The Breasts of Virgins: Sexual Reputation and Young Women’s Bodies in Medieval Culture and Society

Many medical texts of the European Middle Ages included advice to young women on breast reduction. These recipes and techniques have not often been discussed by medieval historians, whose interest in meanings of women’s breasts has concentrated mostly on religious or nutritive associations. Highlighting late medieval English texts and culture, this article summarises medical advice on repressing breast growth, notes some ancient and earlier medieval precedents and argues the recipes responded not only to aesthetic preferences but also to beliefs that bust size and texture signified sexual experience. Arguing that breasts were legible flesh, in which an observer could read a young woman’s honour, it contends that breast suppression not only met idealised beauty standards but also protected sexual reputations.     

The Effects of Alternative Flowcharting Techniques on Performance on Procedural Tasks

Many individuals tend to have difficulty completing complex procedural tasks that require branching. Neither prose–based nor list–based instructions have been efficient in alleviating this difficulty. Traditional flowcharts have proven more effective in helping individuals to complete complex procedural tasks, but only after several practice sessions. However, it is possible that the use of map–like symbols may eliminate the need for repeated flowchart practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of flowcharts utilizing map–like symbols on performer efficiency in completing a complex procedural task. The results of this study indicated no significant difference between the use of map–like symbols and traditional flowcharts in helping performers to complete complex procedural tasks. However, both graphic presentation formats were found to be significantly more efficient than a list–based presentation of information. It was expected than an intuitive map–like presentation would be more efficient than a list–based format. However, the efficiency of the flowchart presentation under unpracticed conditions was unexpected, based on prior research.     

Ten necessary conversations with your client

Warren Buffet says, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” Decision makers today are solution price‐conscious but, more important, they seek to understand the value and impact of human capital investments to the organization. This article offers 10 conversations designed to facilitate results‐oriented dialogue between performance improvement professionals and the clients they serve. Approaches, tools, and examples are presented to enable quick application of the concepts.