published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Arts

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The current study was designed to examine sex differences in the stability of same-sex friendships. Based on past research, it was hypothesized that boys have more stable friendship nominations than girls. Four hundred fifty-one elementary and high school students from grades three, four, seven and eight completed questionnaires in which they were asked to nominate their closest friends. Friendship nominations were collected three times over a seventh month period, in the fall, winter and spring of the school year. Partial support was obtained for the hypothesis at the high school level: Adolescent boys had more stable friendship nominations than adolescent girls. No sex differences in stability were evident at the elementary level. At all grade levels, fewer friendship nominations were made at the beginning of the year and friendship stability was lowest over the longer time interval from fall to spring. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of the stability of friendships for peer social support.

Gender differences in the experience of jealousy have been the subject of research interest since the work of Freud. Recent research seems to indicate that males may be more distressed by their partners' sexual infidelity, whereas females are possibly more upset by emotional infidelity. Evolutionary psychologists believe these gender differences are the result of different adaptive problems faced by males and females over the course of evolutionary history. This view has been criticised by social psychologists and feminist theorists, who assert that gender differences in the experience of jealousy are the result of socialisation practices and power imbalances in society. This study examined gender differences in the experience of jealousy in a cross-cultural sample. The results provided only partial support for the evolutionary model. Strongly significant gender differences were found, but the difference was driven mostly by a large majority female dislike of emotional infidelity. Males across the sample were ambivalent, selecting sexual and emotional infidelity as approximately equally distressing. Significant cultural differences were found, suggesting that cultural factors may play a part in the experience of jealousy. / Thesis (M.A.)- University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

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A confirmatory approach based on a multidimensional model (Douglas, Roussos, & Stout, 1996; Shealy & Stout, 1993; Stout & Roussos, 1995) was used to identify sources of differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF) for boys and girls on the British Columbia Principles of Mathematics Exam for grade 12 (PME12). Data consisted of a total of 9404 examinees; 4335 girls and 5069 boys. There were 45 multiple choice items in the exam. Analyses were completed in two stages. In stage 1, patterns present in the gender DIF research in mathematics were identified. Stage 2 was the statistical confirmation of these patterns. Sources of gender DIF were confirmed for the content areas: polynomial, quadratic relations, logarithms and exponents. Items tapping higher cognitive levels dealing with patterns and relation, word problems, and items containing visuals were also confirmed as a source of DIF. Exploratory analyses indicated that computation items for which no equations are provided may be a source of DIF along with trigonometry items. This study contributes to an increased understanding of sources of gender DIF that may assist test developers to ensure that mathematics items measure the construct that they are intended to measure and that the test as a whole measures that which it purports to measure. The findings of this research provide an additional source of information about the differential performance of boys and girls that may be used to develop guidelines and test construction principles for reducing gender DIF in mathematics. This research also contributes to a greater understanding of gender differences in mathematics learning and achievement.

Individuals who are high in psychopathic traits are known to cheat, lie, and manipulate others. One of the factors that may influence this behaviour is interpersonal judgment accuracy and tendency. There is some indication that increased psychopathic traits may be related to the ability to accurately judge the personality traits and emotions of others, and subsequently select individuals with characteristics that make them more vulnerable to manipulation and victimization. Alternatively, psychopathic traits may be related to a tendency to view others as possessing more vulnerable traits in general. The current study explored this topic by examining the relationship between psychopathic traits and the ability to accurately judge others’ personality traits and emotional states, as well the tendency to judge others as being more vulnerable. These relationships were examined in the overall sample as well by sex of judge and target. Male and female undergraduate students (N = 131) completed measures of psychopathic traits and narcissism. They were also asked to complete three tasks: 1) judge the personality traits and emotional states of individuals shown in brief video clips, 2) complete a memory task, select individuals who they would like to get to know better, and judge their vulnerability to being taken advantage of based on viewing photographs and brief written descriptions, and 3) judge brief displays of emotion. Results indicated that higher levels of psychopathic traits were related to enhanced judgment accuracy for certain traits and emotional states, but these relationships often varied depending on sex of judge and target. As well, psychopathic traits appeared to have a stronger relationship with judgment tendency than judgment accuracy, suggesting that individuals who are high in psychopathic traits tend to view others in a more negative light that may make them seem more vulnerable to manipulation. Judgment tendency also varied depending on sex of judge and target. Psychopathic traits showed stronger relationships with both judgment accuracy and tendency than narcissism. The results of the current study highlight the importance of continuing to study male and female psychopathy separately to gain an understanding of how psychopathic traits may manifest differently between the sexes.

The role of sex in the organization of movement is not commonly addressed in the literature. The objective of this thesis was to determine whether differences exist between males and females in the way they organize their movements during dodging to protect a food item. Detailed kinematic analysis of these movements in adult rats shows that females move their snout through a greater spatial curvature, relative to the pelvis, than males. The sex of the robbing animal did not alter the sex-typical movement paterns exhibited. Manipulation of neonatal androgens altered the sex-typical dodge patterns of both males and females. Removal of androgens at weaning however, did not affect the male-typical pattern. The existence of sex differences in the organization of movement provides a new level of analysis for the study of sexual dimorphism in behavior. / x, 228 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

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