Interesting Gender Differences Research Articles

Students’ perspectives on climate change—unveiling gender–interest associations in climate change beliefs

Climate change is one of humanity’s key problems. Younger generations’ beliefs about and perceptions of climate change are thus of particular importance, as these generations have to tackle the problem in the present and will have to do so even more in the future. Against this background, 4627 high school students in the federal state of Bavaria in Germany were surveyed in a quantitative questionnaire-based study. The analysis shows high values and gender differences for the four general climate change beliefs examined: (1) general perception of climate change as a problem, (2) possible solutions to the problem, (3) contributions to climate protection, and (4) effects on one’s own home. However, mediation analyses suggest that differences are more complex and are to some extent connected to gender differences in interest in climate change.

Gender Differences in Vocational Interests Across 57 Countries: A Test of the Interest–Gender-Equality Paradox

Postmaterialist theory suggests that gender differences in vocational interests should be larger in more egalitarian countries, reflecting a counter-intuitive pattern called the “Gender-Equality Paradox.” By contrast, social role theory implies that gender differences in vocational interests should be smaller in more egalitarian countries as gender roles converge. Using multilevel analyses on data from 57 countries ( N = 109,460), we investigate the relationship of country-level gender equality (measured by the Global Gender Gap Index) to gender differences in RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) vocational interests. Results reveal patterns that differ by interest dimensions. In more egalitarian countries, gender differences in Realistic, Investigative, and Social interests are larger, revealing an “Interest–Gender-Equality Paradox.” Conversely, gender differences in Artistic, Enterprising, and Conventional interests are smaller in these countries. These relationships remain largely robust after controlling for country-level economic development (Gross Domestic Product). We discuss possible explanations and implications of our findings.

W70 - Gender Differences in Substance Use Treatment Interest

W70 - Gender Differences in Substance Use Treatment Interest

Gender Differences in Interest, Selection Patterns, and Perceived Difficulty of Physics I Subject among Students in the 2015 Revised Integrated Science Curriculum

Gender Differences in Interest, Selection Patterns, and Perceived Difficulty of Physics I Subject among Students in the 2015 Revised Integrated Science Curriculum

Does the Paraphilia Scale Work for Everyone? Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Sexual Orientation Groups

ABSTRACT We conducted three studies to examine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Paraphilia Scale, a measure of paraphilic interests used in multiple studies. In the first study, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) testing different a priori models with a community sample of 1,040 adults previously reported by Seto et al. (2021), and found support for a hierarchical four-factor model: An agonistic continuum involving coercion or physical pain (biastophilia, sexual sadism, masochism), chronophilias (pedophilia, hebephilia), courtship disorders (voyeurism, exhibitionism, and frotteurism), and fetishism (object fetishism, transvestic fetishism, urophilia-coprophilia). This factor structure was replicated in a second study comprising a combined sample of 400 mTurk participants and 870 university students. The third study analyzed the community sample and found evidence of configural invariance but not scalar or metric invariance across gender (man or woman) and sexual orientation for gender (heterosexual or other sexual orientation). This indicates that the factor structure of the Paraphilia Scale is robust for gender and sexual orientation for gender, but factor loadings differ across these groups, as do the loadings of individual items on the four factors. Implications for research on gender and sexual orientation differences in paraphilic interests are discussed.

When the news reports women: media and the gender gap in political interest

The media plays a prominent role in shaping individuals’ declared levels of political interest, but its role regarding gender differences remains largely unexplored. To what extent are media contents and their reflection of gender roles related to declared levels of political interest in men and women? This article argues that more egalitarian media environments, where a larger share of women are represented, should be associated with smaller gender differences in political interest. Data from the European Social Survey and the Global Media Monitoring Programme have been merged to test this argument. Results suggest that more women being reported shows some association with more minor differences between men’s and women’s declared levels of political interest. This difference is particularly present when the increase occurs in more hard-news-oriented media like the printed press and in topics like economic affairs, or when more women are quoted as experts, which are traditionally identified as more masculinised.

18REST-2: A Revised Measure of the RIASEC Model for Large-Scale Assessment With Students

This study aims to revise 18REST, a short RIASEC-based measure about vocational interests, developed for large-scale assessment in education. Using a large sample of 63,128 Brazilian students from 5th, 9th, and 12th grade, a revised version with partly new items was proposed, i.e., 18REST-2. 18REST-2 RIASEC scales showed a circular order in 12th grade. Younger students exhibited lower coherence and differentiation in their interests than students in more advanced grades. Gender differences in vocational interests were more pronounced in 9th and 12th grades. Overall, the study established validity and reliability evidence for the 18REST-2 scales for general vocational interest surveys and provided valuable insights into gender and developmental differences in vocational interests in an educational context.

The nature and impact of literacy interest in preschool children: Comparing teacher, parent, and child report measures

This study examined the nature of young children’s literacy interest, the predictability of literacy interest for early literacy skills, and gender differences in literacy interest using a sample of Head Start children (N = 263). Literacy interest was compared across parent-, teacher-, and child-reported measures of literacy activity participation and enjoyment. Results showed parents rated their children’s literacy interest higher than teachers and preschoolers. Multilevel regression analyses found that teacher and parent reports, especially teacher-reported literacy participation and parent-reported literacy enjoyment, significantly predicted early literacy skills in the fall and spring of a school year. Further analysis demonstrated gender differences in literacy interest and gender by literacy interest interaction effects. Girls scored higher in literacy interest than boys, and teacher-reported literacy participation predicted children’s fall literacy skills more for boys. However, spring literacy skills were predicted more strongly for girls by teacher-reported literacy participation, parent-reported literacy enjoyment, and child-reported literacy enjoyment.

Metacognition and epistemic cognition in physics are related to physics identity through the mediation of physics self-efficacy

This study aimed (i) to investigate how epistemic cognition in physics and metacognition, together with three dimensions of physics identity framework—recognition, physics self-efficacy, and interest—predicted the overall physics identity of Turkish high school students and also (ii) to investigate gender differences in study constructs. A sample of 1197 high school students participated in the study. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The analysis results indicated that the model fitted the data well, further motivating intervention studies to test the causal relations proposed in the model. The results showed that recognition and interest directly predicted physics identity and mediated the relation of physics self-efficacy to it. Metacognition and epistemic cognition predicted physics identity through physics self-efficacy. The study also observed significant direct and indirect relations among metacognition, epistemic cognition, self-efficacy, recognition, and interest. Furthermore, gender differences were found in the current study. While no gender difference was observed in metacognition and epistemic cognition in physics, male students scored higher than female students in physics identity, self-efficacy, recognition, and interest. However, the mediation analysis further indicated that gender differences in physics self-efficacy might explain gender differences in physics identity, recognition, and interest. The results of this study could motivate future interventions testing the effect of metacognitive and epistemic activities on both physics self-efficacy and identity, and also, the interventions testing whether practices that reduce the gender gap in physics self-efficacy will help eliminate the gender gap in physics identity, recognition, and interest. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Relationships and Gender Differences in Math Anxiety, Math Self-Efficacy, Geoscience Self-Efficacy, and Geoscience Interest in Introductory Geoscience Students

Relationships and Gender Differences in Math Anxiety, Math Self-Efficacy, Geoscience Self-Efficacy, and Geoscience Interest in Introductory Geoscience Students

Public Perception in Saudi Arabia Toward Herpes Zoster and Its Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles, arises from the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), mainly affecting older and immunocompromised individuals. Despite the efficacy of vaccines, vaccination rates in Saudi Arabia are low. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Saudi Arabian population toward HZ and its vaccination. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the public perception in Saudi Arabia toward HZ and its vaccination, during the period from January to March 2024. Participants were selected using a non-probability, convenience sampling method, with recruitment facilitated through WhatsApp, a messaging app. Data has been analyzed using the statistical software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A p-value of <0.05 has been used to report the statistical significance. Results The study's demographic profile included 1237 participants, predominantly younger than 30 years (65.5%), with a female majority (65.7%). Public knowledge about HZ was limited, only 29.6% of participants recognized the risk of HZ post-chickenpox. More than half of the participants were not aware that the vaccine is provided by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for certain groups. However, over 75% are willing to receive the HZ vaccine upon physician recommendation. Conclusion This study shows a general lack of awareness about HZ and its vaccination in Saudi Arabia, including misconceptions about vaccination availability, recommendations, and the disease's complications. Gender differences in attitude and interest highlight the potential for tailored educational campaigns. Addressing these issues is essential for improving vaccination rates and mitigating HZ's impact.

Dyadic profiles of couples' self-perceptions of aging: Implications for mental health.

The way older adults perceive their own aging processes influences their mental health, but we know little about how this occurs in a dyadic context, where spouses' perceptions and health are often intertwined. The present study sought to identify dyadic profiles of self-perceptions of aging (SPAs) in couples and examine how certain profiles are associated with each partner's mental health over time. A pooled sample of 3,850 heterosexual couples aged 50+ in the Health and Retirement Study (2012/2014) rated positive and negative SPAs and provided data on demographic characteristics, couple relationships, and health. We tracked these couples' depressive symptoms over 2 years (2014/2016). Latent profile analysis revealed five profiles of couples' SPAs: similarly positive (20%), similarly negative (6%), similarly average (38%), husband negative (20%), and wife negative (17%). Physical health and marital quality consistently differentiated couples in profile membership. Couples with similarly positive and similarly average SPAs reported the smallest increases in depressive symptoms over time, and couples with similarly negative SPAs fared worst in mental health. We observed interesting gender differences across profiles; husbands in the husband negative profile reported significantly greater increases in depressive symptoms than those in the wife negative profile. Yet, wives in these two profiles did not differ in their depressive symptoms over time, and they reported worse mental health than wives in the similarly positive and similarly average profiles. This study adds to the emerging literature that advocates for an interpersonal approach to SPAs and reveals risk and resilience in couples as they age together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Knowledge and Awareness of Physiotherapy among Cancer Survivors

Background: Despite the established benefits of physiotherapy in oncology care, there remains a substantial gap in the awareness and utilization of rehabilitation services among cancer patients. The role of physiotherapy in improving the quality of life and functional independence of cancer survivors is well-documented, yet the integration of these services into standard cancer care protocols is not uniformly practiced. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of awareness and the barriers to physiotherapy among oncology patients in a tertiary care hospital, with an emphasis on understanding the gender-specific differences in awareness and interest in physiotherapy services. Methods: A six-month cross-sectional survey was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Sindh, employing a non-probability convenience sampling technique to recruit 318 participants. The sample size was determined using Raosoft sampling software, with a 95% confidence level, 5% margin of error, and 50% response distribution. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, focusing on patients' awareness of and interest in physiotherapy, and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, with chi-square tests applied to assess statistical significance. Results: The study found that only 17.3% of participants were aware of physiotherapy services, with significant gender differences in awareness (p=0.013) and interest (p=0.326) observed. Barriers to physiotherapy utilization included pain (91.5%), fatigue (90.6%), and financial constraints (78.9%). A stark 84.6% of patients reported not being informed about physiotherapy during their treatment. Conclusion: The low level of awareness and significant barriers to accessing physiotherapy among cancer patients highlight the critical need for enhanced educational programs and improved communication between oncology and rehabilitation professionals. Addressing these gaps is essential for integrating physiotherapy into cancer care, thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Gender differences in achievement, behavior, and STEM interest among learners using Minecraft

In this paper, we analyze how male and female learners differ in their in-game behaviors, knowledge assessment outcomes, and STEM interest using the What-If Hypothetical Implementations using Minecraft (WHIMC). We also investigate how male and female learners’ self-reported levels of frustration and boredom relate to these outcomes. We examine in-game data, out-of-game assessment data, self-reported frustration and boredom, and results of the STEM interest questionnaire (SIQ) from 175 Grade 8 learners from a school in the Philippines. We found that male learners tend to explore more than female learners. Both genders learn more through more exploration, making more observations, and completing tasks, but only female learners benefit from having more idle time. Male learners had a higher increase in STEM interest compared to female learners, while there is no significant difference in assessment scores between the genders. This study also found that boredom and frustration have a negative impact on academic outcomes, behavior, and STEM interest, especially among female learners. Bored female learners tend to do less well on post-game assessments, explore less, and make fewer observations. Frustrated female learners tend to not complete the task. Female learners who expressed frustration or boredom tend to have a decreased interest in SIQ in the Interest category after playing WHIMC.

Gender Differences in Paraphilic Sexual Interest in Women and Men

Gender Differences in Paraphilic Sexual Interest in Women and Men

FRIENDSHIP MATTERS: UNDERSTANDING THE LINK BETWEEN FRIENDSHIP AND HEALTH IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Friendship matters in later life, as friends provide social support to older adults. Yet, current social relationships and health literature focuses primarily on family relationships. This symposium aims to highlight studies that explore the associations among friendship, health, and health behaviors, with a focus on individual differences. First, using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Lim and Burr demonstrate a non-linear relationship between the number of friends and loneliness, with a possible threshold effect for men but a more complex relationship for women. In their investigation of the moderating role of friendship on the association between widowhood and cognition using the HRS, Zhang et al. also find interesting gender differences where greater friendship strain is associated with a faster cognitive decline for widowed men, but not women. Ng and Birditt also uncovers important individual differences, this time in the association between friendship and mental health among Black and White dementia caregivers. They find that emotional support from friends is linked to lower levels of anxiety and depression, but primarily for White caregivers. Mimbs et al. extend these studies to focus on health behaviors, addressing links between interactions with family and friends and hurricane preparedness and evacuation likelihood. Using an online survey of older Floridians, they show that more interactions with friends are associated with greater preparedness and evacuation likelihood. Our discussant, Katherine Fiori, will discuss how these findings can extend the literature on friendship and health in later life, with a focus on the roles of individual differences and context.

Mathematics Interest among O-Level Secondary School Students in Wakiso District, Uganda

The study investigated interest levels and differences in mathematics among O-level students in Wakiso District. Since interest is a psychological state, people can be unaware of it, making it simple for educators to presume that it is or is not present. In the current study, mathematics interest levels among Senior Three pupils in the Wakiso district were evaluated, and narratives from the students and teachers revealed the causes of the low interest. Three hundred and thirty-two students were used for the quantitative data; six students from each school took part in focus group discussions, and one O-level mathematics teacher from each school took part as key informants for the qualitative data. Quantitative results revealed that; students had high interest in mathematics (84%), had more situational (M = 37.00, SD = 8.10) than individual interest (M = 30.67, SD = 5.82). There were significant gender differences in overall interest Males (M = 73.61, SD = 13.22) than females (M = 69.93, SD = 13.60) individual interest Males (M = 31.32, SD = 5.76) than females (M = 30.03, SD = 5.83), and situational interest males (M = 38.19, SD = 7.81) than females (M = 35.83, SD = 8.21), p &lt; .05. in mathematics, but not in other demographics. Qualitative findings, however, revealed low interest in mathematics, pointing out various reasons for their low interest (mathematics being tough, complex, boring, full of calculations, unrelated to ral life, intended for the intelligent, previous poor performance). According to the study's findings, the challenge of low interest should not be left to students only, but all stakeholders in education should take part in developing and maintaining students' interest in mathematics. There are still gender differences in mathematics interests, which impacts females' interest in the subject

Prenatal Exposure to Androgens and Gender Socialisation Effects on Children’s Academic Interests

Previous studies have documented gender differences in fields of study as well as interest in school subjects. Boys are on average more interested in mathematics, and girls show greater interest in languages. The extent to which these disparities are the result of biological or environment influences is still an open debate. On the one hand, brain organisation theory suggests that physiological and behavioural differences may be linked to prenatal hormone levels. On the other hand, sociological and psychological perspectives highlight the importance of gender socialisation. This paper combines biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives to examine the emergence of gendered academic interests in children.The study draws on data from 9‑year-old children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Our results suggest that for both boys and girls, medium to high compared with low prenatal exposure to circulating maternal testosterone might increase children’s interests in mathematics relative to English, although results vary depending on how prenatal testosterone exposure is measured. As the distributions of prenatal androgen exposure and the relationships with maths versus English interests are very similar for boys and girls, prenatal androgen exposure does not contribute to explaining gender differences in academic interests. However, we find some evidence that the relationship with parental gender socialisation varies by prenatal androgen exposure. A more gender-equal parental division of domestic work is more strongly associated with less gendered academic interests for girls with low prenatal androgen exposure and for boys with medium to high androgen exposure.

Vocational Interests of Deprived and Non-Deprived Secondary School Students in Relation to Achievement Motivation

The present study investigates the Vocational Interests of Deprived and Non-Deprived Secondary School students in relation to Achievement Motivation. The study consisted of 200 students of the 10th class randomly drawn from four different schools of the Amritsar district. Data was collected with the help of the Vocational Interest Record by Kulshrestha (1965) and the Achievement Motivation Scale by Deo-Mohan (1985). The data obtained were analyzed statistically with the help of Mean, SD, t-ratio, and correlation to arrive at the following conclusions: (i)There is a significant difference in vocational interests of deprived and non-deprived secondary school students (ii) There is a significant difference in achievement motivation of deprived and non-deprived secondary school students. (iii)There are significant gender differences in the vocational interests of deprived and non-deprived secondary school students. (iv)There are significant gender differences in achievement motivation of deprived and non-deprived secondary school students. (v)There is a significant relationship between vocational interests and achievement motivation.

Interested and employed? A national study of gender differences in basic interests and employment

Research on vocational interests has played an important role in understanding workforce gender disparities. However, current understanding about gender differences in interests is primarily limited to broad RIASEC interest categories that average together differences in narrower interest scales. This study took a refined approach to examine gender differences in 30 basic vocational interests (e.g., medical science, management, social science) using a very large and diverse U.S. sample (N = 1,283,110). Results revealed that gender differences in basic interests are more complex than what can be captured using broad interests alone. There was meaningful variability in the pattern of mean gender differences across basic interests, even those related to the same RIASEC category. Turning to the labor market, we found that gender differences in basic interests showed high convergence with men and women's employment rates in corresponding occupations (r = 0.66). Despite this convergence, there were also discrepancies such that women's actual employment fell short of interest-based predictions in many high-status occupations and in jobs that involve working with tools and machinery. In contrast, fewer men were employed in prosocial occupations than predicted based on their interests. Finally, we examined how gender differences in basic interests varied across intersecting age, ethnicity, and education subgroups. The most striking finding was that gender differences in interests were considerably larger at lower education levels, pointing to specific educational tracks where applied initiatives might have the greatest impact in improving gender representation in the workforce.