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Studies have demonstrated that high job strain and low job satisfaction can lead to depression. However, less focus has been recorded on the effects of a worker’s perceived challenges related to their qualifications.
Aims
We aimed to investigate the association between perceived professional under-challenge or overload and depressive symptoms (also stratified by gender), based on nationally representative longitudinal data, thereby adding methodological novelty to previous cross-sectional research approaches.
Method
This study used longitudinal data from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey covering community-dwelling individuals aged 40–64 years. The analytic sample included 7487 observations from 4362 individuals, spanning 4 survey waves (2008–2017). Key variables were depressive symptoms (measured with the 15-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), perceived occupational challenge (via self-report) and relevant time-varying covariates (age, marital status, net household income, self-rated health, chronic diseases). Linear fixed-effects regressions were used to analyse longitudinal associations.
Results
Fixed-effects regressions showed that transitions towards overload were significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms (β = 1.39, P < 0.01), while transitions towards not being sufficiently challenged showed no significant associations. When stratified by gender, similar patterns were observed for men, with significant associations between overload and increased depressive symptoms (β = 2.16, P = 0.004).
Conclusion
Our study indicates that changes towards job overload are linked to increased depressive symptoms in middle-aged men, emphasising the importance of managing work challenges and fostering a healthy work environment for employees’ mental health.
How does the language of male and female politicians differ when they communicate directly with the public on social media? Do citizens address them differently? We apply Lasso logistic regression models to identify the linguistic features that most differentiate the language used by or addressed to male and female Spanish politicians. Male politicians use more words related to politics, sports, ideology and infrastructure, while female politicians talk about gender and social affairs. The choice of emojis varies greatly across genders. In a novel analysis of tweets written by citizens, we find evidence of gender‐specific insults, and note that mentions of physical appearance and infantilising words are disproportionately found in text addressed to female politicians. The results suggest that politicians conform to gender stereotypes online and reveal ways in which citizens treat politicians differently depending on their gender.
Gender inequality as a phenomenon is also present in academic writing and publishing. In this article, we review the gender imbalance in the percentage of authors and reviewers in EPS from 2015 to 2019. At the submissions stage, male authors submit approximately twice as many manuscripts compared to female authors. At the publication stage, there is less of a gender difference due to a higher success rate for female authors. For reviewers, however, the gender discrepancies are even wider. At the invitation stage, we invited only roughly four women to review for every ten men. When it comes to completed reviews, the gap widens to roughly three women for ten men. Our findings show that we still have a long way to go to achieve parity in the review process. We suggest that parity in the review process is not independent of more women scholars being promoted to higher level academic positions.
This article investigates the gender differences in participation in voluntary organizations across the life course in Italy. It shows that three forms of engagement in voluntary organizations—donating money, attending meetings, and doing unpaid work—may depend on some stages of the life course—leaving the parental home, forming a union, and becoming a parent—as it is plausible that they may change personal resources and pose constraints or provide opportunities for involvement. Using the household survey “ISTAT Multipurpose Survey—Aspects of daily life”, the article finds that while leaving the parental home is positively associated with both men’s and women’s involvement, forming a union, and being a parent is detrimental for women’s involvement and not for men’s. This pattern indicates that gender roles may constrain more women’s than men’s probability of participation in voluntary organizations.
The predominant part of the literature states that women are more likely to donate to charitable causes but men are more generous in terms of the amount given. The last result generally derives from the focus on mean amount given. This article examines gender differences in giving focusing on the distribution of amounts donated and the probability of giving using micro-data on individual giving to charitable causes for Great Britain. Results indicate that women are generally more generous than men also in terms of the amounts donated. Quantile regression analysis shows that this pattern is robust if we take into account gender differences in individual characteristics such as household structure, education, and income. The article also investigates differences in gender preferences for varying charitable causes. Results are presented separately for single and married people, highlighting the very different gender patterns of giving behaviour found in the two groups.
Prior research has suggested three explanations why levels of voluntary engagement rise and fall over time within societies. A social structural explanation considers individual resources crucial for engagement and argues that a redistribution of those resources may bring about changes in engagement. A cohort-based explanation considers socialisation and experiences in formative years as crucial for the uptake of engagement. Finally, a period-based explanation considers extraordinary events, external shocks, and crises to be crucial for engagement. So far, these explanations have mainly been tested separately and little is known about the relative strength of each of the proposed factors. Using data from a large German household panel survey that assessed engagement almost annually across four decades, we found that most social structural factors (e.g., education, employment, income) maintained their predictive effects for engagement, irrespective of cohort or period. The only notable exception was that the gender gap observed has narrowed substantially across periods and cohorts. Moreover, cohort effects were rendered almost negligible once we factored in periods. Taken together, our results suggest that individual characteristics and extraordinary events are the main factors influencing voluntary engagement rather than shared societal experiences of cohorts.
This study explores the relationship between sex differences and preferences for volunteer roles, organizations, and supervision. A series of hypotheses were developed from prior research on sex differences from the fields of biology, neuroscience, and psychology to determine whether such preferences can be predicted. An online survey panel of over 700 individuals comprised the sample. Many of the hypotheses were supported. Implications of the findings on future research and on volunteer recruitment and retention are discussed.
This study explores the role of framing, time pressure (TP), and gender in modulating altruism in preschoolers (4- and 5-year-olds, N = 115), using a Dictator Game (DG) paradigm. Besides confirming a strong tendency toward altruistic sharing in this age cohort, results allow us to investigate the psychological factors behind such a tendency. Initial resource allocation is manipulated by presenting both a Give and a Take condition to participants, which reveals the combined influence of status quo bias (more resources are shared in the Take condition than in the Give condition) and the endowment effect (fewer resources are shared in the Give condition than in the Take condition). Introducing TP results in greater sharing across both conditions, which confirms previous results and improves on them, allowing us to clarify that the intuitive heuristic activated by TP favors sharing specifically, rather than mere preservation of the status quo (otherwise we would observe increased sharing with TP only in the Take condition). Finally, a significant interaction between framing and gender is observed, with girls sharing more than boys in the Give condition and less than boys in the Take condition. This suggests that the traditional view of girls as being more generous than boys in DGs may be an experimental artifact of overreliance on Give-only paradigms, and it reveals instead that girls are more sensitive to fairness, whereas boys are more influenced by respect for the initial resource allocation. Overall, these findings provide valuable insight into the psychological determinants of altruism in early childhood, with important implications for adult studies as well.
In this chapter, we first look at a new approach in how sex and gender are conceptualized, with gender no longer being viewed as a binary category (male versus female), but as including other options, such as transgender and gender nonbinary. We then briefly examine sex and gender from an evolutionary perspective, specifically parental investment theory. This is followed by a look at the development of sexuality, an individual’s erotic thoughts and activities, and then examine the origin of sexual orientation. We then look briefly at some gender differences and how such differences can be explained. (Most gender differences have been discussed in the chapters in which the specific content is examined.) The final section looks at the development of gender identity, focusing mainly on the cognitive factors that affect how children come to see themselves as males and females, followed by an examination of gender identification in transgender children.
The clinical presentation and course of illness of older-age bipolar disorder (OABD) are highly variable. In addition, the presentation and course of bipolar disorder (BD) differ between females and males. This study aims to carry out a network analysis of older people with symptoms compatible with BD. Using a sample from the MentDis_ICF65+ study, a symptom network analysis was conducted according to gender and age in 555 people over 65 in the Community of Madrid (Spain). The network was estimated using the InsingFit package that implements a procedure called eLasso. These results reveal differences in the strength, closeness, and betweenness of the networks according to gender and for the age groups 65–74 and 75–84. Females present a network that is much more sparse, with a lower density, and consisting of two sub-networks: one composed of TALK (more talkative than usual) and RACIN (a flight of ideas, racing thoughts) and the other of PAINF (activities with painful consequences), SLEEP (the decreased need for sleep), GRAND (inflated self-esteem), and AGIT (psychomotor agitation). In the case of men, a denser network is obtained, with greater connections between all the symptoms, being the edge with greater weight than the one integrated by RACIN and GRAND. In relation to age, it is possible to observe changes in the model between the two age groups. These network differences support viewing OABD dimensionally and emphasize considering gender and age to improve understanding and personalize treatments for older adults with bipolar disorder symptoms.
Accumulating evidence suggests that stress, social relationships, and sex/gender differences in brain function, particularly of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), may drive problematic alcohol use. How these factors interact to effect alcohol use, and if they do so differently in men and women, has yet to be explored.
Methods
Using a subsample of the publicly available Human Connectome Project data consisting of young adults with problematic alcohol use (N = 491; 41.75% women, ≥1 symptom of alcohol abuse/dependence), we used a moderated moderation approach to test whether perceived stress and sex/gender moderated the effect of a multidimensional measure of social relationship quality on drinking levels. We subsequently tested whether OFC function moderated these effects.
Results
We found that in women, higher friendship and companionship had a protective effect on drinking levels, particularly for women under high stress. In contrast, in men, higher friendship and companionship were linked to increased drinking levels under stress. Preliminary evidence suggested that this effect in men was driven by a subgroup of men with higher OFC reactivity to negative emotional faces.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that women benefit from friendship and companionship as a form of stress-relief in the context of problematic drinking, whereas men do not, supporting the need of interventions that facilitate emotionally supportive, pro-recovery social environments particularly in men. Preliminary evidence further suggests a role of emotional dysregulation in men. Overall, our findings support the importance of developing sex/gender and neurobiologically informed interventions that target stress-related alcohol use.
Evaluators, tasked with making funding decisions under conditions of incomplete information and uncertainty, are particularly susceptible to the influence of temporality and gender expectations. Drawing on the literature on signaling theory and gender expectations, this research examines the importance of past temporal focus in determining innovation funding decisions. Our empirical evidence suggests that innovation projects that focus on past events are more likely to receive favorable evaluations as past temporal focus signals better learning capacity among innovators. Moreover, we build on the signal credibility and visibility literature to support the notion that female-dominated presenting teams that emphasize past actions receive higher evaluations because the learning capacity signal is deemed more credible for women and female evaluators are more reactive to past-related signals, leading to higher evaluations for innovations with a past-focused narrative. Our study contributes to the literature on temporal focus and signal effectiveness and provides implications for mitigating the gender gap in accessing funding through temporal rhetoric.
Many factors influence the likelihood of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but gender disparities in prehospital care remain under-examined, particularly in relation to the bystander’s connection to the patient.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between gender and the likelihood of receiving BCPR in OHCA. The primary outcome of the study was to examine differences in BCPR rates among men and women who experienced OHCA. The secondary outcome was to investigate whether bystanders were more likely to provide CPR based on their relationship to the victim, comparing “true” layperson CPR to CPR administered by family members or friends and how these rates differed between men and women.
Methods:
This retrospective prehospital chart review included all encounters from a single urban Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency with a cardiac arrest prior to EMS arrival from January 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022 (n = 701). For each encounter, the presence or absence of BCPR was recorded, along with the relation of the bystander to the patient. “True” BCPR was defined as CPR performed by a layperson unknown to the patient. Patients were excluded if they exhibited signs of obvious death, were physically inaccessible to bystanders, had CPR initiated by trained facility staff or police, had a do not resuscitate (DNR) order present on EMS arrival, received CPR but were not in cardiac arrest, or were younger than 18 years old (n = 174). Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate data, with statistical significance defined at P < .05.
Results:
The study examined 701 cardiac arrest encounters: 250 female (35.7%) and 451 male (64.3%). Overall, men (n = 123; 27.3%) were more likely to receive BCPR than women (n = 48; 19.2%); OR = 1.58; 95%CI, 1.08-2.30; P = .02. Among those who received BCPR, women were significantly more likely to have received it from someone they knew (83.3% versus 65.9%; OR = 2.59; 95%CI, 1.11-6.04; P = .03) while men were more likely to receive “true” layperson BCPR.
Conclusions:
This study identifies significant gender disparities in prehospital BCPR and highlights an association between the bystander’s relationship to the patient and the likelihood of intervention.
Prolonged childhood and adolescent loneliness (CAL) is linked to various adverse mental health outcomes, yet its impact on schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) has been understudied. While loneliness is associated with psychosis and worsens symptoms in SSD, few studies have explored the long-term effects of early loneliness on SSD risk. Understanding how CAL interacts with genetic liability to schizophrenia is essential for identification of high-risk individuals.
Aims
This study evaluated whether prolonged CAL is associated with increased SSD risk and examined the interaction between CAL and genetic liability for schizophrenia. Gender differences in these associations were also explored.
Method
Data from the European Gene–Environment Interactions in Schizophrenia (EU-GEI) study were analysed, including 1261 individuals with SSD, 1282 unaffected siblings and 1525 healthy controls. CAL was retrospectively assessed for periods before age 12 years and age 12–16 years. Genetic risk was measured using polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia. Logistic regression models and the Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI) method were used to examine gene–environment interactions, with stratification by gender.
Results
Prolonged CAL was associated with higher odds of SSD (odds ratio [95% CI] = 5.20 [3.85−7.01] for loneliness before age 12; odds ratio [95% CI] = 7.26 [5.63−9.38] for loneliness during adolescence). The interaction between CAL and genetic risk was strongest during adolescence (RERI [95% CI] = 23.46 [10.75−53.53]). Females showed a greater effect (odds ratio [95 %CI] = 10.04 [6.80−14.94]) than males (odds ratio [95% CI] = 5.50 [3.95−7.66]). Incorporating CAL and genetic interaction increased predictive values to 17% for SSD risk − rising to 22.5% in females − compared with 2.6 and 2.8%, respectively, for genetic risk alone.
Conclusions
Prolonged CAL significantly increases SSD risk, particularly in females. The inclusion of CAL alongside genetic risk substantially enhances predictive accuracy. Early identification of CAL could inform preventive strategies, especially in genetically vulnerable populations.
Terminal cancer patients often endure significant distress, impacting their quality of life. Spiritual well-being provides peace and meaning during this challenging period.
Objectives. This study explored the spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients and their next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care, focusing on factors influencing their spiritual experiences.
Methods
This mixed-methods study included 30 terminally ill patients and 17 next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care. Spiritual well-being was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and symptom distress with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month. Data were analyzed using quantitative methods and thematic analysis.
Results
Patients showed a significant improvement in spiritual well-being over time, with FACIT-Sp-12 scores increasing from 28.6 at baseline to 31.3 at 1 month (p < .01). Symptoms such as shortness of breath (β = –1.19, p < .001), drowsiness (β = –1.27, p = .01), and anxiety (β = –0.60, p = .03) were negatively associated with spiritual well-being. Caregiver spiritual well-being positively influenced patient scores, especially with female caregivers (β = 0.26, p < .001). Qualitative findings supported these results, revealing themes of spiritual adjustment, the impact of physical symptoms on spiritual well-being, and the crucial role of caregivers in providing emotional and spiritual support.
Significance of results
Early palliative care facilitates spiritual adjustment in terminally ill patients. A holistic approach addressing physical symptoms and psychological distress is essential. Supporting caregivers, particularly female ones, positively impacts patient spiritual well-being. Tailored interventions considering the unique needs of patients and caregivers are recommended to enhance palliative care quality.
I experimentally investigate whether there is a gender difference in advice giving in a gender-neutral task with varying difficulty in which the incentives of the sender and the receiver are perfectly aligned. I find that women are more reluctant to give advice compared to men for difficult questions. The gender difference in advice giving cannot be explained by gender differences in performance. Self-confidence explains some of the gender gap, but not all. The gender gap disappears if advice becomes enforceable. Introducing a model of guilt and responsibility, I discuss possible underlying mechanisms that are consistent with the findings.
The main aim of this study, which presents the Slovenian adaptation of the Macarthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory CDI–III, was to investigate the characteristics of language development in monolingual Slovenian-speaking children aged 30–48 months. In addition, we examined the relationships between different measures of child language assessed by the CDI–III, namely vocabulary, grammar and metalanguage. The sample comprised 301 children whose language was assessed by their parents using the Slovenian version of the CDI–III. The results indicate that language development at this age continues to progress relatively quickly, particularly in terms of children’s metalinguistic abilities, although there are large individual differences in language ability between children of the same age. The findings also indicate that some of the pre-existing relationships established between the different domains of infant and toddler language ability persist into early childhood, with vocabulary emerging as an important predictor of children’s grammar.
There is substantial evidence that women tend to support different policies and political candidates than men. Many studies also document gender differences in a variety of important preference dimensions, such as risk-taking, competition and pro-sociality. However, the degree to which differential voting by men and women is related to these gaps in more basic preferences requires an improved understanding. We conduct an experiment in which individuals in small laboratory “societies” repeatedly vote for redistribution policies and engage in production. We find that women vote for more egalitarian redistribution and that this difference persists with experience and in environments with varying degrees of risk. This gender voting gap is accounted for partly by both gender gaps in preferences and by expectations regarding economic circumstances. However, including both these controls in a regression analysis indicates that the latter is the primary driving force. We also observe policy differences between male- and female-controlled groups, though these are substantially smaller than the mean individual differences—a natural consequence of the aggregation of individual preferences into collective outcomes.
We look at gender differences among adolescents in Sweden in preferences for competition, altruism and risk. For competitiveness, we explore two different tasks that differ in associated stereotypes. We find no gender difference in competitiveness when comparing performance under competition to that without competition. We further find that boys and girls are equally likely to self-select into competition in a verbal task, but that boys are significantly more likely to choose to compete in a mathematical task. This gender gap diminishes and becomes non-significant when we control for actual performance, beliefs about relative performance, and risk preferences, or for beliefs only. Girls are also more altruistic and less risk taking than boys.
Experiments have demonstrated that men are more willing to compete than women. We develop a new instrument to “price” willingness to compete. We find that men value a $2.00 winner-take-all payment significantly more (about $0.28 more) than women; and that women require a premium (about 40 %) to compete. Our new instrument is more sensitive than the traditional binary-choice instrument, and thus, enables us to identify relationships that are not identifiable using the traditional binary-choice instrument. We find that subjects who are the most willing to compete have high ability, higher GPA’s (men), and take more STEM courses (women).