Deviant of diverse peer groups? The peer affiliations of aggressive elementary students.

This study examined peer affiliations of aggressive children in a sample of 948 students (496 girls, 452 boys) from 59 elementary classrooms (4th-6th grades). Groups were identified as zero aggressive, nonaggressive, aggressive, and mixed. The deviant peer group hypothesis was partially supported. Two thirds of aggressive boys and one half of aggressive girls were members of nonaggressive or mixed peer groups. Unpopular aggressive boys were most likely to be members of nonaggressive groups, whereas popular aggressive boys were most likely to be in aggressive and mixed groups. Aggressive and nonaggressive associates tended to he similar on key social characteristics (i.e., popularity, athleticism, leadership). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in jealousy: Evolutionary mechanism or artifact of measurement?

Two studies are presented that challenge the evidentiary basis for the existence of evolved sex differences in jealousy. In opposition to the evolutionary view, Study 1 demonstrated that a sex difference in jealousy resulting from sexual versus emotional infidelity is observed only when judgments are recorded using a forced-choice response format. On all other measures, no sex differences were found, both men and women reported greater jealousy in response to sexual infidelity. A second study revealed that the sex difference on the forced-choice measure disappeared under conditions of cognitive constraint. These findings suggest that the sex difference used to support the evolutionary view of jealousy likely represents a measurement artifact resulting from a format-induced effortful decision strategy and not an automatic, sex-specific response shaped by evolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex-Related Differences in Murine Models of Chemically Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

We developed two models of chemically induced chronic lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis in mice (intratracheally administered hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intratracheally administered nitrogen mustard (NM)) and investigated male–female differences. Female mice exhibited higher 30-day survival and less weight loss than male mice. Thirty days after the instillation of either HCl or NM, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid displayed a persistent, mild inflammatory response, but with higher white blood cell numbers and total protein content in males vs. females. Furthermore, females exhibited less collagen deposition, milder pulmonary fibrosis, and lower Ashcroft scores. After instillation of either HCl or NM, all animals displayed increased values of phosphorylated (activated) Heat Shock Protein 90, which plays a crucial role in the alveolar wound-healing processes; however, females presented lower activation of both transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathways: ERK and SMAD. We propose that female mice are protected from chronic complications of a single exposure to either HCl or NM through a lesser activation of TGF-β and downstream signaling. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms that confer a protective effect in females could help develop new, gender-specific therapeutics for IPF.     

在线聊天存在话语的性别差异

随着电脑的普及和因特网(Internet)的快速发展和运用,在我们的生活中,产生了一种新的重要的交流手段——网上在线聊天。现实中流传着"网络无性别"的观点。该文针对这一观点,对网上在线聊天语言进行了初步的分析,从而发现在网上依然存在性别话语差异。男女性不同的在线会话风格,是他们面对面交际会话性别差异的延伸。     

CEDA: A research instrument for creative engineering design assessment.

Psychology and engineering faculty developed a new assessment tool to measure creativity in engineering design (Creative Engineering Design Assessment or CEDA). Fifty-eight engineering students (52 men and 6 women) and 59 psychology students (27 men and 32 women) completed the CEDA as well as other general creativity measures (creative personality, creativity temperament, and cognitive risk tolerance). Interrater reliability for the overall CEDA was high (r = .98). On average, men and women displayed similar levels of creative personality, cognitive risk tolerance, and engineering creativity (CEDA scores). However, the CEDA scores exhibited a cross-over interaction between academic class (engineering and psychology) and gender. Women displayed more creativity temperament. Intertest correlations indicate that the CEDA is different from the other general creativity measures. These results suggest that engineering design creativity may be a specialized skill that needs to be honed in engineering students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transmission and transaction: Predicting adolescents' internalization of parental religious values.

Data in this study supported a model of internalization that included both transmission and transactional variables. Two sets of hierarchical linear regression models were conducted on data collected from the fathers, mothers, and adolescents (10–12 yrs old) in 171 intact Caucasian families. One set predicted adolescent religious behavior; the other predicted the importance of religion to child. Transmission variables (parental religious behavior and parental desire for child to be religious) predicted the most variance in all models. Dyadic discussions of faith (transactional) predicted significant variance in all models. Child gender had a direct effect only on adolescent religious behavior. A significant 3-way interaction occurred between child gender, parental desire for child to be religious, and dyadic discussions when predicting importance of religion to child, with child and parent gender dyads interacting in a complex manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding infidelity: Correlates in a national random sample.

Infidelity is a common phenomenon in marriages but is poorly understood. The current study examined variables related to extramarital sex using data from the 1991-1996 General Social Surveys. Predictor variables were entered into a logistic regression with presence of extramarital sex as the dependent variable. Results demonstrated that divorce, education, age when first married, and 2 "opportunity" variables--respondent's income and work status--significantly affected the likelihood of having engaged in infidelity. Also, there were 3 significant interactions related to infidelity: (a) between age and gender, (b) between marital satisfaction and religious behavior, and (c) between past divorce and educational level. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of the desired effects of drinking scale with a late adolescent sample.

This study evaluated the validity of the Desired Effects of Drinking Scale (DEoDS) with a late adolescent sample. This brief measure (37 items) was designed to assess reasons for drinking across 9 domains. Across a culturally diverse sample of late adolescents (ages 18-20 years), this measure evidenced high internal consistency, particularly when all items were summed in 1 full-scale score. Contrary to the factors found with adults, 8 factors emerged with this sample. No differences were found by culture, providing initial evidence for the cross-cultural validity of this measure. In addition, gender differences emerged for only 1 factor. Overall, the results provide empirical support for the use of this measure to assess late adolescents' and emerging adults' reasons for drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Harvesting implicit group attitudes and beliefs from a demonstration web site.

Respondents at an Internet site completed over 600,000 tasks between October 1998 and April 2000 measuring attitudes toward and stereotypes of social groups. Their responses demonstrated, on average, implicit preference for White over Black and young over old and stereotypic: associations linking male terms with science and career and female terms with liberal arts and family. The main purpose was to provide a demonstration site at which respondents could experience their implicit attitudes and stereotypes toward social groups. Nevertheless, the data collected are rich in information regarding the operation of attitudes and stereotypes, most notably the strength of implicit attitudes, the association and dissociation between implicit and explicit attitudes, and the effects of group membership on attitudes and stereotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological and psychosocial correlates of adult arithmetic deficiency.

The purpose of this study was to examine adult correlates of rule-derived arithmetic deficiency. The authors collected neuropsychological, handedness, gender, and psychosocial data of adults with stringently defined arithmetic deficiency (AD; N=45), reading deficiency (N=45), and dual deficiency (N=45). The authors did not match groups on IQ score and did not restrict analyses to right-handed men. The results indicated that AD in adults is associated with nonverbal reasoning and constructional problems. Otherwise, there was no association between AD and dysphoric complaints as defined by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory elevations. The authors also found overall intelligence was lower in adults with AD, and gender distribution differed markedly from the reading and dual deficient groups. Potential gender bias in remediation referral patterns was identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)