Sex differences and variations in body attitudes.

Tested several hypotheses about the relationship between body attitude and sex membership with 89 male and 80 female undergraduates. 3 separate body attitudes corresponding to Osgood's 3 attitudinal dimensions were measured by the semantic differential on 30 different body concepts. Results indicate that women not only like their bodies better than men but also have a more clearly differentiated notion of what they like and dislike about their bodies. Men on the other hand judge their bodies as more potent and more active than women. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual differences in P300 amplitude: a genetic study in adolescent twins

Three experiments, using temporal generalization and verbal estimation methods, studied judgements of durations of auditory (500-Hz tone) and visual (14-cm blue square) stimuli. With both methods, auditory stimuli were judged longer, and less variable, than visual ones. The verbal estimation experiments used stimuli from 77 to 1183 msec in length, and the slope of the function relating mean estimate to real length differed between modalities (but the intercept did not), consistent with the idea that a pacemaker generating duration representations ran faster for auditory than for visual stimuli. The different variability of auditory and visual stimuli was attributed to differential variability in the operation of a switch of a pacemaker-accumulator clock, and experimental data suggested that such switch effects were separable from changes in pacemaker speed. Overall, the work showed how a clock model consistent with scalar timing theory, the leading account of animal timing, can address an issue derived from the classical literature on human time perception.     

Sex differences in influenceability.

Examines the hypothesis that women are more influenceable than men in a variety of situations. For persuasion research and for conformity studies not involving group pressure, there is scant empirical support for a sex difference, and for group pressure conformity research, there is support among a substantial minority of studies. Also explored is the possibility that various sex differences in social influence studies are a product of contextual features of experimental settings. This is suggested by the fact that findings reporting greater influenceability among females were more prevalent in studies published prior to 1970 than in those published in the 1970s. Finally, sex differences in various psychological processes that may mediate persuasion and conformity are evaluated as possible explanations for those influenceability sex differences that appear to be genuine. It is suggested that a propensity to yield inherent in the female sex role appears to account for some aspects of influenceability findings, but a 2nd explanation, a tendency for women more than men to be oriented to interpersonal goals in group settings, is also plausible. (7? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in persistent fatigue

This study examines factors differentiating women and men who suffer from fatigue. It is based on diaries kept by Dutch citizens over a 21-day period between 1987-88. The majority of those with persistent fatigue complaints (PFs) were male, middle-aged, lower-educated and unemployed, and they had more psychological and psycho-social problems than the incidental fatigue sufferers (IFs). Factors differentiating the PFs from the IFs are not the same for both sexes. Moreover, on a number of socio-demographic variables PF men and women differed less from each other than IF men and women. Future research should focus on the gender-specificity of the factors that lead to the development of persistent fatigue.     

Sex differences in occupational performance

Nineteen patients with cystic fibrosis were seen in the I Department of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases during 3.5 years. There were 12 (63%) female, and 7 male, aged from 16 to 35 years (mean 23.2). Most patients were diagnosed in childhood, but 4 were diagnosed in their early adulthood. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive chloride sweat test in all cases. Molecular DNA analyses were performed in 16 cases. In 9 (56%) cases two mutations in the CFTR gene were identified. In 5 cases one mutation was identified. All patients had bronchiectases confirmed by CT. Spirometry showed lung function impairment with predominantly obstructive pattern. Mean VC was 2.57l, mean FEVI was 1.66l. In 7 (37%) cases FEVI was lower then 30% of predictive value. Hypoxemia was found in 11 (58%) cases and hypercapnia in 3 (16%) cases. Sputum cultures were positive for mucoid P. aeruginosa in 12 (63%) cases, for Staph. aureus in 16 (84%) cases. Persistent colonisation with nontuberculous mycobacteria was found in 2 (10.5%) cases. Aspergillus fumigatus was identified in sputum cultures in 2 subjects who had also positive precipitation test. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 2 cases. Meconium ileus equivalent was seen in 1 case. Pneumothorax was seen in 1 case. One patient died in the endstage of the illness.     

Sex differences in corticosteroids in man

The serum concentrations of progesterone (P), 17-OH-progesterone (17-OHP), 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC), corticosterone (B), 11-deoxycortisol (S), 18-OH-11-deoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC), aldosterone (Aldo) and cortisol (F) were measured in 18 normal men (M), 14 normal women in the folicular phase (FF) and 14 normal women in the luteal phase (FL) of menstrual cycle from blood samples obtained between 0800 and 0900 h. Steroids were estimated by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay allowing the simultaneous determination of all steroids studied from one 3 ml serum sample. The mean steroid concentrations (ng/1dl) in FF were found to be as follows: P, 20.3; 17-OHP, 58; DOC, 3.8; B, 241; S, 20.7; 18-OH-DOC, 12.3; Aldo, 8.8; F, 9860. Apart from P, steroid concentrations in FF were significantly lower than in M. Serum 17-OHP, DOC, B and Aldo in FF were significantly lower than in FL. With the exception of P, there were no significant differences of mean steroid concentrations between M and FL.     

Sex differences and IQ

Ciliary ganglion (CG) neurons, like other neuronal populations, become dependent on their targets for survival during development. We have previously purified and cloned a secreted ciliary neurotrophic factor that was called growth-promoting activity (GPA). We report here the expression and purification of a highly active form of recombinant GPA, the preparation of GPA-specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and the use of these antibodies to investigate the cellular location and timing of GPA expression in tissues innervated by CG neurons. Virtually all of the trophic activity in extracts of embryonic eyes could be depleted by GPA-specific antibodies. GPA-like immunoreactivity was found in both targets of the CG: the arterial vasculature of the choroid layer and the ciliary body of the eye. In the choroid layer, GPA was localized to smooth muscle cells surrounding the choroid arteries. Staining in the choroid layer was first detectable at embryonic day (E) 10, or about 2 days after cell death has begun in the ganglion, then increased in intensity through E19. Quantification of trophic activity from whole eye extracts at various ages showed a small increase in activity observed between E9 and E12 and at least a 10-fold increase between E12 and E18. The presence of GPA protein in target cells of CG neurons during the specific developmental period when these neurons undergo cell death is consistent with its proposed function as a target-derived ciliary neurotrophic factor.     

Sex differences in problem solving.

Used a 20-item set of problems (similar to those used by E. Sweeney [1953]) in 9 experiments with 558 male and 578 female undergraduates to determine which sex was superior in problem solving, the role of previous experience, whether sex differences extended throughout the domain of problem-solving tasks, whether they extended to other word problems, the role of spatial ability and verbal ability, the role of mathematics aptitude, and the relative importance of aptitude and social learning variables. Results show that the male advantage, averaging 35% across experiments, persisted at the same level as in experiments conducted in the 1950's. Sex differences extended to other word problems. The male advantage was related to similar advantages in spatial and mathematical ability. Aptitude variables dominated attitude and mathematics experience variables in accounting for the sex difference. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in object location memory

The ability to remember where objects were is thought to require multiple separate processes. One has to encode the precise positions occupied, assign the various objects to the correct (relative) locations, and achieve an integration of both types of spatial information. This study examined whether sex differences exist for these selective components of object location memory. Twenty males and 20 females participated in the following task. On a PC screen, they were shown a square with 10 different objects for 30 s. Subsequently, the objects disappeared from the screen, reappeared in a row above the square, and subjects were asked to relocate them in three different conditions. In the object-to-position-assignment condition, the original positions were premarked in the square, so subjects needed only to assign the correct object to the correct position. In the positions-only condition, all objects assumed the same identity. Therefore, subjects had only to reproduce the precise positions. Finally, in the combined condition, subjects were required to replace all the different objects in the square without any of object positions premarked. The absolute displacements between an object's original and its relocated position reflect the integration mechanism. Females did as well as males in the object-to-position-assignment condition and on the absolute displacements in the combined condition, but they were less efficient than males in positional reconstruction per se. Thus, it seems that the male advantage in spatial memory is not a general effect but applies only to certain specific processing components. Moreover, the employment of a dual task during encoding, concurrent articulatory suppression, yielded no significant interactions with sex. This suggests that females' weaker positional encoding does not derive from the use of an inefficient verbal strategy.     

Sex differences in right hemisphere tasks

We tested the hypothesis that sex differences in spatial ability and emotional perception are due to sex differences in intrahemispheric organization of the right hemisphere. If the right hemisphere is differently organized by sex-primarily specialized for spatial ability in men, but primarily specialized for emotional perception in women-then there should be a negative correlation between spatial ability and emotional perception within sex, and the greatest disparity between abilities should be found in people with characteristic arousal of the right hemisphere. Undergraduate men (N = 86) and women (N = 132) completed tests of Mental Rotation, Surface Development, Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity, Progressive Matrices, and Chimeric Faces. Although the expected pattern of sex differences was observed, there was no evidence for the hypothesized negative correlation between spatial ability and emotional perception, even after statistical control of general intelligence.     

Sex differences in monitoring performance.

220 male and 220 female undergraduates monitored a visual display for 1 hr. Although the results indicate females were poorer monitors, detecting 10% fewer signals and committing more false alarms, these sex differences accounted for only 4% of the variance of detection performance and less than 1% of the variance of the false alarm measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in altruistic behavior.

Assessed helping and donation behavior in 35 female and 35 male White middle-class 5th graders. Results reveal (a) no significant differences between male and female donation behavior, (b) significantly more helping behavior from females, and (c) no significant correlations between donation and helping behavior. Since helping behavior was only observed in situations with same-sexed younger children, future investigations should include both opposite- and same-sexed pairs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in pervasive developmental disorders

Neonatal size is an important factor in determining the survivorship of infants within the first month of life. Because maternal size has an influence on neonatal size, selection should operate on those characters correlated with birth weight and gestational age, including maternal prepregnancy weight, height, and age. In the present study we use a path-analysis approach to examine the operation of selection on both neonatal and maternal size. We found that neonatal survivorship depends not only on the size of the infant at birth but also on a negative allometric relationship between the size of the neonate and the size of the mother. Thus, although the size of the mother has no direct effect on neonatal mortality, the mothers of surviving infants tend to be smaller relative to the size of their neonate. This may provide a mechanism whereby selection maintains a balance between maternal size and neonate size.     

Sex differences in job satisfaction.

Measures of 5 separate aspects of job satisfaction gathered from 295 male workers and 163 female workers drawn from 4 different plants were analyzed with respect to the mean job satisfaction for the male and female workers. T2 analyses indicated that in 3 plants the female workers were significantly less satisfied than their male counterparts (p     

Sex differences in health and illness.

The literature on sex differences in illness and disease was examined. Although some biologic sex differences are thought to exist, the overlap between the sexes precluded separation of the sexes for treatment or control of problem conditions. Statistics Canada data on mental illness among males and females in Canada were also examined, and deficiencies in available information were discussed. Most notably lacking were statistics on the use of outpatient mental health services. A number of recommendations were made regarding the collection of Canadian mental health statistics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in social memory tasks.

College females were superior to college males in memory for 3 tasks—one life situation and 2 names-and-faces tests. A new test, the KW Memory for Names and Faces Test, demonstrated a "same-sex recall" tendency for this sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in energy intake and expenditure

Four patients with rheumatoid arthritis developed heavy proteinuria after five to 12 months of treatment with D-penicillamine. Light microscopy of renal biopsy samples showed minimal glomerular capillary wall thickening and mesangial matrix increase, or no departure from normal. Electron microscopy, however, revealed subepithelial electron-dense deposits, fusion of epithelial cell foot processes, and evidence of mesangial cell hyperactivity. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated granular capillary wall deposits of IgG and C3. The findings were similar to those in early membranous glomerulonephritis, differences being observed however in the results of staining for the early-acting complement components C1q and C4. It is tentatively concluded that complement was activated by the classical pathway.     

Sex specific differences of nightmares in students

In regard of the literature reporting gender differences in dream life of adults and children the present study investigated anxiety dreams in a sample of 624 school-aged children (10 to 16 years). Girls reported a heightened frequency of anxiety dreams, especially after the age of 14 years. Gender differences in dream content were found, too. Boys more often dreamt of monsters and big animals whereas girls' dreams were dominated by humans and small animals as aggressors. Overall the findings support the hypothesis that gender specific socialization is reflected in dreams. Further research may concentrate on topics such as the relationship between anxiety dream frequency and problem-solving skills or the treatment of nightmares with imagery rehearsal.     

Sex differences in oral asymmetries during wordrepetition

During speech production the right side of the mouth is opened to a larger degree in most people. This facial asymmetry is thought to be related to a left hemisphere dominance in language processing and/or motor programming. We investigated asymmetrical lip separations during discrete or serial word productions in right handed persons. The results revealed a right sided lip separation bias in both genders during discrete word production in which the words had to be uttered once. As soon as the words had to be produced continuously, however, a clear sex difference appeared with males having the usual right bias but females now showing no clear asymmetry, with a tendency for larger lip separations on the left side. These results suggest the existence of two separate neural systems from which one controls the discrete task and which is left hemisphere dominant in both genders. The other is probably involved in serial word productions and shows a sex difference with regard to its asymmetry pattern.