Cross-gender Comparisons Research Articles

Gender differences in the use of an upper-extremity exoskeleton during physically and cognitively demanding tasks- a study protocol for a randomized experimental trial.

Upper limb exoskeletons are recommended to alleviate muscle fatigue, particularly in working conditions inducing musculoskeletal discomfort like overhead work. However, wearing an exoskeleton might introduce cognitive-motor interference, affecting performance. Understanding its neural impact and potential gender differences in design effects is crucial. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine exoskeleton effects addressing cross-gender comparisons, and exploring the impact on cognitive and physical workload in real-world scenarios. The research questions address the impact of exoskeleton use on muscle synergies, upper body posture, cognitive resources, comfort/discomfort, acceptance and usability. The cross-sectional study integrates a multifactorial mixed-measure design. Participants are grouped by gender (female vs. male) and working condition (with vs. without exoskeleton). Motor performance and underlying neuronal correlates (fNIRS) will be analyzed. Based on an a priori sample size calculation, 80 participants (40 female/40 male) will be recruited. Working performance will be assessed by 1. Physical Performance Task (PILE task) and 2. Precision Task (following the Fitts paradigm), while body postures will be monitored with an Xsens motion capture system. Brain activation will be captured with an fNIRS system comprising 32 active optodes. Postural comfort/discomfort, acceptance, and usability will be reported via standardized questionnaires. The study will gain insights into potential gender differences in exoskeleton use and will contribute to designing and optimizing the implementation of exoskeletons by considering muscle synergies, movement variability and cognitive resource allocation. Additionally, the study also highlights user discomfort, a crucial factor that could impede widespread adoption, particularly among females, in real-world scenarios.

Total knee arthroplasty survival rates are lower in younger men,as well as rheumatoid patients and after previous high-tibial osteotomy: A registry study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if patient's gender significantly affected the long-term outcome of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and to provide a cross-gender comparison of a large patient sample from a single regional register. The Registry of Prosthetic Orthopedic Implant of Emilia Romagna (RIPO) investigated all primary TKAs performed from July 2000 to December 2020 by collecting data of menand womenseparately. Primary bicompartmental and tricompartmental TKAs were included. The survival rates and the reasons for revision were assessed to check if any other factor could have influenced implantfailure. In total,66,032 TKAs were included and analysed, comprising 46,774 women and 19,258 men. The 15-year Kaplan-Meier survival percentage was 93.6% for womenand 92.5% formen (p = 0.001). Men exhibited a higher revision risk following primary TKA(p = 0.012), particularly when the primary diagnosis was arthritis resulting from rheumatic disorders (p = 0.018) and arthritis following high-tibial osteotomy (p = 0.024). Failure risk was also higher for men below the age of 60 years(p = 0.038). The long-term outcome in TKA showed significant differences between men and women, with a significantly lower survival rate in men at 15 years, especially when they areunder 60 years old or with a diagnosis of rheumatic disorders or arthritis following high-tibial osteotomy. It is necessary to design specific studies to have relevant data concerning gender differences in prosthetic surgery and to customise treatments to improve outcome and patient satisfaction. Level III.

The Relationship between Grandparents' Violent Discipline and School Bullying Behavior among Left-behind Children.

Most left-behind children in rural China are raised by their grandparents, whose parenting style significantly impacts children's development. This study examined the association between grandparents' violent discipline and left-behind children's school bullying. This cross-sectional study recruited a sample of 462 left-behind children aged 10 to 15 years old (Age Mean = 12.372, 49.351% girls) from four rural primary and junior high schools in Chongqing, China. There was a significant positive association between corporal punishment (β = .236, p < .001) and psychological aggression (β = .272, p < .001) of grandparents and children's school bullying. Empathy and moral disengagement mediate the above association. Cross-gender comparisons indicated that corporal punishment had a greater positive relationship with school bullying in boys than girls (βgirls = .154, p < .01; βboys = .250, p < .001). At the same time, boys' moral disengagement was also more likely to lead to school bullying (βgirls = .233, p < .001; βboys = .337, p < .001). We discuss the implications of these findings for preventing bullying in schools for children left behind.

Measuring sport fantasy proneness and deflated reality in sport and performance: Development and validation of two context-specific instruments

Fantasy-prone personalities and generalized states of pessimism and hopelessness have been linked to various behavioural, cognitive, and health related outcomes in the general population. Nevertheless, to date, knowledge of sport-specific fantasy proneness and athletes’ perception of deflated reality in sport is scarce, possibly due to a lack of appropriate psychometric instruments to examine these two important context-specific constructs. In this research, we developed the Sport Fantasy Proneness Scale (SFPS) and the Deflated Reality in Sport Scale (DRSS), first assessing the content validity of items for the instruments following a rigorous process. Through two cross-sectional samples (Study 1: Sample 1 N = 255, Sample 2 N = 260) and one longitudinal sample (Study 2: Sample 3 N = 118) of competitive athletes in the UK, we then examined factorial, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity and measurement invariance (Study 1), as well as internal consistency, and test-retest reliability (Study 2) of the two new scales. Results revealed robust construct validity and reliability of scores on the two instruments and suggested very good invariance when implementing the new scales to athletes from different sports and competitive levels and good invariance for cross-gender comparisons. The new scales fill a gap in the sport psychology literature and provide researchers and practitioners with robust psychometric instruments to examine new research questions and tackle issues relevant to athletes’ sport-specific fantasy proneness and perceptions of deflated reality.

Is Alexa female, male, or neutral? A cross-national and cross-gender comparison of perceptions of Alexa's gender and status as a communicator

The gendering of machine agents risks further complicating the social framework in ways that reverberate to humans' relationships and identities. This paper explores how users perceive the gender and status of Amazon's Alexa. We argue that voice-based assistants, particularly those with feminine names and voices, may contribute to reinforcing a retrieval ideology of the feminine as the place of social subordination and contempt. We conducted an online survey of women and men in the US (n = 322) and Italy (n = 333). Most (80%) identified Alexa as “female.” However, there was a lack of concordance between the gender respondents ascribed to Alexa and their spontaneous use of pronouns in writing. In terms of status, over half of the sample perceived Alexa as an inferior communicator (for Italian respondents, inferiority was associated with perceiving Alexa as female), while over one-third rated Alexa as equal or superior to humans, evidencing the change happening in the ontological order. The few respondents who noticed gender differences in people's interactions with Alexa perceived women to be more courteous, serious and accommodating in their use. Respondent gender and culture comparisons are presented, implications of the findings are discussed, and future research is proposed to reduce harmful impact.

Dysbiosis of the Salivary Microbiome is Associated with Hypertension and Correlated with Metabolic Syndrome Biomarkers.

BackgroundHypertension (HT) is an idiopathic disease with severe complications and a high incidence of global mortality. Although the disease shares characteristic features with diabetes and obesity, the complex interplay of endogenous and environmental factors is not well characterized. The oral microbiome has recently been studied to better understand the role of commensal microorganisms in metabolic disorders, including HT, although its role in disease etiology is unclear.MethodsTo bridge this gap, we compared the oral microbiome and clinical chemistry of adult subjects enrolled at Qatar Biobank. Clinical chemistry was performed using Roche Cobas-6000 analyzer. Saliva samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing using Illumina MiSeq platform. Cross-gender comparisons were made between control (males/females) (C-M and C-F) and HT (HT-M and HT-F) groups.ResultsThe HT groups had higher (p ≤ 0.05) BMI, plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations. Triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and sodium ions were similar among the groups. The microbiome was predominantly occupied by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Firmicutes were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the HT groups, whereas Proteobacteria was only higher in the C-F group. Prevotella and Veillonella were significantly higher in the HT groups and exhibited a positive correlation with blood pressure and hyperglycemia. In contrast to other studies, the mathematical summation of priori-select microbes reveals that nitrate-reducing microbes were higher in the HT groups compared with the controls.ConclusionIn conclusion, these observations suggest a strong association of HT with microbial dysbiosis, where microbial species other than nitrate-reducing microbes contribute to blood pressure regulation. The findings affirm plausible microbial signatures of hypertension and suggest manipulating these microbes as a novel treatment modality. Future experiments are warranted for the mechanistic investigation of hypertension metagenomics and microbial activity.

On estimating the prevalence of use of medically assisted reproduction in developed countries: a critical review of recent literature.

BACKGROUNDExisting reviews on the prevalence of use of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) are relatively old and include mainly studies from the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, MAR has developed at a rapid pace, public awareness and acceptance of medical solutions to infertility problems has increased, and, consequently, the use of MAR has risen in developed countries.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThis study provides a comprehensive overview of the state of research on the prevalence of MAR use in women and men, as well as a critique of methodology used in studies of the use of MAR, and suggestions for moving forward.SEARCH METHODSArticles were located via the databases Academic Search Complete, Biomed Central, FirstSearch, Google Scholar, Medline, Health and Medical Collection, Medline and Social Science Citation Index using the key words ‘infertile’, ‘infertility’, ‘subfecund’, ‘subfecundity’, ‘treatment’, ‘help-seeking’, ‘service use’, ‘service utilization’, ‘ART use’ and ‘MAR use’ separately and in various combinations. The focus was on studies from developed countries, published between 1990 and 2018, in English, German or French.OUTCOMESIn this article, we have reviewed 39 studies covering 13 countries or regions; approximately half of these covered the USA. Ten studies were published in the 1990s, 10 in the 2000s and 19 since 2010. Studies report different types of prevalence rates such as lifetime and current prevalence rates of MAR use. Prevalence rates are based on very different denominators: women who tried to become pregnant for at least 12 months without success, women who experienced at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse without success, women of reproductive age from the general population or women with a life birth. There are few studies that report help-seeking rates for men or make direct comparisons between genders. Knowledge on medical help-seeking across different stages, such as seeing a doctor, undergoing tests, having operations to restore fertility or ART, has started to accumulate in recent years. There are conceptual reasons for being cautious about drawing conclusions about gender, regional, country level and differences over time in help-seeking rates.LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTIONIn a narrative review, the risk of bias in the interpretation of findings cannot be completely eliminated. The literature search was limited to languages the authors speak: English, French and German.WIDER IMPLICATIONSIn line with earlier reviews, we found that studies on help-seeking are not comparable across time and space, preventing researchers and healthcare providers from understanding the relation between social change, social policy, social structure and help-seeking for infertility. The discussion in this article should assist future researchers in designing better studies on the prevalence of MAR use. We provide suggestions for producing better estimates of the prevalence of MAR use. More cross-country and cross-gender comparisons are needed. Studies that treat help-seeking as a continuum and report on different stages are preferable compared to choosing arbitrary cutoff points, as is common practice in the studies reviewed.STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)None.

Knowledge transfer and innovation adoption in women farmers

PurposeThe study aims to analyse patterns of innovation adoption among Italian female-owned farms, by evaluating the impact of innovation support services and entrepreneurial orientation on innovation adoption.Design/methodology/approachTo explore both the entrepreneurial identity of women farmers and the role of innovation support services in boosting innovation, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of Italian women farmers. A multivariate analysis lets to classify the farms under the previous two perspectives.FindingsThe analysis reveals various patterns of innovation adoption, heavily depending on both the effectiveness of innovation support services and farmers' entrepreneurial orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe research analyses a sample of women farmers to excavate worlds of innovation among female-owned farms. Cross-gender comparisons can offer a more complete picture of the ways gender catalyses innovation adoption.Practical implicationsAt a policy level, the results of our empirical analysis point out the need for gendering innovation analysis and for tailoring policy interventions to the different worlds of innovation that exist in rural Italy.Social implicationsThe paper confirms the importance of deepening research on gender issues, with the purpose of fulfilling gender mainstreaming underlined in numerous policy documents at both the European and international levels.Originality/valueThe analysis represents a first attempt to join both the entrepreneurial identity of women farmers and the role of innovation support services in boosting innovation. Therefore, the paper fills a gap in the literature.

Implementation of internal controls and the sustainability of SMEs in Harare in Zimbabwe

Inspired by the assertion that preventative measures can prevent the failure of business enterprises, this paper sought to determine the types of internal controls and the degree to which SMEs implemented them in the central business district of Harare in Zimbabwe. By completing semi-structured questionnaires, the 135 respondents generated the quantitative data, which was analysed utilising Version 25 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results revealed that the conventional internal controls which are customary in larger business enterprises were either absent or not adequately implemented in the SMEs. A cross-gender comparison suggested that female-led SMEs were more likely to implement internal control systems than their male counterparts. By empirically justifying the need for internal control systems in SMEs, this paper contributes to both theory and practice, by reaffirming the effectiveness of internal controls and emphasising how their effective implementation can increase the sustainability of this business cohort.

Music-search behaviour on a social Q&amp;A site: A cross-gender comparison

While there have been numerous studies of music-search behaviour, little is known about gendered aspects of how it is carried out on social question and answer sites. The article examines gender differences manifested on one such site with regard to (a) the motivations of the person posing the question, (b) intervening variables that influence music-search behaviour and (c) the formulation of the questions. Results from manual categorisation and other analysis of 17,380 music-relevant questions collected from the site show that males who asked questions did so more often, provided more answers and had more followers than female question-posters. Males tended to include music context information in questions asking for ready reference, whereas females often asked questions in a second-person pronoun aiming for promoting discussion. Such research results add to the current understanding of music-search behaviour and contribute new insights that can inform development of better music services/systems.

Interest free micro credit loans: Pakistani female entrepreneurs

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of interest free micro credit loans on the lives and business of the female borrowers.Design/methodology/approachBoth primary and secondary data have been used. Case studies of four different female entrepreneurs have been included as part of the research. The observation was conducted over an extended period of time. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with four beneficiaries to know the role played by interest free micro credit loans in improving (or not!) their lives and businesses.FindingsInterest free micro credit loans played a significant role in bringing a positive change in the lives of the borrowers. Clients mentioned that “zero interest rate” and “flexible repayment schedules” were the main reason for obtaining loans from this source. Further, they suggested that there is a need for training/workshops, feedback/monitoring, networking and online repayment system to make interest free micro credit loans more successful.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of the study is limited to only four female borrowers in Karachi. Future studies can include other cities and cross-gender comparisons for better understating.Practical implicationsThis study will help microfinance organizations to assess the problems faced by the borrowers; it will also shed light on the motivations of borrowers.Originality/valueInterest free micro credit loans were provided to women entrepreneurs in a social experiment and implications were observed.

Concurrent Assessment of Penile Blood Flow and Circumference as Indicators of Male Sexual Arousal

IntroductionThe current study aims to validate a new imaging tool to assess men’s sexual psychophysiological responding: laser Doppler imaging (LDI), which directly measures subcutaneous genital blood flow. In this study, we concurrently assessed genital sexual arousal in a sample of men using the LDI and the current gold standard of male sexual psychophysiology, the penile strain gauge (PSG). AimTo (i) assess the validity of the LDI as a measure of male sexual arousal, (ii) evaluate the relationship between the LDI and PSG, and (iii) compare sexual concordance produced by the LDI and PSG. MethodsA total of 25 male participants (Mage = 24.28 years, SD = 6.10, range 18–37) watched 4 experimental films (ie, anxiety-provoking, humorous, erotic, neutral nature content) while their sexual arousal was assessed. Genital sexual arousal was assessed using the LDI (blood perfusion) and PSG (penile tumescence) concurrently. Subjective sexual arousal was assessed using continuous and discrete self-reported measures. Main Outcome MeasureResults demonstrate the validity of the LDI as an imaging-based measure of male genital arousal, and one that is comparable to the PSG. ResultsSignificant increases in genital blood flow assessed via the LDI were observed for erotic, but not anxiety-provoking, humorous, or neutral films (F[1.65, 39.57] = 18.23, P < .001, ηp2 = .43). A moderate, positive correlation between genital arousal measured via the LDI and PSG concurrently was observed (r = .40), despite considerable across-participant variability. In the current sample, the LDI and PSG both produced strong sexual concordance estimates (r = .51 and r = .46, respectively). When all LDI and PSG concordance estimates were correlated, a moderate relationship was revealed (r = .37). Clinical ImplicationsAs a new imaging tool for male sexual psychophysiological arousal, the LDI holds promise for improving our understanding of issues related to men’s sexual health. Strength & LimitationsMovement artifacts produced by penile engorgement were a limitation to the LDI as an imaging technique. Further, the LDI used in the current study was a discrete measure of arousal, whereas the PSG was continuous; future research would benefit by using continuous measurement capabilities of contemporary LDI systems. ConclusionAs a valid measure of genital sexual arousal in men, the LDI holds promise as a tool that can be used to explore more nuanced questions about human sexuality, including cross-gender comparisons and real-time exploration of genital arousal patterns.Bossio JA, Singh M, Pukall CF. Concurrent assessment of penile blood flow and circumference as indicators of male sexual arousal. J Sex Med 2018;15:1570–1578.

The structural validity and measurement invariance across gender of the Brief Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument

Background: Corporate entrepreneurial activity and innovation are presented as essential elements of organisational success, and gender diversity is often seen as an important variable in this context. The efficient measurement of these variables is essential to the management thereof. It is within this context that the Brief Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (BCEAI) was developed. Shorter instruments seem to be favoured by researchers and practitioners alike. However, little is known about the psychometric properties of the BCEAI, particularly regarding measurement invariance. Aim: This study seeks to address the structural validity and measurement invariance for the BCEAI applied for men and women. The objective was to establish the utility of the instrument within the South African context, with specific emphasis on cross-gender comparisons. Setting: Medium to large South African organisations, with more than 60 employees, were targeted for inclusion in the study. Once organisations indicated their willingness to participate, 60 employees per organisation were randomly selected to participate in the study. Methods: Data on the BCEAI were captured and pairwise multi-group confirmatory factor analyses with robust maximum likelihood estimation were used to examine four levels of measurement invariance, as well as the equivalence of latent means pertaining to male and female respondents. Results: Data were collected from 3180 employees representing 52 SouthAfrican organisations. The results support the structural validity of the BCEAI and demonstrate strict measurement invariance for the BCEAI across gender. Equivalence of latent means across gender was also supported. Conclusion: These results reveal that the BCEAI mirrors the structure of the original instrument in the South African context and that BCEAI yields psychometrically equivalent scores among employees of both genders. Researchers and practitioners can therefore use the BCEAI with the knowledge that its theoretical structure is sound and can apply it with confidence when comparing male and female employees in the workplace.

An Exploratory Study of Difference in Leadership Style between Men and Women and Gender Equality in Private and Public Sector Organization in Iraqi Kurdistan

Abstract This study examines gender parity in private and public sector organizations across Iraqi Kurdistan. To know the leadership style of both genders a cross-gender comparison was made and the differences are highlighted. On past studies on this topic a discussion was created and in depth literature was reviewed. The research based on a sample size of 272 managers in both private and public sectors. The data in this research shows the level of male and female participant in managerial position and based on those findings a discussion was developed on both gender parity and recruitment transparency. The results indicate there is gender inequality in both sector organizations and they have failed to achieve gender balance in their organizations. The findings also suggest that women turnover are high after the first five years at their job and those who stay long they have struggled to get promoted to senior positions. This is despite the fact that the data show that women are more educated and better managers when the span of control widen to 50 employees or above. The dominated leadership style among both sexes is Transformational leadership style which can be viewed effective if the use and allocate resources reasonably. At the end some recommendations was made to government and companies across Iraqi Kurdistan to achieve gender parity and take economic advantage of this underused talented women managers.

When do Gender Stereotypes Impair Math Performance? A Study of Stereotype Threat Among Ugandan Adolescents

The present study examined the effect of gender-based stereotype threat (ST) on the mathematics performance of high school students in Uganda, East Africa, as moderated by students’ stereotype endorsement and/or their perceptions of stereotypic expectancies by others. Participants were 190 ninth grade students (age 14–15, senior 2, in Uganda) from all-female and coed boarding schools. Only perceived stereotypic expectancies by others significantly moderated ST effects on performance. A reminder of cross-gender comparisons led both young women and young men to underperform if they assumed that the researchers expected their own gender to do worse than the other gender. Importantly, students’ perceptions of the stereotypic expectancies of authority figures (i.e. researchers) mattered more for predicting their math performance than did students’ own endorsement of stereotypes. Collectively, these findings support a basic assumption of ST theory– that knowledge of a cultural stereotype is a prerequisite to the ST experience. Therefore, studies conducted with younger samples and in diverse cultural contexts should establish participants’ awareness of the stereotype in question. Also, regarding gender and math stereotypes, it should not be assumed that males will always be immune from stereotype-based performance deficits on quantitative tasks when tested in different cultures. Finally, results suggest that conveying an expectation that young men and young women have equal ability and potential might be important to preventing ST among younger age groups.

Cross-gender Comparison of Metacognitive Strategies Utilized by Omani Students in Reading Comprehension Classes

Given the fact that English is the language of the latest technological and scientific developments, comprehending English texts has priority for students to gain the knowledge and skills they will need in the future. However, most Omani students are not efficient L2 readers and do not have sufficient competence in reading authentic English texts. There is a variety of factors that might affect Omani students’ ability to read and comprehend English texts effectively. To find out what factors are involved in Omani students’ reading comprehension, in the first place, it is necessary to know what strategies they employ in reading. To this end, the current study attempts to explore Omani students reported use of reading strategies using ‘Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory’ (MARSI) developed by Mokhtari and Reichard (2002). The self-reported survey completed by 200 students (90 female and110 male) who enrolled for Advanced Foundation program (level 4) at Salalah College of Technology (SCT). The results show that SCT students’ awareness of metacognitive strategies is at medium level (3.46). Furthermore, the comparison between two gender groups (Males Vs. Females) shows that male students use metacognitive reading strategies moderately (3.28) while female students use them more frequently (3.64). The outcomes of the study contribute to the improvement of SCT students reading ability and can be used by teachers to teach students different strategies to build meaning of the reading material which is among the goals of any educational system.

Secondary education student bodily practices: implications of gender in and outside physical education classes

The present study aimed to analyze the bodily practices of high school students inside and outside of the physical education classes from the perspective of gender. A total of 426 students (63.7% girls and 36.3% boys) enrolled in the 2nd year of public high schools in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo State participated in the study. To collect the data, a questionnaire was elaborated and analyzed based on categories of survey and systematic cross-gender comparisons. The results showed that, in general, boys are more physically active than girls, regarding practices inside and outside of physical education classes. Distinctions were found regarding the bodily manisfestations chosen by each group, the behavior associated with the social and the cultural contexts to which boys and girls are exposed from birth to adult life.

A cross-culture, cross-gender comparison of perspective taking mechanisms.

Being able to judge another person's visuo-spatial perspective is an essential social skill, hence we investigated the generalizability of the involved mechanisms across cultures and genders. Developmental, cross-species, and our own previous research suggest that two different forms of perspective taking can be distinguished, which are subserved by two distinct mechanisms. The simpler form relies on inferring another's line-of-sight, whereas the more complex form depends on embodied transformation into the other's orientation in form of a simulated body rotation. Our current results suggest that, in principle, the same basic mechanisms are employed by males and females in both, East-Asian (EA; Chinese) and Western culture. However, we also confirmed the hypothesis that Westerners show an egocentric bias, whereas EAs reveal an other-oriented bias. Furthermore, Westerners were slower overall than EAs and showed stronger gender differences in speed and depth of embodied processing. Our findings substantiate differences and communalities in social cognition mechanisms across genders and two cultures and suggest that cultural evolution or transmission should take gender as a modulating variable into account.

The patterns of alcohol use among Warsaw adolescents across 20 years - from 1988 to 2008

Okulicz-Kozaryn, K. &amp; Borucka, A. (2013). Patterns of alcohol use among Warsaw adolescents across 20 years—from 1988 to 2008. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(2), 37-44. doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v2i2.102 (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i2.102)Aim: The study investigates patterns of alcohol drinking among 15-year-old Polish students in Warsaw over the past 20 years.Methods: Data were collected from six consecutive surveys, beginning in 1988 (N = 3918) and conducted every four years (in 2008, N = 1229).Results: Two-step cluster analysis across all six consecutive surveys indicated a clear differentiation of the social context of adolescent alcohol drinking patterns. Adolescents are least likely to drink alcohol alone (&lt; 5%) or heavily with peers (&lt; 10%), more likely to drink with parents (15%-20%), in moderate amounts with peers (11%-28%) or not at all (11%-27%), and most likely to be light social drinkers (30%-46%). Cross-gender comparisons suggest that traditional gender differences are fading away; the data show increases in moderate social drinking among females and abstinence among males.Conclusions: Our results confirm that adolescents’ patterns of alcohol use are stable over time, despite the social and political changes that have occurred in Poland since 1988, and reflect a pattern of mostly moderate drinking.

Do Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices function in the same way in typical and clinical populations? Insights from the intellectual disability field

Standardized tests are used widely in comparative studies of clinical populations, either as dependent or control variables. Yet, one cannot always be sure that the test items measure the same constructs in the groups under study. In the present work, 460 participants with intellectual disability of undifferentiated etiology and 488 typical children were tested using Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM). Data were analyzed using binomial logistic regression modeling designed to detect differential item functioning (DIF). Results showed that 12 items out of 36 function differentially between the two groups, but only 2 items exhibit at least moderate DIF. Thus, a very large majority of the items have identical discriminative power and difficulty levels across the two groups. It is concluded that RCPM can be used with confidence in studies comparing participants with and without intellectual disability. In addition, it is suggested that methods for investigating internal bias of tests used in cross-cultural, cross-linguistic or cross-gender comparisons should also be regularly employed in studies of clinical populations, particularly in the field of developmental disability, to show the absence of systematic measurement error (i.e. DIF) affecting item responses.