Questionnaire format and item context affect level of belief in both scientifically unsubstantiated and substantiated phenomena.

Assessed 136 Canadian college students' belief in both scientifically unsubstantiated and substantiated phenomena, using questionnaires that differed in format. The list format required Ss to check the phenomena they believed in. The graded format asked Ss to indicate the strength of their belief in each of the phenomena. In a variety of replications with a total of 377 university students, the list format always gave substantially lower estimates of the extent of belief. The discrepancy between Gallup-style survey results and previous university sample results can be attributed almost entirely to format differences. The context of the phenomena also had a significant influence on estimates of the extent of belief. The high levels of belief in scientifically unsubstantiated phenomena are discussed as being symptomatic of students' poor ability in assessing the quality of evidence. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Critical abilities, graduate education (Biology vs. English), and belief in unsubstantiated phenomena.

Compared the responses of 96 Canadian graduate students in biology and English who were asked to read one of 3 abstracts that made a particular claim. The abstracts differed in their apparent scientific relevance, but none contained crucial, comparative, or control group type information. The Ss' readiness in recognizing that crucial information was missing was assessed. Although biology students in general required fewer cues, they did not perform significantly differently from the English students on the less scientific texts. There was a statistically significant relationship between performance on the critical abilities measure and strength of belief in paranormal phenomena. Part of the reason why people endorse belief in unsubstantiated phenomena may be a result of their critical ability skills being relatively domain specific. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short, supplementary report: Critical abilities, graduate education (psychology), and belief in unsubstantiated phenomena.

This report, a supplement to T. Gray and D. Mill (1990), is concerned with how readily 32 psychology graduate students recognize that crucial, control group type information is missing from brief abstracts that make a particular claim. Psychology students, like their counterparts in biology, do not, in general, spontaneously recognize weaknesses in the abstracts. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changing unsubstantiated belief: Testing the ignorance hypothesis.

Measured undergraduates' belief in paranormal phenomena before and after they completed a 1-semester university course that emphasized basic methodological issues concerning good vs bad evidence and provided alternative explanations for the phenomena. It was hypothesized that a course that exposed students to natural explanations for supposedly paranormal phenomena while emphasizing the characteristics of sound evidence collection would reduce their willingness to express belief. 98 Ss completed the course, but only 83 Ss completed both pre- and posttest measures of the belief questionnaire. 90 Ss who completed the course were administered a follow-up study 1 yr later. 35 students enrolled in other courses served as controls. Findings reveal that reliable reductions in belief endured to some extent over a 1-yr period. The changes brought about by the course were interpreted as resulting from decreases in the Ss' ignorance of basic considerations concerning the nature of reliable evidence. (French abstract) (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of research methods and statistics courses on everyday reasoning, critical abilities, and belief in unsubstantiated phenomena.

Examined whether undergraduate courses in psychology research methods (RM) and statistics (STAT) improve general reasoning skills and scientific critical abilities. 76 students concurrently enrolled in introductory RM and STAT were assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a baseline group, a group that was tested after completion of RM and STAT, and a group that completed RM and STAT and also received 3 tutorial sessions. 19 students in a humanities program provided a comparison group. All Ss were assessed on tests of general reasoning and of critical abilities. Ss also completed a questionnaire that assessed their willingness to endorse scientifically unsubstantiated phenomena. The RM and STAT courses by themselves did not enhance Ss' general reasoning skills or critical abilities. The group receiving tutorial sessions in addition to the RM and STAT performed better than the baseline group. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in mathematics.

Presents examples of disparate findings to show that it is not surprising that the debate about the magnitude of gender differences in mathematics continues in both the professional and lay communities. It is suggested that the media concludes prematurely that the mathematics performance of males is higher than females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in sexual attitudes.

Developed a 102-item sexual attitudes questionnaire that was completed by 439 female and 374 male undergraduates as part of a larger attitude study. Factor analyses yielded 8 factors on which 74 of the 102 items loaded. ANOVA of the individual items showed that female and male Ss differed on 73 of the 102 items. Females were more responsible, conventional, and idealistic, whereas males were more permissive, instrumental, and control- and power-oriented. The means suggested that females were moderately conservative in sexual attitudes, while males were moderately permissive. Based on the factor analysis, the present authors formed 5 preliminary sexual attitudes scales. Correlations among the summed scale scores indicated that the scales were largely independent of each other. It is suggested that the multidimensional complexity of sexual attitudes and empirical explanations for the continuing gender differences in sexual attitudes should be studied. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in moral reasoning.

Explored the possibility that socialization into different sex roles for men and women may contribute to the observed sex difference in moral development. 40 undergraduates were classified as either masculine, feminine, or androgynous according to the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and were administered the Moral Judgment Interview (MJI). For half the Ss, the central character in the MJI dilemmas was a male and for the remaining half, a female. Results reveal that males, when judging from the perspective of a female character, provided reasons for her actions congruent with the Stage 3 level of moral reasoning. However, for the same action portrayed by a male character, reasons for his behavior were in accord with Stage 4. No difference for the female judges was found between the characters of either sex. Regardless of the protagonist's sex, Ss scored at Stage 3. Ss' moral reasoning did not differ according to their sex-role classification. Males, however, held more strongly than females the belief that male decisions on morality are based on law-and-order reasoning, and female decisions are made from an emotional perspective. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in cognitive development.

The potential effect of gender on intellectual abilities remains controversial. The purpose of this research was to analyze gender differences in cognitive test performance among children from continuous age groups. For this purpose, the normative data from 7 domains of the newly developed neuropsychological test battery, the Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil [Child Neuropsychological Assessment] (Matute, Rosselli, Ardila, & Ostrosky-Solis, 2007), were analyzed. The sample included 788 monolingual children (350 boys, 438 girls) ages 5 to 16 years from Mexico and Colombia. Gender differences were observed in oral language (language expression and language comprehension), spatial abilities (recognition of pictures seen from different angles), and visual (Object Integration Test) and tactile perceptual tasks, with boys outperforming girls in most cases, except for the tactile tasks. Gender accounted for only a very small percentage of the variance (1%–3%). Gender × Age interactions were observed for the tactile tasks only. It was concluded that gender differences during cognitive development are minimal, appear in only a small number of tests, and account for only a low percentage of the score variance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in smoking cessation.

Gender differences in smoking quit rates are frequently reported and are the subject of much speculation. This study examined the generalizability of gender differences in abstinence across study sites, treatments, and time of relapse, as well as potential mediators and moderators of gender effects. Participants were smokers who participated in 3 randomized clinical trials of the nicotine patch (N?=?632). Men had higher cessation rates than women at all follow-ups. The impact of gender on abstinence was unaffected by controlling for study site, treatment. or time of relapse. There was little evidence for mediation or moderation of this relation by any of a host of predictor variables. The magnitude and consistency of the gender differential, coupled with an inability to account for it, highlights a compelling need for additional research specifically aimed at elucidating the relation between gender and abstinence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder.

One of the most consistent findings in the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the higher risk of this disorder in women. Explanations reviewed within a psychobiological model of PTSD suggest that women's higher PTSD risk may be due to the type of trauma they experience, their younger age at the time of trauma exposure, their stronger perceptions of threat and loss of control, higher levels of peritraumatic dissociation, insufficient social support resources, and greater use of alcohol to manage trauma-related symptoms like intrusive memories and dissociation, as well as gender-specific acute psychobiological reactions to trauma. This review demonstrates the need for additional research of the gender differences in posttraumatic stress. Recommendations are made for clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in satisfaction with grandparenting.

177 grandmothers and 105 grandfathers completed mail questionnaires that consisted of 51 Likert-scale items covering demographic and family background and grandparenting satisfaction and perceived responsibilities (disciplining, caretaking, helping, advising). Ss were White and aged 45–90 yrs. Findings show that grandmothers' satisfaction scores significantly exceeded those of grandfathers and that perceived responsibilities for grandchildren's care and for helping grandchildren contributed to the satisfaction of both grandmothers and grandfathers. Results also indicate, however, that family and individual characteristics contributed to men's but not to women's satisfaction with grandparenting and different variables predicted men's and women's satisfaction scores. Possible sources of these gender differences are discussed. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in productivity and impact.

Discusses the reasons (e.g., family commitments) suggested by R. Over (see record 1982-06344-001) for lesser productivity and impact for female psychologists and disagrees with the implication that, if such reasons had been considered in earlier studies, sex differences in productivity or citations would have evaporated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in self-esteem: A meta-analysis.

Two analyses were conducted to examine gender differences in global self-esteem. In Analysis I, a computerized literature search yielded 216 effect sizes, representing the testing of 97,121 respondents. The overall effect size was 0.21, a small difference favoring males. A significant quadratic effect of age indicated that the largest effect emerged in late adolescence (d?=?0.33). In Analysis II, gender differences were examined using 3 large, nationally representative data sets from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). All of the NCES effect sizes, which collectively summarize the responses of approximately 48,000 young Americans, indicated higher male self-esteem (ds ranged from 0.04 to 0.24). Taken together, the 2 analyses provide evidence that males score higher on standard measures of global self-esteem than females, but the difference is small. Potential reasons for the small yet consistent effect size are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in interaction style and influence.

Observed 128 Ss in mixed- and same-sex dyads to examine effect of interaction on sex differences in influence. Ss discussed 2 topics on which they disagreed. During the 2nd discussion, 1 S in each pair was told to influence the other. Ss showed more agreement and positive social behavior when paired with a woman and more disagreement and task behavior when paired with a man. Although women were more easily influenced, this effect was mediated by the partners' behavior. Ss were influenced more by a partner who agreed with them and less by one who disagreed. Path analyses and ANCOVAS revealed that Ss' sex predicted the partners' behavior toward them, which in turn predicted the sex difference in influence. When instructed to be influential, Ss increased disagreements, but only with male partners. Results indicate that the masculine interaction style used when interacting with men is less effective than the feminine style used when interacting with women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in correlates of job satisfaction.

Compared the relationships between evaluations of specific job attributes and overall job satisfaction for men and women. Data from a 1977 national survey of 1,524 Canadians show differences between the sexes in assessed quality of job attributes. Although some hypotheses concerning gender differences for strengths of relation between evaluations and satisfaction were confirmed, the magnitude of these differences was small. Results are discussed in relation to changing attitudes toward work on the part of women. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in temperament: A meta-analysis.

The authors used meta-analytical techniques to estimate the magnitude of gender differences in mean level and variability of 35 dimensions and 3 factors of temperament in children ages 3 months to 13 years. Effortful control showed a large difference favoring girls and the dimensions within that factor (e.g., inhibitory control: d = -.41, perceptual sensitivity: d = -0.38) showed moderate gender differences favoring girls, consistent with boys' greater incidence of externalizing disorders. Surgency showed a difference favoring boys, as did some of the dimensions within that factor (e.g., activity: d = 0.33, high-intensity pleasure: d = 0.30), consistent with boys' greater involvement in active rough-and-tumble play. Negative affectivity showed negligible gender differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender IQ differences among psychiatric patients.

Provides evidence against the hypothesis that adult male psychiatric patients are more intelligent than their female peers. 1,187 patients were administered either the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scales, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC—R), or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised. Analyses revealed no significant sex differences except on the WISC—R. Explanations that have been suggested to account for previous observations of discrepant IQ test performance are discussed, and the possibility of regional or institutional biases is noted. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences: Searching for facts.

Comments that C. N. Jacklin (see record 1989-25389-001) did not discuss the facts when discussing the work of C. P. Benbow and J. C. Stanley (e.g., see record 1981-30019-001) on gender differences in mathematical ability. Responses to Jacklin's critique are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in mathematics performance: A meta-analysis.

Performed a meta-analysis of 100 studies (published 1963–1988) of gender differences in mathematics performance. They yielded 254 independent effect sizes, representing the testing of 3,175,188 Ss. Averaged overall effect sizes based on samples of the general population indicated that females outperformed males by only a negligible amount. An examination of age trends indicated that girls showed a slight superiority in computation in elementary school and middle school. There were no gender differences in problem solving in elementary or middle school; differences favoring men emerged in high school and college. Gender differences were smallest and actually favored females in samples of the general population, grew larger with increasingly selective samples, and were largest for highly selected samples and samples of highly precocious persons. The magnitude of the gender difference has declined over the years. Gender differences in mathematics performance are small. Nonetheless, the lower performance of women in problem solving that is evident in high school requires attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)