability of male sexual abuse victims was explored and mental health outcomes of sexually abused boys were examined at age 22–23 years. Reports of all sexual activity – touching, oral and penetrative sex – increased with age and sexual coercion decreased with age. Almost all sexual activity at 11 years of age was coerced, with the highest rates of coercion occurring between 13 and14 years of age; 45% of reports of coerced touching were reported at age 14, 41 percent of coerced oral sex at age 13, and 31% of coerced penetrative sex at age 14. Sexual coercion was perpetrated most frequently by similar aged peers, and although gender of the assailant was less often reported, it can be presumed that perpetration is by males. Boys who experienced childhood sexual abuse tended to be smaller (shorter) and from poorer families. No relationships to measured childhood intelligence, pubertal stage, marital status of mother or presence of the father were found. There was no significant association between reports of childhood sexual abuse and mental health in adulthood and when personal and social vulnerabilities were taken into account.     

The who, when, where, what of daydreams among a young adult hearing-impaired population

A sample of 251 hearing-impaired college students responded to a daydreaming questionnaire. Only those responses from subjects who daydreamed 14-plus hours per week, or who daydreamed one and a half hours or less per week were used. This resulted in 40 high-frequency and 40 low-frequency daydreamers. Comparisons were made between male and female hearing impaired, high- and low-frequency daydreamers. The three significant differences were (a) when daydreaming occurred for these subjects; (b) time orientation of the daydreams; and (c) having an imaginary companion as a child. Although daydreaming did not differ significantly by frequency or sex in the students, other characteristics emerged. Subjects use actual, or desired, romantic partners as their central fantasy figures; change both themes and characters over a several month period; discuss their fantasies with a friend or family member; daydream most frequently while driving, while studying, or in class about the themes of love, sex, friendship, and owning things.     

Gender Differences in Undergraduate University Admissions in the United Kingdom

Admissions data for the admissions year ending in October 1989 are analysed by sex, subject and level of qualification. It is found that entry into some subjects is easier than entry into other subjects, and that this works to the disadvantage of women applicants. It is also found that, in general, in male dominated subjects females who have low levels of qualification are more likely to be accepted than males, the reverse being true of female dominated subjects. The consequences of these effects are explored.     

Reactions of Mongolian gerbils in the presence of urine stimuli

Forty sexually mature Mongolian gerbils served as subjects in a study designed to examine responsiveness to samples of urine. In a two-choice comparison situation in the home cage, each isolated gerbil was tested for amount of time spent with each urine sample during a 3-min period. Male gerbils spent significantly more time with estrus female urine than nonestrus female gerbil urine, and with nonestrus female gerbil urine than with either male gerbil urine or water. Female gerbils did not respond differentially to any of the stimuli. Neither sex discriminated between gerbil and hamster urine of either sex. Results suggest that female gerbil urine communicates sexual identity and, especially, sexual readiness to the male gerbil.     

高职院校教师教学行为的影响因素实证研究——以福建农业职业技术学院为例

通过高职院校教师教学行为认知量表,对福建农业职业技术学院120名教师进行问卷调查,并利用SPSS软件中的单因素方差分析功能进行实证研究。结果表明:女性教师的"感知行为控制"认知高于男性教师;不同教龄教师在"教学主体规范"认知上存在显著差异;不同学科专业的教师对行为态度、主体规范和感知行为控制认知存在显著性差异;不同性别、年龄、学历、婚姻状况、教龄、职位、职称、年收入、政治面貌的教师对教学行为意图认知不存在差异。     

脏话的性意识指向剖析

脏话作为一种非正规的边缘性语言,在现代社会已经无所不在。大部分脏话具有浓厚的性意识指向,直接以男女性器官或性行为为对象,尤以女性为甚。脏话的性意识指向背后是复杂的男女两性社会权力、地位关系,也体现出两性性心理的差异、变化。分析脏话的性意识,不仅能展现一定的社会文化、社会关系、两性性心理,而且能剖析出脏话中一些实质性的东西,为禁止脏话提供有用的参考。     

少数民族大学生社交焦虑特征初探

了解少数民族大学生社交焦虑的特点,并对其相关因素进行探讨。研究表明:少数民族大学生存在一定程度的社交焦虑,女生比男生具有更多的社交回避行为与苦恼感受,男生社交焦虑者对人性的信任度较低,自我和谐与社交焦虑之间的关系密切,自我与经验不和谐是影响社交焦虑的重要因素,年龄对社交焦虑和自我和谐影响不显著。