Introduction 1. Woman's Place in Man's Life Cycle 2. Images of Relationship 3. Concepts of Self and Morality 4. Crisis and Transition 5. Women's Rights and Women's Judgment 6. Visions of Maturity References Index of Study Participants General Index

In a Different Voice. Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge, MA (Harvard University Press) 1982.

Meta-analyses of sex differences in physical aggression to heterosexual partners and in its physical consequences are reported. Women were slightly more likely (d = -.05) than men to use one or more act of physical aggression and to use such acts more frequently. Men were more likely (d =. 15) to inflict an injury, and overall, 62% of those injured by a partner were women. The findings partially support previous claims that different methods of measurement produce conflicting results, but there was also evidence that the sample was an important moderator of effect size. Continuous models showed that younger aged dating samples and a lower proportion of physically aggressive males predicted effect sizes in the female direction. Analyses were limited by the available database, which is biased toward young dating samples in the United States. Wider variations are discussed in terms of two conflicting norms about physical aggression to partners that operate to different degrees in different cultures.

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Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: a meta-analytic review.

As the scientific study of the individual person, personality psychology historically has struggled to provide the kind of broad conceptual framework capable of orienting theory and research around human individuality in cultural context. This article presents a new integrative framework for studying persons that brings together recent advances in the field of personality with the emerging social science emphasis on the narrative study of lives, while situating personality inquiry within the cultural context of contemporary modernity and the unique problems of the modern self. The frame-work builds on a clear distinction between the "I" and the "Me" features of personality in the modem world and the delineation of three relatively independent levels on which modern persons may be described. In personality, the I may be viewed as the process of "selfing," of narrating experience to create a modern self whereas the Me may be viewed as the self that the I constructs. Personality traits, like those included w...

Personality, Modernity, and the Storied Self: A Contemporary Framework for Studying Persons

Individual differences in personality may be described at three different levels. Level I consists of those broad, decontextualized, and rela- tively nonconditional constructs called "traits," which provide a dispositional signature for personality description. No description of a person is adequate without trait attributions, but trait attributions themselves yield little beyond a "psychology ofthe stranger." At Level II (called "personal concems"), per- sonality descriptions invoke personal strivings, life tasks, defense mechanisms, coping strategies, domain-specific skills and values, and a wide assortment of other motivational, developmental, or strategic constructs that are contextual- ized in time, place, or role. While dispositional traits and personal concerns appear to have near-universal applicability. Level III presents frameworks and constructs that may be uniquely relevant to adulthood only, and perhaps only within modern societies that put a premium on the individuation of the self. Thus, in contemporary Western societies, a full description of personality commonly requires a consideration of the extent to which a human life ex- presses unity and purpose, which are the hallmarks of identity. Identity in adulthood is an inner story of the self that integrates the reconstmcted past, perceived present, and anticipated future to provide a life with unity, purpose, and meaning. At Level III, psychologists may explore the person's identity as an internalized and evolving life story. Each of the three levels has its own geography and requires its own indigenous nomenclatures, taxonomies, theories, frameworks, and laws.

/pdf/what-do-we-know-when-we-know-a-person-4tvwsipdt7.pdf

What Do We Know When We Know a Person

Risk assessment and treatment for sexual offenders should focus on individual characteristics associated with recidivism risk. Although it is possible to conduct risk assessments based purely on empirical correlates, the most useful evaluations also explain the source of the risk. In this review, the authors propose that the basic requirements for a psychologically meaningful risk factor are (a) a plausible rationale that the factor is a cause of sexual offending and (b) strong evidence that it predicts sexual recidivism. Based on the second of these criteria, the authors categorize potential risk factors according to the strength of the evidence for their relationship with offending. The most strongly supported variables should be emphasized in both assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. Further research is required, however, to establish causal connections between these variables and recidivism and to examine the extent to which changes in these factors leads to reductions in recidivism potential.

/pdf/assessing-risk-for-sexual-recidivism-some-proposals-on-the-4lwhpju7s2.pdf

Assessing Risk for Sexual Recidivism: Some Proposals on the Nature of Psychologically Meaningful Risk Factors:

We tested a model describing the characteristics of sexually aggressive men that may also be useful for understanding the causes of other antisocial acts against women. This model hypothesizes that sexual aggressors can be identified by two sets of characteristics, labeled hostile masculinity and impersonal sex. To test this model, we followed up a sample of men 10 years after first studying them when they were young adults. We sought to predict which men would be in distressed relationships with women, be aggressive sexually, be nonsexually aggressive, or some combination of these. These behaviors were measured not only by questioning the men themselves but also by questioning many of the men's female partners. Some couples' videotaped conversations were also analyzed. The data supported the ability of the model to predict behavior 10 years later. We also developed the model further and identified the common and unique characteristics contributing to sexual aggression as compared with the other conflictual behaviors studied. The data supported the usefulness of hierarchical modeling incorporating both general factors that contribute to various interpersonal conflicts as well as specific factors uniquely pertaining to dominance of women.

Using the confluence model of sexual aggression to predict men's conflict with women: A 10-year follow-up study.

Pursuing a goal in daily life can involve conflict and preoccupation as well as satisfaction and positive affect. This article addresses the correlates of conflict about the pursuit of romantic intimacy for a sample of women in a college sorority. For those women already in serious relationships, conflict was associated with romantic satisfaction but also with a narrow focus on communion in the relationship. For those pursuing intimacy in the context of casual dating, conflict was associated with the perceived difficulty and dissatisfaction of the task, but also with time spent thinking about it and with a desire to effect change in their romantic lives

Conflict and preoccupation in the intimacy life task.

Active-duty military fathers are frequently away from their families throughout their military career and are faced with readjusting to family and garrison life after each separation. For fathers of very young children, reintegration can have unique challenges due to the tremendous developmental progression occurring in early childhood and the impact of lengthy deployment separations. While much of the research on military families focuses on extreme negative experiences (e.g., reactions to war injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder), little is known about the common experiences of military families. This qualitative study explores the reintegration experiences of 15 active-duty U.S. Army fathers with a child under six in their home during the deployment. Homecoming experiences were coded and analyzed to distinguish four adjustment factors and five adaptation challenges. Most fathers described having mixed experiences during reintegration, with 93% referencing at least one factor making adjustment easier (e.g., communication with their spouse during deployment), and 80% referencing at least one factor making adjustment difficult (e.g., child’s initial hesitation or perceived rejection). Adjustment facilitators included: spending quality time with family, individual and family growth, quality communication during deployment, and the service member’s parental perspective taking. Challenges to adjustment included negative postdeployment reactions of children, difficulty readjusting to family and civilian life, and service member psychological changes. These findings expand our understanding of the reintegration experience of active-duty fathers with young children and identify common challenges and facilitators that can be addressed through culturally informed supportive services across the deployment cycle.

Qualitative examination of homecoming experiences among active-duty military fathers during reintegration

Abstract Attitudes toward wildlife can have direct implications on children's interest in conservation behaviors. Animal programs are an example of interactive, educational experiences that have the potential to change attitudes by providing individuals the opportunity to get close to animal ambassadors and participate in engaging conversations about them. We conducted an animal program assessment with summer camps at the Ohio Wildlife Center to quantify changes in children's affiliation with local wildlife and their willingness to live near local wildlife. Campers showed an overall increase in affiliation and willingness scores from before to after an animal program, although with a small effect size. Overall willingness scores were lower than affiliation scores, but there was a significantly larger increase in willingness following the program. We found a strong correlation between affiliation and willingness scores. Overall, the study found that these animal programs positively influenced children's attitudes toward local wildlife and increased their willingness to live near them, suggesting animal programming could be used to decrease human‐wildlife conflict. Visually seeing animals in the programs improved attitude scores, even for those not seen in this study, which suggests that program animals can act as an ambassador for other species. This opens the potential for utilizing animal ambassadors as powerful tools in conservation education about threatened and endangered species.

Michele Acker

Papers

Using the confluence model of sexual aggression to predict men's conflict with women: A 10-year follow-up study.

Conflict and preoccupation in the intimacy life task.

Qualitative examination of homecoming experiences among active-duty military fathers during reintegration

Impact of animal programming on children's attitudes toward local wildlife