Thesis advisor: Marina Vasilyeva / This research explored the nature of gender differences in math performance across development. It examined potential mechanisms underlying gender differences by testing a mediation model in which females' higher anxiety taxes their working memory resources leading to underperformance on a mathematics test. Further, this research examined stereotype threat effects on math performance by testing whether female students presented with a scenario activating the stereotype would perform worse than females not exposed to the stereotype. Participants in Study 1 were 71 fourth, 107 eighth, and 147 twelfth grade students from high performing school districts. Students completed anxiety measures and a challenging mathematics test either in the stereotype threat condition or the no-threat condition. Results showed that there were consistent gender differences in math performance across all three grade levels; however, stereotype threat did not impact girls' math performance. Importantly, the relation between gender and math performance at the eighth and twelfth grade levels was mediated by the worry component of anxiety. This finding suggests that girls' heightened worry can explain their underperformance on a math test. In Study 2, the mediating relation observed in Study 1 was further explored by testing whether working memory mediated the relation between worry and math performance. Participants were 90 college students who were assigned to either the stereotype threat or no-threat condition. Students completed anxiety measures, two working memory tasks (verbal and visual), and a challenging math test. Again, findings showed a significant gender difference in math performance but no stereotype threat effects. Further, there was a mediating chain from gender to the worry component of anxiety to visual working memory to math performance. The results suggest that females' heightened worry taxes their working memory leading to gender differences in math performance. Both studies contribute to our understanding of affective and cognitive factors underlying gender differences in math performance. The findings of this research are discussed in terms of their implications for interventions and the future of women's participation in STEM careers. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Karen Rosen / High achieving girls (i.e., super girls) are under the spotlight in popular psychology and recent media reports. While these reports suggest girls are doing well by objective standards of achievement, little is actually known about high achieving girls' social and emotional development. Understanding psychological aspects of high achievers is critical in determining whether girls pay a price along the road to success. In what follows, the literature on risk, including pressure/stress, coping, and problem behaviors will be reviewed. Salient developmental issues such as self-evaluation and intimacy will also be explored. The literature on these topics will be evaluated first among typical adolescents and then among high achievers. Next, a study that assessed the socioemotional functioning of high achieving girls and boys is described. Results indicated that high academic achievement for both boys and girls was related to higher academic self-concept, lower external and other problem behaviors, lower behavioral misconduct, lower romantic appeal, higher personal standards, and less positive thinking as a coping technique. However, participants' gender played a significant role. Girls revealed lower self-competence, more stress, and greater eating problems, regardless of achievement. Across achievement levels, boys had lower levels of intimacy as compared to girls. In one instance, achievement interacted with gender: low academic achievement was related to higher ratings of behavioral misconduct for boys only. Implications are discussed as they relate to both typical and high achieving students and the contexts in which they live. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

Forskning kring våld i nära relationer handlar ofta om fysiskt våld. Fysiskt våld uppfattas som mer allvarligt än psykiskt våld. Psykiskt våld har visats vara mer vanligt och skadorna går inte att upptäcka med blotta ögat. Studiens syfte var att undersöka uppfattningar om psykiskt våld i nära relationer. Etthundrasextionio högskolestudenter, varav 88 kvinnor läste en av två fiktiva vinjetter om psykiskt våld i en nära relation där förövaren var antingen man eller kvinna. Därefter svarade de på en enkät relaterat till vinjetten med frågor från mätinstrumentet Opinions on Domestic Violence Scale (ODVS). Tvåvägs variansanalyser för oberoende mätningar visade att kvinnorna uppfattade situationerna mer allvarligt än männen. När en kvinna blev utsatt för våld uppfattades det mer allvarligt. Resultaten var i linje med tidigare forskning om fysiskt våld. Det är av värde att fortsätta undersöka psykiskt våld i nära relationer för att våldet ska upphöra.

Men from a culture of honor often use physical aggression in response to threats as a way of restoring lost honor. Threats can range from being called an offensive name to someone flirting with their romantic partner. On the other hand, women from a culture of honor are expected to be submissive and avoid situations that can result in harm to their reputation. However, a recent meta-analytic review of the literature suggests that women do not always avoid situations that can harm their reputation. Rather, women in a culture of honor also use physical aggression in response to threats. In this study, I tested when and why men and women from a culture of honor use aggression in response to an honor threat. Participants (N = 1,043) responded to hypothetical scenarios that included threats to a person’s honor. Overall, men and women from a culture of honor used more aggression following a threat to their honor compared to people not from a culture of honor. People from a culture of honor also felt as though their reputation was hurt more by an honor threat than those, not from a culture of honor. The more participants felt their reputation was hurt, the more aggression they used against their attacker.

The purpose of this research was to explore the gender differences in caregiver burden in Alzheimer’s patients in the Inland Empire. Currently, there are more than half a million Californians who live with Alzheimer’s disease (Ross, Brennan, Nazareno, & Fox, 2009) and this number is expected to double over the next few years. Due to an increase in the older population and the rise of informal caregivers, the study provided insight as to how males and females perceive caregiver burden and how each gender responds to caregiver burden. This exploratory study utilized a quantitative research design through the use of questionnaires which measured caregiver burden through the use of the Zarit Burden Interview. A total of 38 participants were recruited through support groups at the Inland Caregiver Resource Center. Though findings did not suggest a gender difference in caregiver burden, they did indicate that there was a relationship between ethnicity and gender in relation to the caregiver and care receiver relationship. Implications for social work practice include assessment for and aid in the development of gender appropriate resources for informal caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.

The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the gender-specific responses to supramaximal cycling and to examine the changes in anaerobic and aerobic metabolism that occur in response to high-intensity interval training (HIT). All subjects in the present experiments were untrained, healthy young adults aged between 18 and 35 yr. Cycle ergometry was used for all experimental test procedures and training programs. The accumulated oxygen (AO2) deficit was used to quantify the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via anaerobic metabolism during supramaximal cycling. In addition, pulmonary oxygen uptake measured at the onset of exercise was described using mathematical modeling to determine the rate response of the aerobic energy system during exercise. The purpose of experiment one was to examine the test-retest reliability of the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) measured at 110% and 120% of peak oxygen uptake for cycling in seven untrained male and seven untrained female subjects. After one familiarization trial, all subjects performed two MAOD tests at a power output corresponding to 110% and two tests at 120% of peak oxygen uptake in random order. MAOD was calculated for each subject as the difference between the estimated AO2 demand and the AO2 uptake measured during the exercise bout. The mean±standard error time to exhaustion (TE) for the group was not significantly different between trial one (226±13 s) and trial two (223±14 s) of the 110% test. Likewise, the difference in the TE between trial one (158±11 s) and trial two (159±10 s) was not significant for the 120% test. The intra-class correlation coefficients for the TE were 0.95 for the 110% test and 0.98 for the 120% test. The mean MAOD value obtained in trial one (2.62±0.17 L) was not significantly different from the mean value obtained in trial two (2.54±0.19 L) for the 110% test. Additionally, the mean values for the two trials did not differ significantly for MAOD (2.64±0.21 L for trial one and 2.63±0.19 L for trial two) in the 120% test. The intra-class correlation coefficients for MAOD were 0.95 for the 110% test and 0.97 for the 120% test. All intra-class correlation coefficients were significant at p < 0.001. When conducted under standardized conditions, the determination of MAOD for cycling was highly repeatable at both 110% and 120% of peak oxygen uptake in untrained male and female subjects. The results observed in experiment one suggest that the MAOD may be used to compare the anaerobic capacity (AC) of men and women and to examine changes in the contribution of the anaerobic energy systems before and after training. Experiment two examined the gender-specific differences in MAOD before and after 4 and 8 wk of HIT. Untrained men (n=7) and women (n=7) cycled at 120% of pre-training peak oxygen uptake to exhaustion (MAOD test) pre-, mid-, and post-training. A post-training timed test was also completed at the MAOD test power output, but this test was stopped at the TE achieved during the pre-training MAOD test. The 14.3±5.2% increase in MAOD observed in males after 4 wk of training was not different from the 14.0±3.0% increase seen in females (p > 0.05). MAOD increased by a further 6.6±1.9% in males and this change was not different from the additional 5.1±2.3% increase observed in females after the final 4 wk of training. Peak oxygen uptake measured during incremental cycling increased significantly (p < 0.01) in male but not in female subjects after 8 wk of training. Moreover, the AO2 uptake was higher in men during the post-training timed test compared to the pre-training MAOD test (p < 0.01). In contrast, the AO2 uptake was unchanged from pre- to post-training in female subjects. The increase in MAOD with training was not different between men and women suggesting an enhanced ability to produce ATP anaerobically in both groups. However, the increase in peak oxygen uptake and AO2 uptake obtained in male subjects following training indicates improved oxidative metabolism in men but not in women. It was concluded that there are basic gender differences that may predispose males and females to specific metabolic adaptations following an 8-wk period of HIT. Increases in AO2 uptake during supramaximal cycling demonstrated in men after training led to the hypothesis that peak oxygen uptake kinetics are speeded in male subjects with short-term HIT. It was suggested that training does not improve peak oxygen uptake kinetics in women as no change in AO2 uptake was found after 8 wk of HIT in female subjects. The purpose of experiment three was to examine peak oxygen uptake kinetics before and after 8 wk of HIT in six men and six women during cycling at 50% (50% test) and 110% (110% test) of pre-training peak oxygen uptake. A single-term exponential equation was used to model the peak oxygen uptake response (after phase I) during the 50% and 110% tests pre- and post-training. In addition, phase II and III of the peak oxygen uptake response during the 110% tests were examined using a two-term equation. The end of the phase I peak oxygen uptake response was identified visually and omitted from the modeling process. The duration of phase I determined during all experimental tests was not different between men and women and did not change with training in either group. Before training, men obtained a phase II peak oxygen uptake time constant (t2) of 29.0±3.3 s during the 50% test which was not different to the t2 of 28.8±2.2 s attained by women. In addition, the t2 determined during the 50% test was unchanged after 8 wk of HIT in both groups. The peak oxygen uptake kinetics examined during the 110% tests before training were well described by a single-term model in all male and female subjects. The t2 determined before training for the 110% test was significantly faster in men than in women. Furthermore, peak oxygen uptake was unchanged in female subjects and the t2 remained unaltered with 8 wk HIT (pre 45.5±2.2; post 44.8±2.3 s). In contrast, male subjects achieved a significantly higher peak oxygen uptake after training and the t2 determined for men during the 110% test was faster after training (36.4±1.6 s) than before training (40.1± 1.9 s). Improved model fits were obtained with the two-term equation compared to the single-term equation in two of the six male subjects during the 110% test post-training. It was found that the onset of the peak oxygen uptake slow component occurred at a mean time of 63.5±2.5 s and the t2 was reduced to 18.4±1.7 s. Using a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks z-test, the t2 described by the single-term equation in the remaining four subjects was determined to be significantly faster after training than before training, thus confirming the results obtained from the original group (n=6) of male subjects. End exercise heart rate (HREE) values obtained during the 50% and 110% tests were not different between men and women. During the 50% test, HREE values were unchanged, whereas HREE was significantly decreased during the 110% test after training in both groups. These data show that HIT might improve oxidative metabolism in men but not in women as reflected by a greater peak oxygen uptake and faster peak oxygen uptake kinetics during supramaximal work rates. We further suggest that the faster peak oxygen uptake kinetics demonstrated in men after training are probably not due to an improvement in cardiac function. Finally, the augmentation of oxidative metabolism during exercise after HIT in men might be dependent on the intensity of the exercise bout at which the peak oxygen uptake response is examined. The findings presented in this thesis suggest that MAOD is a reliable measure in both male and female subjects and can be used to monitor changes in anaerobic ATP production during supramaximal cycling. Moreover, these data suggest that 4 and 8 wk of HIT produce similar changes in anaerobic ATP generation in men and women. Finally, 8 wk of HIT results in the increase of peak oxygen uptake and AO2 uptake as well as the speeding of peak oxygen uptake kinetics during supramaximal cycling in male subjects. There was no evidence to suggest that oxidative metabolism was improved in women after short-term HIT. In conclusion, improvement in supramaximal exercise performances should be examined specifically for changes in the anaerobic and aerobic contributions to energy production. In addition, it is suggested that gender should be of primary consideration when designing exercise-training programs where improvement in both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism is required.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / New scoring and test construction methods for emotional intelligence (EI) are suggested as alternatives for current practice, where most tests are scored by group judgment and are in ratings-based format. Both the ratings-based format and the proportion-based scores resulting from group judgments may act as method effects, obscuring relationships between EI tests, and between EI and intelligence. In addition, scoring based on standards rather than group judgments add clarity to the meaning of test scores. For these reasons, two new measures of emotional intelligence (EI) are constructed: (1) the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding (STEU); and (2) the Situational Test of Emotion Management (STEM). Following test construction, validity evidence is collected from four multi-variate studies. The STEU’s items and a standards-based scoring system are developed according to empirically derived appraisal theory concerning the structure of emotion [Roseman, 2001]. The STEM is developed as a Situational Judgment Test (SJT) with situations representing sadness, fear and anger in work life and personal life settings. Two qualitative studies form the basis for the STEM’s item development: (1) content analysis of responses to semi-structured interviews with 31 psychology undergraduates and 19 community volunteers; and (2) content analysis of free responses to targeted vignettes created from these semi-structured interviews (N = 99). The STEM may be scored according to two expert panels of emotions researchers, psychologists, therapists and life coaches (N = 12 and N = 6). In the first multi-variate study (N = 207 psychology undergraduates), both STEU and STEM scores relate strongly to vocabulary test scores and moderately to Agreeableness but no other dimension from the five-factor model of personality. STEU scores predict psychology grade and an emotionally-oriented thinking style after controlling vocabulary and personality test scores (ΔR2 = .08 and .06 respectively). STEM scores did not predict academic achievement but did predict emotionally-oriented thinking and life satisfaction (ΔR2 = .07 and .05 for emotionally-oriented thinking and .04 for life satisfaction). In the second multi-variate study, STEU scores predict lower levels of state anxiety, and STEM scores predict lower levels of state anxiety, depression, and stress among 149 community volunteers from Sydney, Australia. In the third multi-variate study (N = 181 psychology undergraduates), Strategic EI, fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallized intelligence (Gc) were each measured with three indicators, allowing these constructs to be assessed at the latent variable level. Nested structural equation models show that Strategic EI and Gc form separate latent factors (Δχ2(1) = 12.44, p < .001). However, these factors relate very strongly (r = .73), indicating that Strategic EI may be a primary mental ability underlying Gc. In this study, STEM scores relate to emotionally-oriented thinking but not loneliness, life satisfaction or state stress, and STEU scores do not relate to any of these. STEM scores are significantly and meaningfully higher for females (d = .80), irrespective of gender differences in verbal ability or personality, or whether expert scores are derived from male or female experts. The fourth multi-variate study (N = 118 psychology undergraduates) distinguishes an EI latent factor (indicated by scores on the STEU, STEM and two emotion recognition ability measures) from a general cognitive ability factor (indicated by three intelligence measures; Δχ2(1) = 10.49, p < .001), although again cognitive ability and EI factors were strongly related (r = .66). Again, STEM scores were significantly higher for females (d = .44) and both STEU and STEM relate to Agreeableness but not to any other dimension from the five-factor model of personality. Taken together, results suggest that: (1) STEU and STEM scores are reasonably reliable and valid tests of EI; (2) EI tests assess slightly different constructs to existing measures of Gc, but more likely form a new primary mental ability within Gc than an entirely separate construct; and (3) the female superiority for EI tests may prove useful for addressing adverse impact in applied settings (e.g., selection for employment, promotion or educational opportunities), particularly given that many current assessment tools result in a male advantage.

<p>Sleep problems are one of the most common health complaints in the population. Furthermore, people often judge good sleep as crucial for everyday well-being and it has been shown that lack of sleep has negative health effects. However, sleep has not been a subject of much sociological study.</p><p>In this study sleep problems are analysed in different ways. First, a cross-sectional analysis is done in order to find out whether sleep problems in the population have increased from 1968 to 2000. Secondly, a longitudinal analysis is done to see how sleep problems pattern from middle-age to old-age. Last, it is analysed whether there are any differences in the sleep patterns from middle-age to old-age for manual workers and non-manuals.</p><p>This study shows that there has been an increase in sleep problems from 1968 to 2000 in the population. However the increase has only affected younger age groups (between the age 19-55), the elderly population is unaffected. The increase is found among both men and women. Longitudinal analyses of a cohort (born 1915-1925) followed from middle-age to old-age (for 34 years) showed that one out of four experienced an onset of sleep problems during the study. This is in line with earlier research stating that insomnia to a large part is age-related. Furthermore, it was found that manual workers had a larger increase of sleep problems across the 34 years than non-manuals, perhaps suggesting an accumulation effect.</p><p>All analyses were separated for gender and women constantly reported more sleep problems than men. This is not surprising since this relation have been found across almost all cultures and times. Nevertheless, in this study no increase of the gender gap was found with advancing age, a relation found in most other studies. However more research is needed to understand the reason behind the gendered nature of sleep problems.</p>

<p>Flera teorier om självkänsla har gemensamt att självkänsla grundläggs i barndomen och berör individens syn på sig själv och hur omgivningen uppfattar individen. Tidigare studier av pornografiskt material har inriktat sig mot negativa effekter av konsumtion för beteendet. Studiens frågeställningar berörde huruvida det fanns några könsskillnader eller skillnader mellan individer med hög respektive låg självkänsla gällande hur ungdomar påverkas av pornografiskt material. Totalt deltog 131 personer av dessa var 80 kvinnor och 51 män. Män påverkades mer av pornografi än kvinnor Individer med låg självkänsla påverkas mer av pornografi än de med hög självkänsla. Studien visar att det finns en koppling mellan påverkan av pornografiskt material och individens självkänsla.</p>

<p>Två experiment undersökte om en människa och ett djur som far lika illa väcker olika mycket empati. I Experiment 1 fick 108 personer läsa en berättelse där antingen en man, kvinna, hund eller katt farit illa och därefter skatta sin empati. Män hade låg empati för såväl människor som för djur. Kvinnor hade (1) mer empati än män oavsett offer, (2) mer empati för djur än för människor, samt (3) något mer empati för hund än för katt. I Experiment 2 fick 69 kvinnor läsa en berättelse där antingen ett barn eller en hundvalp farit illa. Kvinnorna hade något mer empati för hundvalpen än för barnet. Sammantaget var kvinnorna alltså främsta givare och hundarna främsta mottagare av empati.</p>