The influence of sex-role stereotypes on evaluations of male and female supervisory behavior.

Examined the way sex-role stereotypes influence evaluations of male and female supervisory behavior. 134 male and 24 female undergraduates and 83 male and 15 female bank supervisors were asked to read 1 of 6 versions of a supervisory problem (with either a male or female supervisor and male, female, or mixed subordinates), and evaluate the effectiveness of 4 supervisory styles. Results indicate that sex-role stereotypes do influence evaluations of supervisory effectiveness for some, but not all, of the supervisory styles. Findings are discussed in terms of the potential negative consequences of sex-role stereotypes for supervisory behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer conformity and achievement in female manic-depressives.

Tested the assumption that female manic-depressives have similar personality characteristics to those reported for male manic-depressives. Besides using previously employed self-report measures from which personality attributes related to conformity and value achievement have been inferred, a peer conformity experiment was carried out. 16 remitted female manic-depressives were matched with 16 nonpsychiatric controls. The groups did not differ on the self-report personality measures. Experimental conformity scores were analyzed as a function of direction and intensity of confederate endorsement of authoritarian statements. Manic-depressives were generally less conforming than controls. Endorsement conditions yielded varying amounts of conformity, with extremely positive confederate endorsement evoking significant anticonformity in remitted manic-depressives. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of sex-role identification upon problem-solving skill.

An experimental test of the hypothesis that sex differences in problem-solving skill may be, at least in part, a function of differences in sex-role identification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of gender, sex-role attitudes, and cognitive complexity on gender-dominant career choices.

248 male and 344 female college students who had made a choice of major and occupation and who had indicated that they were highly satisfied with their choice were studied. The majors and occupations chosen were assigned a male-dominance index representing the proportion of men to women in the field. This index for major and for occupation served as the criterion variable. Gender, sex-role attitudes, and cognitive complexity (Cognitive Differentiation Grid) were the predictor variables. Three measures of sex-role attitude were employed: the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, and an attitudes toward masculine transcendence scale. Path analysis and multiple regression analysis procedures were used. It was found that gender significantly predicted choice of gender-dominant majors and occupations. It was also found that the feminine-related, but not the masculine-related, sex-role attitude and cognitive complexity variables significantly predicted choice. Implications for expanding the career options of men and women are discussed. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of proportional representation and gender orientation of the task on emergent leadership behavior in mixed-gender work groups.

Much of the research that has examined the behavioral consequences of membership in mixed-gender work groups suggests that men are more participative and influential in task-related behavior. Drawing from elements of sociological, structural, and psychological perspectives, this study examined the effects of group gender composition and gender orientation of the group's task on patterns of emergent leadership behavior. Participants were assigned to male-dominated, female-dominated, or balanced-gender groups for the purpose of discussing and generating solutions for two business-related cases-each case emphasized either male-oriented or female-oriented expertise. The findings suggest that the proportional representation of men and women in a work group, along with the gender orientation of the group's task, can significantly influence the level of leadership behavior exhibited in group activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The experimenter as a sex-role model in sex-role stereotyping.

Notes that the influence of the experimenter (E) has been neglected in sex role stereotypy research. Thus, it was predicted that male and female Ss' stereotyping would vary as the sex roles modeled by male and female Es varied from traditional to liberated. 100 high school students rated the concepts of adult male and female on standard stereotypic items and rated the Es' behavior and personality. The general hypothesis of E influence was supported by several significant interaction effects. Results show that the male concept was rated more competent and less warm-expressive than the female concept, thus replicating the basic finding in the literature, but traditional stereotypical differences were most accentuated when male and female Ss were crossed with task-oriented Es of the opposite sex. The reconceptualization of sex-role stereotypes as situationally influenced expectancies, in accord with a social learning theory interpretation of stereotyping, is discussed. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of observation and gender on psychogenic symptoms.

Objective: To assess the effects of modeling and its interaction with gender in the production of psychogenic symptoms. Design: Healthy volunteers were asked to inhale an inert substance described as a suspected environmental toxin that had been reported to provoke 4 physical symptoms. Subsequently, half of the participants observed a confederate inhale and display the 4 expected symptoms. To control for the general tendency of women to report more physical symptoms than men, participants were also asked to rate the presence of 4 unexpected symptoms. Main Outcome Measures: Symptom ratings at 10-min intervals over a 1-hr period. Results: With unexpected symptoms controlled, observation of symptom displays increased reports of expected symptoms significantly. In addition, the presence of another person of the same gender as the participant increased the production of expected symptoms, even when symptoms were not modeled by the confederate. There was also a trend for women to show more expected symptoms than men. Conclusion: Although the effect of modeling was independent of gender, the mere presence of a same-gender individual, as opposed to a person of the opposite gender, increased reports of expected symptoms, regardless of whether the second person (i.e., the confederate) displayed symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Goal orientation and task demand effects on motivation, affect, and performance.

Two studies tested the joint effects of goal orientation and task demands on motivation, affect, and performance, examining different factors affecting task demands. In Study 1 (N?=?199), task difficulty was found to moderate the effect of goal orientation on performance and affect (i.e., satisfaction with performance). In Study 2 (N?≠&189), task consistency was found to moderate the effect of goal orientation on self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation. Results are discussed in relation to self-regulatory processes cued by goal orientations, attentional resource demands, and the need to match goal orientations to the nature of the task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of subject roles, demand characteristics, and suspicion on conformity.

Investigated whether 54 female undergraduates would adopt "apprehensive," "good," "negativistic," or "faithful" S roles when participating in a conformity experiment. A modified Crutchfield social communication apparatus was used, and the experiment was arranged so that only 1 of these 4 roles could be supported by results. Questionnaire data analysis shows a significant Awareness of Demand Characteristics * Suspicion interaction effect (p     

Taxometric analyses of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Taxa are nonarbitrary classes whose existence is an empirical question and not a matter of mere semantic convenience. Taxometric procedures detect whether numerical relations between purported indicators of conjectured taxa bear the hallmarks of true taxa. On the basis of theoretical considerations, the current study tested whether taxa underlie sexual orientation and related measures of gender identity. Two taxometric procedures, maximum covariance, making hits maximum (MAXCOV) and mean above minus below a cut (MAMBAC), were applied to Kinsey Scales and measures of childhood gender nonconformity and adult gender identity in a sample of nearly 5,000 members of the Australian Twin Registry. Results suggest that latent taxa underlie these measures. About 12–15% of men and 5–10% of women belong to latent taxa associated with homosexual preference. These percentages are greater than those of individuals who report homosexual preference, however, and hence it appears that an appreciable proportion of individuals in these taxa have heterosexual preference. An understanding of the origins of these latent taxa may be important to understanding the development of sexual orientation and gender identity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of information source status and dogmatism upon conformity behavior.

This study explored the relationship between degree of authoritarianism, as measured by Rokeach's (1960) Dogmatism Scale, and susceptibility to influence by individuals of high and low social status. College Ss were placed in the autokinetic problem (see 10: 1332); a confederate of E, introduced as either a research scientist or a high school senior, gave his responses to the situation prior to S. The confederate's judgments were contrived so as to disagree with S's. Ss high in authoritarianism tended to agree with (conform to) the responses of the "scientist"; Ss low in authoritarianism, with the "high school student." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The generalization of the effects of agreement and correctness on relative competence mediating conformity.

Presented a social communication task to 215 Canadian high school students (Grades 8-13). Results show that correctness and group agreement interacted with grade level, producing varying degrees of perceived competence relative to a simulated group. For Ss in Grades 8-10 only, the experimental manipulation of relative competence influenced conformity; Ss who were told that they were more competent than the group conformed less than those who were told that they were either less competent than or as competent as the group. Ss who perceived themselves to be more competent than the group also conformed less. Other findings are that: (a) females showed significantly higher conformity, (b) Ss in Grades 11-13 indicated more suspicion and awareness of the possibility of deception, and (c) no differences in conformity existed between suspicious and nonsuspicious Ss. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spatial and numerical predictors of measurement performance: The moderating effects of community income and gender.

Spatial reasoning and numerical predictors of measurement performance were investigated in 4th graders from low-income and affluent communities. Predictors of 2 subtypes of measurement performance (spatial–conceptual and formula based) were assessed while controlling for verbal and spatial working memory. Consistent with prior findings, students from the affluent community outperformed students from the low-income community on all measures examined. More importantly, the study revealed different patterns of relations between cognitive skills and academic performance in the 2 communities. Specifically, spatial skills were related to measurement performance in the affluent but not in the low-income community. These findings demonstrate that socioeconomic context impacts not only children's levels of performance but also their capacity to apply basic cognitive skills, like spatial reasoning, to their academic performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Goal orientation and ability: Interactive effects on self-efficacy, performance, and knowledge.

This study examined the direct relationship of goal orientation--and the interaction of goal orientation and cognitive ability--with self-efficacy, performance, and knowledge in a learning context. The authors argue that whether a particular type of goal orientation is adaptive or not adaptive depends on individuals' cognitive ability. Consistent with previous research, learning orientation was positively related to self-efficacy, performance, and knowledge, whereas performance orientation was negatively related to performance only. The interactions between goal orientation and ability also supported several hypotheses. As expected, learning orientation was generally adaptive for high-ability individuals but had no effect for low-ability individuals. In contrast, the effects of performance orientation were contingent on both individuals' level of cognitive ability and the outcome examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of sex role orientation and gender on counseling skills training.

34 female and 13 male 21–46 yr old postgraduate counselor education students, enrolled in 1 semester of counseling skills training, completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, taped pre- and posttraining quasi-counseling sessions, and took a videotape counseling skills exam. Factorial ANOVAS indicated that sex-role orientation had a significant effect on counseling skills scores and counselor response effectiveness before and after training. Gender had no significant effect. The masculine sex-role-oriented Ss were rated less effective than the undifferentiated sex-role-oriented Ss on counseling skills. All Ss improved over time; those in the androgynous orientation group, significantly more effective prior to training, were not more effective after training. Results suggest that counseling skills training should consider trainee sources of variation in learning. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of goal orientation following performance feedback.

This study examined the relationship of goal orientation and performance over a series of 2 challenging performance events. After providing performance feedback on the 1st event, the authors found that the relationship between a learning goal orientation and performance remained positive for the 2nd event, the relationship between a proving goal orientation and performance diminished from a positive to a nonsignificant level, and the relationship between an avoiding goal orientation and performance remained negative. Data analysis also indicated that the relationships between the 3 goal orientation dimensions and the performance event were differentially mediated by goal setting, self-efficacy, and effort. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some effects of feedback from the experimenter on conformity behavior.

The first experiment dealt with the importance of continuous feedback from the experimenter as a factor in conformity behavior as contrasted with discontinued feedback. Discontinued feedback was shown to be less effective but only when the feedback reinforced independence. The second experiment tested the generality of the previous finding that feedback in line with consensus has little or no effect whereas feedback in favor of objective reality drastically reduces the level of conformity behavior. It was found that reinforcement of conformity had a strong effect and that the effect of reinforcing independence was still significant but reduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When rights and responsibilities don't mix: Sex and sex-role patterns in moral judgment orientation.

Two experiments with 72 college students, 64 24–40 yr olds, and 24 14–16 yr olds investigated C. Gilligan's (see record 1979-03624-001) hypotheses regarding differences in the orientation of focus of moral reasoning. Exp I, using modified versions of the Defining Issues Test preference technique and a shortened form of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, failed to support Gilligan's hypothesis that a focus on responsibilities would be more typical of women's moral thinking and a focus on rights more typical of men. However, relative femininity of the ideal self-concept was associated for the women with a responsibility focus, as hypothesized. Exp II again failed to show sex differences, but replicated the finding of an association between femininity of ideal (but not real) self-concept and responsibility orientation in women. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of considering non-stage-related differences in the patterning of moral judgment. (French abstract) (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of counselor gender and gender-role orientation on client career choice traditionality.

The purpose of this study was to test common assumptions about the effects of counselors' gender and gender-role orientation on clients' career choice traditionality. A sample of 240 career counseling clients (120 women and 120 men) were counseled by a male or female counselor, who were further classified as possessing a masculine, feminine, or androgynous gender-role orientation as determined by the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. The clients' career choice traditionality was measured on three occasions: during the counseling sessions, at the conclusion of counseling, and with respect to clients' actual career choices 6 months after completion of the counseling process. Results showed that counselor gender and gender-role orientation had no effects on any of the three measures of client career choice traditionality. Client gender emerged as the only significant determinant of client career choice traditionality. We discuss the implications of these findings for counseling research and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contrasting effects of lateral striate and superior colliculus lesions on visual discrimination performance in rhesus monkeys.

Tested 3 rhesus monkeys with lesions of lateral striate cortex (LSC), 4 monkeys with superior colliculus (SC) lesions, and 3 unoperated monkeys for retention of a preoperatively acquired pattern discrimination. The 3 groups of monkeys were then tested in 2-choice, color discrimination tests, 1 involving varying degrees of stimulus–response (S–R) separation and the other, administered several months later, involving various directions of S–R separation. Ss were also tested in a series of 2-choice pattern discriminations, following each of which they were tested for relearning when the patterns were masked with bars or circles. LSC lesioned Ss were moderately retarded in retention of the pattern discrimination, whereas those with SC lesions were not. SC lesioned Ss, but not those with LSC lesions, were impaired in both S–R separation tests, which demonstrates that their deficit was not transient or solely due to a difficulty in shifting the gaze in 1 direction. The LSC Ss, unlike those with SC lesions, were deficient in relearning discriminations between masked patterns. Findings suggest that SC and LSC may be involved in 2 different aspects of attention, respectively: shifting attention (and orientation) from 1 spatial locus to another and maintaining attention on fixated stimuli. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)