Gender and Sexuality Commons^™

The Role Of Body Surveillance, Body Shame, And Body Self-Consciousness During Sexual Activities In Women's Sexual Experience, Kimberly Claudat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objectification theory is a social constructivist framework that aims to explain how sociocultural and intrapersonal variables impact women's mental health. To date, however, few studies have used an objectification framework to examine the relationship between body image and sexual functioning in ethnically diverse samples of women. Consequently, the present study used the tenets of objectification theory to examine body image and sexuality in women. Specifically, this study investigated the relationships between body surveillance, body shame, body self-consciousness during sexual activities, and sexual satisfaction in American female college students. Participants completed self-report measures of demographic information, body shame, body surveillance, body …

The Impact Of Sexual Arousal On The Category Specificity Of Women's Visual Attention To Erotic Stimuli, Sarah Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research has shown that women have a much less category-specific pattern of visual attention to erotic stimuli than do men. That is, when simultaneously presented with male and female erotic stimuli, heterosexual women attend much more evenly to both male and female erotic stimuli than do heterosexual men, who attend almost exclusively to female stimuli. The present study investigated one proposed explanation for women's more diffuse visual attention patterns - that erotic female images have arousal value for heterosexual women. To test this hypothesis, heterosexual women were presented with either a 12-minute neutral, non-arousing video (n = 19) or a …

The Relationship Between Sex-Typing And Help-Seeking Behaviors In Adults, Joshua Juvrud

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The process of expressing what is masculine promotes attitudes and behaviors that can discourage men from seeking help, contributing to numerous health issues in males. The purpose of this study was to explore how personally endorsed gender stereotypes vs. gender stereotyped attitudes impacted help-seeking behavior. In the current study, female and male adults completed challenging puzzle tasks, recalled previous health help-seeking behavior, and completed sex-typed measures. Females utilized personally endorsed gender stereotypes more during the puzzle tasks, while males utilized both personally endorsed gender stereotypes as well as gender stereotyped attitudes. When males recalled health-related events, however, personally endorsed feminine …

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be..., Rashida Aluko-Roberts

SURGE

Lets talk about sex.

Well not really, just the double standard that comes with the topic. It’s no secret that men and women are taught to think about sex differently. While there are many (myself included) who fail to accept these culturally imposed ideas and attitudes about sex, it would be incredibly naïve to not acknowledge the existence of the double standard that exists. [excerpt]

Obstacles To Resettlement For Human Trafficking Victims, Kate Heath

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

No abstract provided.

The Object Of Desire: How Being Objectified Creates Sexual Pressure For Women In Heterosexual Relationships, Tiffany Hoyt

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The objectification of women is widespread in the United States (American Psychological Association, 2007), although there is relatively little research on objectification in romantic relationships. The purpose of this research was to explore how partner-objectification might be related to sexual pressure in heterosexual relationships. It was hypothesized that men who objectify their partners would be more likely to sexually pressure and/or coerce their partners. Additionally, a woman who feels objectified by her partner was hypothesized to internalize the objectification, feel like she has less control in the relationship (i.e., less sexual agency), and perceive more sexual pressure and coercion from …

The Role Of Appearance In Perceptions Of Personal Trainers 2013., Patrick R. Boerner

Master's Theses

The field of personal training in the United States is believed to have begun in the late 1970‟s and the early 1980‟s (Brooks, 2004). Today, personal training is a healthy profession that, according to the United States Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), is expected to grow 24% (60,400 jobs) between 2010 and 2020. In comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012) predicts the average growth rate for all occupations within the U.S. to be only 14% during the same ten-year span. Rapid growth within the field of personal training has brought an increased scrutiny on …

The Cultural Manifestations Of Anorexia Nervosa, Aaron Volk

Tredway Library Prize for First-Year Research

No abstract provided.

Emotional And Behavioral Reactions To Emotional And Physical Infidelity: An Evolutionary Perspective, Alyson Kay Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study examined the effect of sex on how people react, emotionally and behaviorally, to different types of partner infidelity. We expected to replicate previous findings that men experience more jealousy in reaction to their partner's sexual infidelity, and women experience more jealousy in reaction to their partners' emotional infidelity. We hypothesized that sex will affect behavioral reactions to infidelity as well. Specifically, we expected men to respond to sexual infidelity by terminating the relationship and to emotional infidelity by employing mate-guarding behaviors to prevent further infidelity. We hypothesized women would display the opposite pattern, leaving a relationship in …

Still In The Shadows: A Content Analysis Of Sexual Addiction In Couple Therapy, Austin Ellis, Quintin Hunt, Tod Young, Rebecca Nemecek, Jordan Staples, Stephen Fife, Colleen Peterson

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

There is no universally accepted definition of “sex addiction” in the literature, though it is generally understood as persistent patterns of sexual behaviors acted out despite negative consequences to self or others (Kafka, 2010; Levine, 2010). Though sexual addictions are often addressed individually, most take place within a social context that includes family members and/or intimate relationships. The purpose of this presentation is to present the results of a content analysis of M/CFT peer-reviewed journals and summarize the extent to which this literature addresses sexual addictions and couples therapy. The content analysis adds to the existing literature by examining the …

The Influence Of Gender And Alcohol Use On Depressive Symptoms Among Men And Women, Elizabeth Anne Peters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the extent to which gender influences self-reported prototypical and masculine-specific symptoms of depression in men and women and whether or not alcohol mediates this relationship. Secondly, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the Denver Comprehensive Depression Inventory (DCDI), in measuring prototypical and masculine-specific depressive symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples of men and women.

This paper summarizes the literature on gender differences in depression and the assessment of depression and gender, and outlines the current research on masculine-specific depression. It is argued that current assessment instruments identify prototypical symptoms of depression, as outlined in the DSM-IV-TR, but …

Quick And Dirty: Some Psychosocial Costs Associated With The Dark Triad In Three Countries, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Anna Z. Czarna

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The current study provides the first examination of the relationship between life history indicators and the Dark Triad traits in an international sample drawn from the U.S. (n = 264), Singapore (n = 185), and Poland (n = 177). In all three samples, the Dark Triad traits were associated with psychosocial costs, although there were more links in the Singaporean and Polish samples than in the American sample. In the U.S., the quality of one’s romantic relationships and psychopathy were negatively correlated. Narcissism was higher in the Polish and American samples than in the Singaporean sample. Men scored higher than …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

The Development Of Intimate Partner Relationships Among Men Sexually Abused As Children, Laura Beltran-Medina

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study sought to understand the experience of seven men who came forward to contribute and discuss their intimate partner relationships for what relational intimacy could reveal about themselves, the meaning of intimate partnership, and their understanding of being in intimate relationships. The theoretical assumptions applied to this study are: (a) Childhood sexual abuse interferes with the ability to achieve deeper experiences of idealized love; (b) Negative effects of adult relational attachment are manifested in anxiety related to sexual intimacy, fear of emotional intimacy, and inability to fulfill dependency needs such as trust, love, and security; and (c) There …

Women In Leadership: Performance And Interpersonal Consequences Of Stereotype Threat, Samantha Haley Snyder

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women in leadership positions may experience stereotype threat when explicitly or implicitly reminded of gender and leader stereotypes. Increased worry about potentially confirming the stereotype should affect their behavior and perceptions in leadership situations. I used a 3 (article) x 2 (confederate gender) between-participants design. Female participants read an article that either made stereotypes explicit (explicit threat), countered stereotypes (threat nullification), or did not include stereotype-relevant information (implicit threat) and were assigned to lead a male or female confederate through the construction of a Lego model. I hypothesized that women in the implicit threat conditions (implicit article; male confederate) would …

Does Breastfeeding Offer Protection Against Maternal Depressive Symptomatology? A Prospective Study From Pregnancy To 2 Years After Birth, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Martie G. Haselton, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Depression is the leading cause of disability in women (Nobel 2005) and is the most prevalent of all childbearing-related illnesses, affecting approximately 13% of women worldwide within the first 12 [...] Mothers who breastfeed typically exhibit lower levels of depressive symptomatology than mothers who do not. However, very few studies have investigated the directionality of this relationship. Of the prospective studies published, all but one focus exclusively on whether maternal depression reduces rates of subsequent breastfeeding. This study again examines this relationship, but also the reverse--that breastfeeding might predict lower levels of later depression. Using multilevel modeling, we investigated the …

The Importance Of Female Choice: Evolutionary Perspectives On Constraints, Expressions, And Variations, David Frederick, Tania A. Reynolds, Maryanne L. Fisher

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This chapter introduces the reader to some of the influential perspectives on female mate choice in human evolutionary biology, including parental investment theory. We then present two key theories in evolutionary psychology that have been applied to understand variations in women’s mating preferences and choices: sexual strategies theory and strategic pluralism theory. Although the importance of female choice has gained widespread acceptance in the biological sciences, the influence that female choice has on mating systems can be limited by many factors, such as control over mating decisions by parents and men’s control over women’s sexuality. Despite these constraints on female …

Exploring Reasons Why Men And Women Refrain From Sex Despite Desire, Alessandra Lanti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual behavior has been found to be an unreliable referent for sexual desire. Numerous studies have found that sexual activity is motivated by a range of non-desire related factors, from the promotion of intimacy to the seeking of new experiences. Sexual desire may also be an unreliable predictor of sexual activity. There is a dearth of research, however, on the reasons why individuals choose not to have sex despite the presence of desire for a willing partner. The main aim of this study is to qualitatively investigate the reasons why people refrain from sex when they feel desire for a …

How To Be Cool In School? A Dating Expert Offers Smu Students A Five-Step Approach, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

In a just world, we would expect qualities like diligence, persistence and persuasiveness to pay off, but things are a lot more complicated when it comes to attraction. Dating expert David Tian, addresses SMU students on how people ought to better their odds at love and romance.

Gender, Masculinity, Femininity And Help Seeking In College, Heath Marrs, Ellen A. Sigler, Robyn D. Brammer

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

The current academic performance struggles of college men is gaining increasing research attention (Sax, 2008a, 2008b), but few studies have explored the possible impact of gender-related attributes such as masculinity and femininity on academic help-seeking behaviors and academic performance. In this study of 567 college undergraduates, students who classified themselves as androgynous on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory were more likely to engage in academic help-seeking behaviors than those classified as male sex-typed, female sex-typed, and undifferentiated. No significant differences were found for academic performance. These results highlight the importance of exploring the potential influence of gender-related constructs on academic behavior …

Ovulation Leads Women To Perceive Sexy Cads As Good Dads, Kristina M. Durante, Vladas Griskevicius, Jeffry A. Simpson, Stephanie M. Canfu, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why do some women pursue relationships with men who are attractive, dominant, and charming but who do not want to be in relationships—the prototypical sexy cad? Previous research shows that women have an increased desire for such men when they are ovulating, but it is unclear why ovulating women would think it is wise to pursue men who may be unfaithful and could desert them. Using both college-age and community-based samples, in 3 studies we show that ovulating women perceive charismatic and physically attractive men, but not reliable and nice men, as more committed partners and more devoted future fathers. …

For The Bible Tells Me So: An Analysis Of Religiosity, Attitudes Towards Women, And Intimate Partner Violence, Stephen Cecil Parker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Male dominance and intimate partner violence are issues that affect many women. This study examines the relationship between religiosity and attitudes towards women and intimate partner violence. It was hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of religiosity would be more likely to hold traditional/negative attitudes towards women. It was also hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of religiosity would be more likely to be involved in a violent intimate relationship. The study used a sample of 427 students from a large urban university who were surveyed about religiosity, attitudes towards women, and intimate partner violence. The mean age of the …

Gender Differences In Trait Emotional Intelligence: A Comparative Study, Salman Shahzad, Nasreen Bagum

Business Review

The objective of present study is to determine the difference between male and female on the variable of trait emotional intelligence. After the detailed literature review the following hypothesis was formulated; There would be a difference between males and females on the variable of trait emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 100 university students. The entire sample divided into two groups. The sample consisted of 100 university students, recruited from University of Karachi, including 51(51%) males and 49 (49 %) females. The age range of both groups were from 18 to 30 years (Mean age =23.78 years) with males (Mean …

Cash In Hand, Want Better Looking Mate: Significant Resource Cues Raise Reported Mating Standards In Men, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Resources are a cardinal component of male mate value in the sexual exchange between men and women. Inspired by theories and research suggesting a link between mating and resource constructs as well as studies linking money and valuations of others, the current study tests the hypothesis that cues to resource availability may lead to higher mating standards for men, but not women. Participants were exposed to either stacks of paper, a small sum of money (104 Singapore dollars ~USD$84), or a large sum of money (2600 Singapore dollars ~USD$2100). Consistent with the hypothesis, after male – but not female – …

Research Brief: "A New Generation Of Women Veterans: Stressors Faced By Women Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study analyzes the effect of experiencing combat on the physical and mental health of female veterans as compared to male veterans. For policy and practice, the research shows that female veterans who experienced combat might not reach out for health services, and therefore those barriers should be identified and addressed. Suggestions for future research include conducting studies with larger sample sizes and representative samples, as well as addressing the interpersonal stress female veterans experience.

Perceptions Of Masculinity And Femininity Of Gamers Playing Violent And Non-Violent Video Games, Amanda M. Mangalavite

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Video games are a popular pastime in today's society for both men and women, as approximately one-half of the United States' population play them. The idea that men and women's masculinity and femininity are perceived differently for the type of video game that they play is a concept that has recently been questioned and confronted in research. In the present study the genre of the video game, skill level, and gender are examined in regards to the ratings of masculinity and femininity of the player. Results found that genre and skill level had no effect, but gender of the player …

Sexual Harassment In Las Vegas, Jonathan Michael Birds

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual harassment, either "quid pro quo" demands or the creation of a hostile environment harms both success and social confidence (Welsh, 1999). The nature of sexual harassment in an overtly sexual environment like Las Vegas has not yet been explored. The current study primarily analyzed responses from UNLV students who work in Las Vegas. Experiences of and attitudes towards sexual harassment were compared by gender. Finally, experiences of sexual harassment were compared between UNLV students and students at another university.

We Can Do It! (But Should We?), Lindsey Odom

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

First dates represent an important early event in the development of dating relationships. Commonly, date initiation is a behavior in which men take control. In the past few decades, however, more women attempted this task. Women initiating dates is a deviation from cultural norms or what society views as appropriate behavior. The deviation in behavior could have negative repercussions for women. For this study, perceptions of women who initiate dates are investigated. By examining the expectedness and violation valence of the behavior through Expectancy Violations Theory, insight is provided into the perceptions of this dating trend.

Reading Between The Lines: Gender Perception Of Lean Media, Jennalee Conner

Masters Theses

Over the years, communication methods have evolved from face-to-face conversations to computer-mediated communication including: e-mail, instant message, and text message interactions. Since the methods have changed, a large aspect of communication, nonverbal cues, have become nearly impossible. These methods of communication that lack nonverbal cues are therefore referred to as lean media because they lack the richness of facial expression, vocal expression, and immediacy. In order to modify more recent forms of communication to include nonverbal cues, individuals have created their own nonverbal cues. While each individual is unique, though, genders normally tend to think or behave in similar fashion. …

It Is Not All About The Benjamins: Understanding Preferences For Mates With Resources, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Laura Madson

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We contend that preferences for mates with resources or money might be calibrated on where a potential mate gets her/his money. In three studies (N = 668) we examined the nature of individuals’ preferences for mates who have resources or money. Both sexes preferred a long-term mate who has earned her/his money over other sources. In particular, women preferred mates who earned their money over other potential means of getting resources (i.e., inheritance, embezzlement, and windfall). Women maintained a high level of interest in mates who earned their money regardless of duration of the mateship whereas men became less interested …