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)     

Sex differences in perceived accuracy of falsified personality inventory feedback.

80 college freshmen who scored near the mean on the Extraversion (E) and Neuroticism (N) scales of the Eysenck Personality Inventory were given falsified score reports stating that the Ss were either high E or low E and either high N or low N. Ss receiving low-E ("introverted") reports tended to rate the efficiency of the instrument and the accuracy of the report less favorably than did those receiving high-E reports. Females receiving low-E reports tended to make ratings signficantly lower than did males receiving low-E reports. Ss receiving high-N ("neurotic") reports rated the inventory less favorably than did those receiving low-N ("stable") reports. The lowest average ratings were made by females receiving low-E and high-N reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in problem-solving performance as a function of attitude differences.

Men make significantly higher scores than women on a scale of attitudes toward problem solving. Attitude scores "have some positive relationship to performance scores." From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:1GD56C. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego strength and perceived competence as conformity variables.

The basic experimental model for the design of the present investigation was the work done by Asch testing the influence of the judgments of others on S's judgments. In this study judgments were made on the Galton bar. It was hypothesized that the degree to which a person yields to the pressure of others was related to ego strength and the degree to which S feels confident in his judgments. S's susceptibility to group pressure was found to be related to the latter, but not the former. From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:3GE69S. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defensiveness as a factor in sex differences in anxiety.

Hypotheses involving defensiveness as a rationale for explaining sex differences in scores on anxiety questionnaires were investigated. Instruments differentially susceptible to the influence of defensiveness, the Structured-Objective Rorschach Test (SORT) and the Taylor MA scale were used in gathering data from 236 college students enrolled in a general psychology course. The following results were obtained: the relation between the MA scale and SORT was not higher for females (contrary to predictions); MA scale scores were higher for females (as predicted) while SORT scores were higher for males (no difference predicted); and no relation between either the SORT or the MA scale and grade-point average was found (contrary to predictions). The results appeared to fit an acquiescence rationale better than a defensiveness rationale, and it was argued that this hypothesis merits further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age and sex differences in dyadic and group interaction.

This study examined age and sex differences in dyadic and group interaction in a standardized setting. Seven classes of 4-year-old children and 6 classes of 6-year-old children participated. From these classes, 13 male playgroups and 13 female playgroups were formed. The playgroups were videotaped, and frequencies of dyadic and group interaction were tabulated. Results showed that boys and girls at both ages engaged in similar frequencies but different patterns of dyadic interaction. Only 6-year-old boys, however, interacted in groups. The discussion considers the etiology of these age and sex differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in interaction and achievement in cooperative small groups.

44 male and female 7th–8th graders in 2 mathematics classes worked for 2 wks in male- or female-majority groups or groups with equal numbers of males and females. Same-sex and cross-sex interactions were analyzed for giving, requesting, and receiving explanations and procedural information. Achievement and interaction results were related to the ratio of females to males in a group. Females and males showed equal achievement and similar interaction patterns in groups with equal numbers of females and males. In majority-female groups, females directed most of their interaction to males and showed lower achievement than males. In majority-male groups, males tended to ignore females and showed somewhat higher achievement than did females. Explanations for these results are considered in terms of status characteristics and expectations states, and consequences for group composition in the classroom are discussed. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences, sex composition, and group problem solving.

Males and females solved Maier's (1952) horse trading problem while working alone or in groups. Men tended to solve the problem better individually but also to profit from group discussion. Women in mixed groups seemed better motivated to solve the problem than those in groups composed of all females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and cultural differences in perceived locus of control among students in five countries.

Administered the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E) Scale to more than 1,500 students in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the US. Scores were categorized by sex and country and analyzed by a #2 * 5 analysis of variance. A Sex main effect (p     

Dimensions of perceived competence in professional psychology.

Appraised levels of general professional competence for 126 trainees in professional psychology by supervisors who had worked closely with the students. After rating the students, supervisors were asked to describe the dominant characteristics of "outstanding" and "incompetent" trainees. The most commonly mentioned quality of outstanding practitioner-trainees was high intelligence. The most commonly mentioned characteristic of incompetent trainees was lack of knowledge. A rating schedule composed of the 28 most commonly used terms was then employed by supervisors in rating students the following year. Four factors—Professional Responsibility, Interpersonal Warmth, Intelligence, and Experience—emerged from analysis of intercorrelations among variables. Intercorrelations of factor scores with ratings of overall competence showed that behaviorally oriented supervisors gave less weight to warmth in evaluating general competence than did supervisors with psychodynamic or eclectic viewpoints. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in positive well-being: A consideration of emotional style and marital status.

This article reviews all published studies reporting tests for sex differences in well-being. Women were found to report greater happiness and life satisfaction than men. This sex difference was explained in terms of men's and women's social roles: The female (vs. male) gender role specifies greater emotional responsiveness. Furthermore, past role-related experiences provide women with appropriate skills and attitudes. Women's (vs. men's) greater well-being was also found to hold for married but not unmarried Ss: For both sexes the married state (vs. unmarried) was associated with favorable well-being, but the favorable outcomes proved stronger for women than men. Given that most Ss were married, the overall sex difference in well-being can be attributed to Ss' marital status. These findings were discussed in the context of prior research on sex differences in negative well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Gender differences in interaction style and influence": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by L. L. Carli (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1989, [Apr] Vol 56[4], 565–576). On page 567, the 3rd sentence in the Procedure section should read, "Half of the subjects were paired with same-sex partners and half with opposite-sex partners, resulting in 16 female pairs, 16 male pairs, and 32 mixed-sex pairs.' On page 568, the equation at the bottom of the left-hand column should read as follows: (Mfs?–?Mms?–?Mfm?+?Mmm)/((2MSe?+ &2MS′e)(1/n))?. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1989-25837-001.) Observed 128 Ss in mixed- and same-sex dyads to examine effects 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… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in perceived controllability of mate value: an evolutionary perspective

Men and women value different characteristics in potential partners. It was hypothesized that women feel they have less control over traits relevant to their desirability than men feel they have over traits related to male desirability. In Study 1, undergraduates (N = 150) completed questionnaires measuring (a) the importance they attributed to 64 characteristics when choosing a mate and (b) their perceived control over these traits. Men selected partners on the basis of traits that are relatively uncontrollable (e.g., youth, attractiveness), whereas women selected partners on the basis of traits that are more controllable (e.g., status, industriousness; d = 1.75). In Study 2, these findings were replicated in an older, representative community sample (N = 301; d = 1.03). Greater uncontrollability of traits relevant to female mate value may place women at elevated risk for negative affect, depression, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction.     

Verbal conditioning of psychopaths as a function of experimenter-subject sex differences.

48 male and female psychopathic and 48 nonpsychopathic undergraduates, as defined by their MMPI, Psychopathic (Pd) scores, were verbally conditioned by a male and a female E. The hypothesis was that psychopathic Ss condition only in an opposite E-S sex group, while those in a matching sex group do not. It was further hypothesized that no such Sex * Treatment interaction exists for nonpsychopathic Ss, where both sex groups are expected to condition. Results lend support to the hypotheses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic versus extrinsic cues as determinants of perceived product quality.

Tested a portion of J. C. Olson's cue model which hypothesizes that, other things equal, intrinsic cues (e.g., physical product differences) will be stronger determinants of perceived-quality judgments than will extrinsic cues (e.g., price or store image). 90 female undergraduates were randomly assigned to the conditions of a 2 * 3 * 3 (Price * Store Image * Hosiery Product Samples) analysis of variance with repeated measures on the intrinsic factor. Results support the hypothesis; omega-square values revealed that 73% of the total variance was due to intrinsic product sample differences. Additionally, the hypothesis that perceived worth would be more strongly related to stated purchase intentions than would perceived quality was supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children who do well in school: Individual differences in perceived competence and autonomy in above-average children.

Self-determination theory and a motivational model of engagement were used to determine the impact of perceived competence and autonomy on engagement and performance in school of 77 3rd and 4th graders identified as above average in ability by scoring above the median on the Stanford Achievement Test. Despite this high ability, children who reported experiencing a lack of competence (those less certain of their abilities) or a lack of autonomy (being externally motivated) reported more negative affect and withdrawal behaviors than did children who perceived themselves as having ability or who perceived themselves to be autonomous. Implications for the achievement and adjustment of children in school are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Mother–infant interaction and the development of individual differences in children's cognitive competence.

Assessed the antecedents of individual differences in children's cognitive/language competence at age 24 mo using multivariate methods at ages 6, 13, and 24 mo in 121 Ss. Assessments included detailed observations of mother–children interaction, standardized tests of child cognitive development (including the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment and the Bayley Mental Scale of Infant Development), and examiner and maternal ratings of child sociability. There were meaningful patterns of continuity in the child and especially mother behavior factors across ages, and mother–child warm, verbal interactions at each age were associated with a composite index of child competence at 24 mo. A path analysis showed that altogether, 40% of the variance in competence outcome was explained by the 4 variables in the model (interaction at 3 ages and SES). The analysis also showed that the original bivariate correlation between interaction at 6 mo and later competence could be explained by continuity in interaction qualities at 6 and 24 mo rather than as a direct effect. However, the 13-mo interaction showed both a direct path to competence and an indirect one via age 24-mo interaction. SES had a modest significant correlation with competence, but in the path analysis this was dissipated in nonsignificant paths to the interaction variables. Partial correlations suggested that child developmental competence and sociability at earlier ages did not mediate the relationships between mother–infant interaction and later child competence. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compliance with a leader's suggestions as a function of perceived leader/member competence and potential reciprocity.

Examined with 80 male undergraduates the effects of perceived leader/group member competence and potential reciprocity on group member compliance with a leader's task suggestions. Ss worked in 5-person nominal groups on 2 construction tasks. A confederate was always appointed leader by a bogus random selection procedure. Perceived leader and group member competence were manipulated through bogus performance feedback following the 1st task. Ss received a written suggestion from the leader before the 2nd task that called for an assembly line procedure. Potential reciprocity was manipulated by the leader's request or refusal to see Ss' own suggestions. Compliance was measured through observer coding of Ss' performance on the 2nd task. Ss in the high leader competence/low group member competence condition compiled significantly more than did Ss in all other conditions. Internal analysis revealed that reciprocity was positively related to compliance among Ss with high-quality task suggestions and negatively related to compliance among those with low-quality suggestions. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in bystander intervention in a theft.

Results of 3 studies with 492 college students demonstrate a strong relationship among the situation-defining variable of degree of harm to victim, sexual configuration among participants, and bystanders' willingness to intervene to stop a theft. Pretest data showed that a priori verbal commitment was absolutely necessary for intervention. The remaining data showed that high harm to a victim produced a high rate of intervention and showed strong sex differences in helping behavior in low-harm conditions. A high percentage of female bystanders helped in both low- and high-harm situations, whereas frequent helping by males was observed only when harm to the victim was high. Female victims elicited a significantly greater amount of helping, and sex of thief had no effect. A significant Sex of Bystander, Sex of Victim, and Harm to Victim interaction best described the data. Results are interpreted in terms of motivational sets held by males and females when they are responsible for the fate of others. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)