Is it a Boy or a Girl? Anonymity and Gender in Computer-Mediated Interactions

2011 ◽  
pp. 1590-1610
Author(s):  
Katheryn C. Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Gender Identification ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Linguistic Cues ◽  
On Line ◽  
And Gender

This chapter examines the research on sex differences and gender identification in computer-mediated interaction (CMI), and presents a pilot study of synchronous, anonymous, one-to-one interactions, to understand the extent to which a person’s “real life” sex can be identified in CMIs as well as the stylistic and linguistic cues that “mark” someone as “male” or “female.” Although previous research has reported sex differences in a number of different variables (e.g., number of words, disagreements), analysis of the transcripts in this study revealed only one significant difference, in that men corrected themselves more often than women. Furthermore, participants correctly guessed the sex of their partner 62.5% of the time, felt approximately 65% sure of their guess, and used gender stereotypes to make their assessments. Implications for anonymity and CMI research are discussed, focusing on the conditions under which sex differences and gender stereotypes become relevant in on-line interactions.

"Is it a Boy or a Girl?" Anonymity and Gender in Computer-Mediated Interactions

2010 ◽  
pp. 100-120
Author(s):  
Katheryn C. Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Gender Identification ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Linguistic Cues ◽  
On Line ◽  
And Gender

This chapter examines the research on sex differences and gender identification in computer-mediated interaction (CMI), and presents a pilot study of synchronous, anonymous, one-to-one interactions, to understand the extent to which a person’s “real life” sex can be identified in CMIs as well as the stylistic and linguistic cues that “mark” someone as “male” or “female.” Although previous research has reported sex differences in a number of different variables (e.g., number of words, disagreements), analysis of the transcripts in this study revealed only one significant difference, in that men corrected themselves more often than women. Furthermore, participants correctly guessed the sex of their partner 62.5% of the time, felt approximately 65% sure of their guess, and used gender stereotypes to make their assessments. Implications for anonymity and CMI research are discussed, focusing on the conditions under which sex differences and gender stereotypes become relevant in on-line interactions.

Sex Differences in Perceived Attributes of Computer-Mediated Communication

2003 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernon B. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Communication Competence ◽  
Communication Studies ◽  
Main Study ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Competence Scale ◽  
Strongly Agree

Researchers have pointed to the influence of sex with respect to the attributes of the computer medium. The author elaborates upon possible sex differences in reference to perceived attributes of the computer medium, i.e., Richness, Accessibility, Velocity, Interactivity, Plasticity, and Immediacy. Data from both a pilot and main study are reported and interpreted. The pilot study included 78 participants, while the main study involved 211 The independent samples were composed of Communication Studies students enrolled at two Mid-Atlantic universities. Nine items with anchors of 1: strongly disagree and 7: strongly agree were taken from the 2000 Computer Mediated Communication Competence Scale of Spitzberg to assess the attributes of computer-mediated interaction. The results indicate that women scored higher than men on perceptions of Accessibility, Velocity, Interactivity, and Immediacy.

Gender Stereotypes and Gender Preferences in American Politics

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira Sanbonmatsu ◽  
Kathleen Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Gender Attitudes ◽  
Political Involvement ◽  
Gender Preferences ◽  
Women Candidates ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Do So

This chapter analyzes a series of questions related to citizen's attitudes about gender issues. These items are included in the 2006 Pilot Study. The examination of gender stereotypes suggests that many people see few differences in the traits and abilities of women and men, but that those who do perceive differences tend to do so in predictable ways. These new items also demonstrate that gender stereotypes transcend party, although gender and party interact in meaningful ways in some circumstances. The examination of voters' gender preferences for elected officials reveal the importance (or lack thereof) of descriptive representation to voters and the potential for women candidates to mobilize women in the public to greater political involvement. Finally, the analysis of these new items clearly indicates that while they are related to other gender attitudes, gender stereotypes and gender preferences are distinct attitudes held by voters.

Social Self-Regulation in Computer Mediated Communities

2010 ◽  
pp. 1932-1946
Author(s):  
Christopher Goldspink
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Wiki Technology ◽  
Linguistic Cues ◽  
History Of ◽  
On Line ◽  
Governance Processes

This article documents the findings of research into the governance mechanisms within the distributed on-line community known as Wikipedia. It focuses in particular on the role of normative mechanisms in achieving social self-regulation. A brief history of the Wikipedia is provided. This concentrates on the debate about governance and also considers characteristics of the wiki technology which can be expected to influence governance processes. The empirical findings are then presented. These focus on how Wikipedians use linguistic cues to influence one another on a sample of discussion pages drawn from both controversial and featured articles. Through this analysis a tentative account is provided of the agent-level cognitive mechanisms which appear necessary to explain the apparent behavioural coordination. The findings are to be used as a foundation for the simulation of ‘normative’ behaviour. The account identifies some of the challenges that need to be addressed in such an attempt including a mismatch between the case findings and assumptions used in past attempts to simulate normative behaviour.

scholarly journals Oral Hygiene in a Sample of Children/Adolescents Living in Family-Homes from the Province of Milan (Italy): A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Nota ◽  
Floriana Bosco ◽  
Shideh Ehsani ◽  
Francesca Giugliano ◽  
Giulia Moreo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Clinical Results ◽  
Plaque Index ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Oral Hygiene Instructions

Objective: This pilot study is a prospective controlled clinical trial, designed to evaluate the short-term clinical results (the plaque index) of an educational/motivational program for home oral hygiene, directed to children and adolescents who live in family-homes. Methods: The setting of the project was the province of Milan (Italy), where two family-homes were selected. The study group included 26 children (16 females and 10 males) aged between 7 and 15 years, of Italian nationality, from the family-home communities. The control group included 26 children (15 females and 11 males, aged between 7 and 15 years) of Italian nationality, matched for age and gender distribution with the study group, that were not in a socially disadvantaged condition. Collection of the plaque index (PI) was performed at t0. Then, all basic oral hygiene instructions were given to all children/adolescents and their educators. Education and motivation were repeated in the same way after 4–7 weeks (T1), and after 10–12 weeks (T2). The PI was taken also at T1 and T2. Results: An improvement in the PI was generally found in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups over time. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed a statistically significant effect of time [F (1, 52) = 90.73, p < 0.001], regardless of the assignment group, in consequence of which the plaque index presented a moderate and significant improvement. Conclusion: The present data confirm the validity of the educational/motivational program to improve oral hygiene in children/adolescents, regardless of the assignment group.

scholarly journals A hundred years of debates on sex differences: Developing research for social change

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-235
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Poeschl
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Lay Conceptions ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Reinforcing Effects ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Right ◽  
Over Time

After women secured the right to vote some hundred years ago, the assertions about their innate inferiority gradually began to vanish, giving way to theories about the countless aspects which apparently differentiated them from men. In this paper, we follow the evolution of research on sex differences, starting with the work of the first female psychologists who questioned the theories that justified women’s subordinate positions in society. We trace the main developments of the studies on sex differences, their relationship with social roles, gender stereotypes, and gender identity, and describe the strategies used to highlight the role of society rather than of biology in shaping men and women’s personalities and behaviors. We describe the controversies this area of research gave rise to, the debates over its political implications, and the changes observed over time in women’s social positions and within research perspectives. Finally, we discuss the mutually reinforcing effects of social organization and lay conceptions of gender and reflect on how the field of research on sex differences has contributed to building a fairer society.

scholarly journals The Female Heart: Sex Differences in the Dynamics of ECG in Response to Stress

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tricia Adjei ◽  
Jingwen Xue ◽  
Danilo P. Mandic
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Stress Response ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Frequency Component ◽  
Sample Entropy ◽  
High Frequency Component ◽  
P Value ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractSex differences in the study of the human physiological response to mental stress are often erroneously ignored. To this end, we set out to show that our understanding of the stress response is fundamentally altered once sex differences are taken into account. This is achieved by comparing the heart rate variability (HRV) signals acquired during mental maths tests from ten females and ten males of similar maths ability; all females were in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. For rigour, the HRV signals from this pilot study were analysed using temporal, spectral and nonlinear signal processing techniques, which all revealed significant statistical differences between the sexes, with the stress-induced increases in the heart rates from the males being significantly larger than those from the females (p-value=2.2×10−3). In addition, mental stress produced an overall increase in the power of the low frequency component of HRV in the males, but caused an overall decrease in the females. The stress-induced changes in the power of the high frequency component were even more profound; it greatly decreased in the males, but increased in the females. We also show that mental stress was followed by the expected decrease in sample entropy, a nonlinear measure of signal regularity, computed from the males’ HRV signals, while overall, stress manifested in an increase in the sample entropy computed from the females’ HRV signals. This finding is significant, since mental stress is commonly understood to be manifested in the decreased entropy of HRV signals, however, the significant difference (p-value=2×10−9) in the changes in the entropies from the males and females highlights the pitfalls in ignoring sex in the formation of a physiological hypothesis. Furthermore, it has been argued that oestrogen attenuates the effect of catecholamine stress hormones; the findings from this investigation suggest for the first time that the conventionally cited cardiac changes, attributed to the fight-or-flight stress response, are not universally applicable to females. Instead, this pilot study provides an alternative interpretation of cardiac responses to stress in females, which indicates a closer alignment to the evolutionary tend-and-befriend response.

Subtle Linguistic Cues Affecting Gender In(Equality)

2021 ◽  
pp. 0261927X2110351
Author(s):  
Magdalena Formanowicz ◽  
Karolina Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Gender Bias ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Linguistic Cues ◽  
Gender Hierarchies ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Gender

Gender stereotypes and related gender discrimination are encoded in and transmitted through language, contributing to gender inequality. In this article, we review research findings on subtle linguistic means of communicating gender stereotypes and gender hierarchies. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive repository of various instances of subtle linguistic biases potentially useful in creating a text analysis toolbox to quantify gender bias in language. Our focus is predominantly on those areas that have received less attention both in research and in policy making. As gender inequalities are communicated through linguistic practices, attempts to change social reality include changes in language. Therefore, we suggest possible interventions for practices of gender equality in language.

scholarly journals Drawing everyday sexism in academia: observations and analysis of a community-based initiative

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 15-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Bocher ◽  
Martina Ulvrova ◽  
Maëlis Arnould ◽  
Nicolas Coltice ◽  
Claire Mallard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Earth Science ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Comic Strips ◽  
Objectification Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Scientific Skills ◽  
Recurrent Patterns

Abstract. Sexist behaviour in the workplace contributes to create a hostile environment, hindering the chance of women and gender non-conforming individuals to pursue an academic career, but also reinforcing gender stereotypes that are harmful to their progress and recognition. The Did this really happen?! project aims at publishing real-life, everyday sexism in the form of comic strips. Its major goal is to raise awareness about unconscious biases that transpire in everyday interactions in academia and increase the visibility of sexist situations that arise within the scientific community, especially to those who might not notice it. Through the website didthisreallyhappen.net, we collect testimonies about everyday sexism occurring in the professional academic environment (universities, research institutes, scientific conferences…). We translate these stories into comics and publish them anonymously without any judgement or comments on the website. By now, we have collected over 100 testimonies. From this collection, we identified six recurrent patterns: (1) behaviours that aim at maintaining women in stereotypical feminine roles, (2) behaviours that aim at maintaining men in stereotypical masculine roles, (3) the questioning of the scientific skills of female researchers, (4) situations where women have the position of an outsider, especially in informal networking contexts, (5) the objectification of women, and (6) the expression of neosexist views. We first present a detailed analysis of these categories, then we report on the different ways we interact and engage with the Earth science community, the scientific community at large and the public in this project.

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