Self-perceived Gender Research Articles

Self-Perceived Risk of HIV Infection and Attitudes About Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic Attendees in South Carolina

Several domestic and international trials of the use of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention are ongoing among groups at high risk for HIV infection. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess self-perceived risk of HIV infection and attitudes about PrEP among 405 sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic attendees in South Carolina. Self-percieved risk of HIV infection and attitudes about PrEP were assessed using three questions from a self-administered survey. Ordinal logistic regression and logistic regression were used to evaluate differences in risk perception for HIV infection and attitudes about the use of PrEP among risk groups. Compared to heterosexual participants, homosexual participants were significantly more likely to have knowledge of PrEP (odds ratio [OR]=6.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.70-26.1). Compared to those participants who had 1 sexual partner in the past 3 months, individuals who had 2 to 4 sexual partners in the past 3 months were approximately 2.35 times as likely to have a lower level of agreement with the statement "I believe I am at risk of getting HIV" (p=0.0003). Compared to female participants, respondents who were male were approximately 2.8 times as likely to have a lower level of agreement with the statement "If I had to it would be very difficult for me (or my partner) to both use condoms and take daily pills to prevent HIV infection" (p<0.0001). These results suggest the need for the creation of PrEP implementation programs that are tailored to self-perceived risk perception, age, and gender.

Gender equality in couples and self-rated health - A survey study evaluating measurements of gender equality and its impact on health.

BackgroundMen and women have different patterns of health. These differences between the sexes present a challenge to the field of public health. The question why women experience more health problems than men despite their longevity has been discussed extensively, with both social and biological theories being offered as plausible explanations. In this article, we focus on how gender equality in a partnership might be associated with the respondents' perceptions of health.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional survey with 1400 respondents. We measured gender equality using two different measures: 1) a self-reported gender equality index, and 2) a self-perceived gender equality question. The aim of comparison of the self-reported gender equality index with the self-perceived gender equality question was to reveal possible disagreements between the normative discourse on gender equality and daily practice in couple relationships. We then evaluated the association with health, measured as self-rated health (SRH). With SRH dichotomized into 'good' and 'poor', logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with the outcome. For the comparison between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality, kappa statistics were used.ResultsAssociations between gender equality and health found in this study vary with the type of gender equality measurement. Overall, we found little agreement between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality. Further, the patterns of agreement between self-perceived and self-reported gender equality were quite different for men and women: men perceived greater gender equality than they reported in the index, while women perceived less gender equality than they reported. The associations to health were depending on gender equality measurement used.ConclusionsMen and women perceive and report gender equality differently. This means that it is necessary not only to be conscious of the methods and measurements used to quantify men's and women's opinions of gender equality, but also to be aware of the implications for health outcomes.

Fear of the Trannies: On Filmic Phobia of Transvestism in the New Latin American Cinema

The transvestite, as a fi gure that contests both heteronormativity and machismo, has remained in the cinema of Latin America, unlike its literature, a rather unexplored theme. Although some fi lms have attempted to deal with such a fi gure, they have devoted very little diegetic time either to the process of physi- cal and psychological transformation from man to woman or to showing trans- vestism as the externalization of the character's self-perceived gender identity. This article aims to show that the lack of on-screen transvestism in Arturo Rip- stein's El lugar sin limites (1978), Miguel Barreda's Simon, el gran varon (2002), and Karim Ainouz's Madame Sata (2002) is caused by a kind of het- eronormative fi lmic fear to depict the fl uidity of sexuality beyond the biologi- cally oriented binary man-woman. I suggest that Latin American audiences do not respond positively to transvestitic images (i.e., the cinematic acknowledg- ment of transvestism) because they transgress the fi xity of gender roles within heteronormativity. In Latin American popular culture (especially its literature), the trans- vestite has become a fi gure that functions to destabilize the heteropatri- archal system. He crosses the boundaries that divide the hegemonic con- structs of femininity and masculinity; yet for him the act of crossdressing not only permits the transgression of heterosexual normativity but also allows for the intersection of other social and cultural discourses such as those of race, class, and politics. As Ben Sifuentes-Jauregui (2002, 10) rightly points out in his analysis of transvestism in Latin American lit- erature, the fi guration of the Latin American national subject involves the selection of desirable fragments to compose 'identity.' Likewise, transvestism might involve picking and choosing desirable objects to create a gender effect. He observes that for the Latin American male subject, to make sense of his own persona, he must choose those aspects of the given culture that best fi t his idea of the self in much the same way that transvestites articulate their own feminine persona through a collection of feminine elements that will re-create a sense of wom- anliness. The articulation of the transvestite character's feminine per- sona allows for questioning of the fi xity of the sexual parameters with

Creative Styles and Gender Roles in Undergraduates Students

ABSTRACT The study investigated the relationship between self-perceived creative styles and gender role orientation. Specifically, it was predicted that the creative styles of psychologically androgynous individuals would be different than the creative styles of nonandrogynous individuals. No specific predictions regarding differences among the creative styles of nonandrogynous orientations were made. Three hundred fifty-eight college undergraduate students completed the Creativity Styles Questionnaire-Revised (CSQ-R; Kumar & Holman, 1997) and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 19741981x). Partial support was offered for our hypothesis, as the creative styles of psychologically androgynous compared to nonandrogynous orientations were associated with significant ratings on the following 4 subscales of the CSQ-R: Self-Perceived Creative Capacity, Use of Techniques, Use of Other People, and Use of the Senses. Results of the association between nonandrogynous gender role orientations and creative styles are also presented and suggested greater similarity among the creative styles of these individuals, compared to nonandrogynous individuals. Possible explanations for these findings and their implications are discussed.

Tests de personnalité et identification sexuée chez des transsexuels masculins

The aim of this research project was to study gender identification in male transsexuals compared to male and female controls, using the Rorschach test and the MMPI. In the international literature, many researches have shown that the nature of the human response on Rorschach card III is linked to gender identification, as is the MMPI Mf scale. Ten untreated male homosexual transsexuals and 18 treated and operated male homosexual transsexuals were compared to 10 male and 12 female controls regarding verbal IQ, human content on Rorschach card III and the MMPI Mf scale. Absence of hormonal treatment for the first group of transsexuals was checked by a blood test at the time of the psychological testing. Responses on Rorschach card III were scored according to different kinds of human contents: male (M), female (F), gender-unidentified/neutral (N), bisexual (B), feminine then masculine or the opposite (M/F), and nonhuman (NH). N, B, M/F and NH responses were rare in all Rorschach protocols. As expected, responses given by participants in the control group were significantly more consistent with their anatomical sex than with the opposite sex. Untreated transsexuals do not differ from treated and operated transsexuals on Rorschach data, and both transsexual groups give significantly more female human representations than male controls. Transsexuals' results are similar to female controls. Untreated transsexuals' mean score on the MMPI Mf scale is significantly higher than that of treated and operated transsexuals' score, in the male profile (biological sex). Both groups of transsexuals score higher on the Mf scale in the male profile than in the female profile. The mean Mf score in the male profile is significantly higher than that of male controls, whereas, in the female profile, the mean Mf score is similar to that of female controls. This study shows that for both groups of transsexuals, results are homogenous in respect of Rorschach and MMPI, showing hyper-conformism to self-perceived gender. Results in both groups are similar to results of female controls, but tend to show even more feminine gender identification. The absence of any significant difference between untreated and treated and operated transsexuals seems surprising, suggesting that the hormonal treatment has not had a major impact on gender identification processes. It would doubtless be interesting to study gender identification using even more kinds of data: all human contents in the Rorschach protocol (not just the responses given to card III), MMPI Mf scale, Draw-A-Person Test and Animal-and-Opposite Drawing Test. This would enhance result liability and could provide useful information about how gendter identification processes evolve after surgical sex reassigment.

A Regional Tradition of Gender Equity: Shanghai Men in Sydney, Australia

Drawn on data from in-depth interviews with 34 Chinese migrants in Sydney, Australia, this study examines the division of labor in the family, with a focus on men's housework participation and regional differences in terms of migrants' home origin in China. An observed pattern of Shanghai men's housework participation emerged that does not support the theoretical underpinnings of power/resources structure, socialization model, and exchange theory. Shanghai men's housework participation, self-identification as Shanghai men, and self-perceived gender roles suggest there is a regional tradition of gender equity in Shanghai, which has an association with early industrialization, women's participation in the work force, exposure to the Western influences in Shanghai's early history, and social changes and gender reforms in contemporary Chinese society. The findings suggest that men's roles in the family are diverse, ethnic, historic, and regionalized.

Making the Connection Between Depression and Activity Levels Among the Oldest-Old

In this study, depression scores are compared with activity levels among the oldest-old through a secondary data analysis of the 1994 Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) survey. Depression was measured using an abbreviated version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and activity levels were measured using a set of “time use” questions. Time use had a significant interaction with depression (p = .050). Other variables demonstrating significant interactions with depression were self-perceived health, gender, and number of ADLs and IADLs. It is concluded that the oldest-old population enjoys greater life satisfaction with increased activity even if they rate their health as poor.

Gender identity: a multidimensional analysis with implications for psychosocial adjustment.

This study examined the relations between components of gender identity and psychosocial adjustment. The aspects of gender identity assessed were (a) feelings of psychological compatibility with one's gender (i.e.. feeling one is a typical member of one's sex and feeling content with one's biological sex), (b) feelings of pressure from parents, peers, and self for conformity to gender stereotypes. and (c) the sentiment that one's own sex is superior to the other (intergroup bias). Adjustment was assessed in terms of self-esteem and peer acceptance. Participants were 182 children in Grades 4 through 8. Felt gender compatibility (when operationalized as either self-perceived gender typicality or feelings of contentment with one's biological sex) was positively related to adjustment, whereas felt pressure and intergroup bias were negatively associated with adjustment. The results provide new insights into the role of gender identity in children's well-being, help identify sources of confusion in previous work, and suggest directions for future inquiry.

Beyond sex differences in visuo-spatial processing: the impact of gender trait possession.

Much research has emphasized the presence of sex differences in visuo-spatial processes while neglecting individual differences in performance within the two sexes (Archer, 1987). The present study looks beyond sex differences and considers the association of self-perceived gender trait possession with performance in two visuo-spatial tasks. The findings indicate that, in a 3-D mental rotation task, where a substantial sex difference occurred, gender trait possession adds significantly to the overall explanation of performance, the important gender trait variable being a measure of androgyny. With the Group Embedded Figures Task, gender trait measures were the only significant variables in differentiating performance, in this case masculinity was the important gender trait variable. The implication of such results for conventional explanations of individual differences in visuo-spatial processing is discussed.

Self-Perceived Physical Attractiveness, Self-Esteem, Race, and Gender

Abstract African American self-perceptions of physical attractiveness are found to be higher than white self-perceptions, while there is no difference by race in the correlation between self-perceived attractiveness and self-esteem. Controlling for self-perceived attractiveness, African Americans have lower self-esteem than whites, suggesting that African American perceptions of physical attractiveness, mirrored in the slogan “Black is Beautiful,” may have contributed to the disappearance over the past forty years of the gap between African American and white self-esteem. Self-esteem is more strongly related to self-perceived physical attractiveness for females than males, particularly among whites.

Gender- and Age-Related Patterns of Complexity in Adolescents' Concepts of Same-Age and Parent-Age Targets

ABSTRACT An investigation was undertaken to examine gender and age related differences in cognitive complexity regarding targets from adolescents ‘own age-group and targets representing the age-group of most adolescents’ parents. Sixth grade, eighth grade, and high school students (N= 143) completed separate card sorts of descriptive traits for 12–14 year olds and 30–40 year olds. There was significantly greater complexity of sorts by females than by males across ages. However, cognitive differentiation did not increase for either target group across ages in the sample, and complexity of sorts was similar for own-age and parent-age targets. Although the results were not associated with gender differences in interpersonal awareness as measured by self-perceived femininity scores or gender differences in general achievement or verbal performance, the patterns of findings are consistent with hypotheses involving both informational and motivational accounts of the development of these sex differences.

Effects of gender roles and self perceptions on affective reactions to horror films

Responses to graphic horror films have been shown to be modified by a number of personality variables, and in particular, by gender-specific rules for social conduct. In earlier horror research it has been assumed that gender-specific responses are largely determined by biological gender. More recent research has focused on psychological patterns of gender identity that often transcend biological gender lines. This investigation sought clarification by examining the impact of individuals' self-perceived gender role and other personality characteristics on affective responses to horror. Subjects' perceptions of how same- and opposite-gender peers would respond to such materials were also assessed. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the findings revealed strong effects on the estimation of opposite-gender target's reactions as a function of both the rater's gender role characteristics and biological gender. Other personality factors were found to influence responses to horror only marginally, however. The results are discussed in terms of the gender role socialization model of affect.