Critical Flaws in the Female Sexual Function Index and the International Index of Erectile Function

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000 Rosen , R. C. , Brown , C. , Heiman , J. , Leiblum , S. , Meston , C. , Shabsigh , R. , … D'Agostino , R. ( 2000 ). The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function . Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy , 26 , 191 – 208 . doi: 10.1080/009262300278597 [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF; Rosen et al., 1997 Rosen , R. C. , Riley , A. , Wagner , G. , Osterloh , I. H. , Kirkpatrick , J. , &; Mishra , A. ( 1997 ). The International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF): A multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction . Urology , 49 , 822 – 830 . doi: 10.1016/S0090-4295(97)00238-0 [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) are two of the most widely used measures of sexual dysfunction. However, they have potential measurement and psychometric flaws that have not been addressed in the literature. This article examines the measurement capabilities of these measures based on data collected from an online study in 2010. A convenience sample of 518 sexually active adults (65% female) drawn from the general community were included in the analyses. Both measures displayed critical theoretical and measurement problems for the assessment of sexual problems beyond sexual arousal, and for the sexual desire domains in particular. Based on these results, we encourage clinicians and researchers to think critically about whether the FSFI and IIEF are appropriate measures for their practice and research. In particular, these measures are inappropriate for use among individuals who are not currently sexually active, and research with a focus other than sexual arousal should consider supplementary measures of sexual function. The psychometric properties of these measures should be reassessed in clinical samples, but the theoretical issues with the measures raised in this article are relevant across clinical and research contexts.     

The Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) Within a Dutch Population

According to the dual control model, sexual arousal is dependent on the disposition for both sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI; Bancroft, 1999 Bancroft , J. ( 1999 ). Central inhibition of sexual response in the male: A theoretical perspective . Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews , 23 , 763 – 784 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Individual variability in sexual inhibition and sexual excitation could partly explain individual differences in sexual arousability and the likelihood of experiencing sexual problems (Bancroft, Graham, Janssen, &; Sanders, 2009 Bancroft , J. , Graham , C. A. , Janssen , E. , &; Sanders , S. A. ( 2009 ). The dual control model: Current status and future directions . Journal of Sex Research , 46 , 121 – 142 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women (SESII-W) is a questionnaire developed to measure the factors sexual excitation and sexual inhibition (Graham, Sanders, &; Milhausen, 2006 Graham , C. A. , Sanders , S. A. , &; Milhausen , R. R. ( 2006 ). The Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women: Psychometric properties . Archives of Sexual Behavior , 35 , 397 – 409 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This study describes the validation of the Dutch version of the SESII-W in a sample of 445 women. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we determined that the eight lower-order factor model achieved adequate fit to the data. A decrement in fit was noted when the two higher-order factors SE and SI were included in the model. The measure demonstrated good construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Furthermore, the scores of women with sexual problems differed from those without sexual problems, providing evidence for the discriminant validity of the SESII-W.     

Factors Influencing University Students’ Explicit and Implicit Sexual Double Standards

Quantitative research has resulted in inconsistent evidence for the existence of a sexual double standard, leading Crawford and Popp (2003 Crawford , M. , &; Popp , D. ( 2003 ). Sexual double standards: A review and methodological critique of two decades of research . Journal of Sex Research , 40 , 13 – 26 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to issue a call for methodological innovation. The Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, &; Schwartz, 1998 Greenwald , A. G. , McGhee , D. E. , &; Schwartz , J. L. K. ( 1998 ). Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The Implicit Association Test . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 74 , 1464 – 1480 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) is a measure that may provide a means to examine the double standard without the contamination of the demand characteristics and social desirability biases that plague self-report research (Marks &; Fraley, 2005 Marks , M. J. , &; Fraley , R. C. ( 2005 ). The sexual double standard: Fact or fiction? Sex Roles , 52 , 175 – 186 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing explicit and implicit double standards, and to examine the relationship between these explicit and implicit double standards, and levels of socially desirable responding. One hundred and three university students completed a sexual double standard IAT, an explicit measure of the double standard, and measures of socially desirable responding. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that levels of socially desirable responding were not related to implicit or explicit double standards. Men endorsed a stronger explicit traditional double standard than women, whereas for implicit sexual standards, men demonstrated a relatively gender-neutral evaluation and women demonstrated a strong reverse double standard. These results suggest the existence of a complex double standard, and indicate that more research of sexual attitudes should include implicit measures.     

Do Sons Prevent Marital Disruption More Than Daughters? Evidence From Italy

In a well-known study Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988 Morgan, S. P., Lye, D. N. and Condran, G. A. 1988. Sons, daughters and the risk of marital disruption. American Journal of Sociology, 94(1): 110–129. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) stated that sons prevent the risk of divorce more than daughters do. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the sex composition of children on the stability of the parental marriage in Italy, a country where this research question is particularly interesting because of conservative gender roles within the family. The relative risk of marital dissolution is estimated for individuals with different numbers and sexes of children using a discrete time event-history model. The findings do not support either the hypothesis that sons contribute more to marital stability than daughters or the hypothesis that the effect of the sex composition of children has changed over time.     

Disability,pain and love in Jewish cosmology?

Individuals with disabilities face numerous barriers that limit their inclusion within the Jewish community (Trieschmann 2001 Trieschmann, R. B. 2001. “Spirituality and Energy Medicine.” Journal of Rehabilitation 67 (1): 26–32.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). While many Jewish communities have progressed and moved towards an attitude of ‘acceptance’ and ‘tolerance’ for people with disabilities out of religious obligation, it is often a practice without the spiritual ethical governing force and guiding principles of respect, equality, and human rights (Shatz and Wolowelsky 2004 Shatz, D., and J. B. Wolowelsky. 2004. Mind, Body, and Judaism: The Interaction of Jewish Law with Psychology and Biology. Ktav Publishing House: Yeshiva University Press. [Google Scholar]). People with disabilities are stereotyped as dependent, draining, incompetent, pitiful, victims, freaks, angels, embarrassments, innocent, pathetic, and asexual social burdens (Nario-Redmond 2010 Nario-Redmond, M. R. 2010. “Cultural Stereotypes of Disabled and Non-Disabled Men and Women: Consensus for Global Category Representations and Diagnostic Domains.” British Journal of Social Psychology 49: 471–488.10.1348/014466609X468411 [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). What is lacking is the consideration of people with disabilities as human beings. This injustice is most evident, painful, and damaging at an individual and communal level when it comes to Jewish singles and their pursuit of intimate relationships. A central Jewish value, right, and goal, one that is strongly promoted in Israeli society, is that of committed intimate relationships. However, this value does not apply to people with disabilities     

Religious Orthodoxy and Entrepreneurial Risk-Taking

The relationship between entrepreneurship and religion is complex (Dana 2010 Dana, Leo Paul. 2010. “Entrepreneurship and Religion”. In ed, Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.  [Google Scholar]), and religion can help or hamper the entrepreneurial process, depending on the context and culture (Dana 2009 Dana, Leo and Paul. 2009. Religion as an Explanatory Variable for Entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 10(2): 87–100. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Dodd and Gotsis 2007 Dodd, Sarah Drakopoulou and George, Gotsis. 2007. The Interrelationships between Entrepreneurship and Religion. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 8(2): 93–104. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). This article examines religious orthodoxy and its connection to one aspect of the entrepreneurial process—risk-taking within existing organizations. Using multinomial logistic regression to analyze data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey, the researchers find that religious orthodoxy is negatively associated with entrepreneurial risk-taking, even after controlling for traditional variables associated with entrepreneurism. It supports the idea that beliefs—and not just adherence or behaviors—are important to understanding the connection between entrepreneurial processes and religion.     

Sexuality Examined Through the Lens of Attachment Theory: Attachment,Caregiving, and Sexual Satisfaction

Attachment researchers have proposed that the attachment, caregiving, and sexual behavioral systems are interrelated in adult love relationships (Mikulincer &; Shaver, 2007 Mikulincer , M. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 2007 ). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change . New York , NY : Guilford . [Google Scholar]). This study examined whether aspects of partners’ caregiving (proximity, sensitivity, control, compulsive caregiving) mediated the association between their attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and each other's sexual satisfaction in two samples of committed couples (Study 1: 126 cohabiting or married couples from the general community; Study 2: 55 clinically distressed couples). Partners completed the Experiences in Close Relationships measure (Brennan, Clark, &; Shaver, 1998 Brennan , K. A. , Clark , C. L. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 1998 ). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview . In J. A. Simpson &; W. W. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46 – 76 ). New York : Guilford .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), the Caregiving Questionnaire (Kunce &; Shaver, 1994 Kunce , L. J. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 1994 ). An attachment-theoretical approach to caregiving in romantic relationships . In K. Bartholomew &; D. Perlman (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships (pp. 205 – 237 ). London : Kingsley . [Google Scholar]), and the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (Lawrance &; Byers, 1998 Lawrance , K. , &; Byers , E. S. ( 1998 ). Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire . In C. M. Davis , W. L. Yarber , R. Bauserman , G. Schreer &; S. L. Davis (Eds.), Sexuality-related measures: A compendium (pp. 514 – 519 ). Thousand Oaks , CA : Sage . [Google Scholar]). Path analyses based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) revealed that caregiving proximity mediated the association between low attachment avoidance and partners’ sexual satisfaction in distressed and nondistressed couples. Sensitivity mediated this association in nondistressed couples only. Control mediated the association between men's insecurities (attachment-related avoidance and anxiety) and their partners’ low sexual satisfaction in nondistressed couples. Attachment anxiety predicted compulsive caregiving, but this caregiving dimension was not a significant mediator. These results are discussed in light of attachment theory and their implications for treating distressed couples.     

Personalization,gender, and social media: gubernatorial candidates’ social media strategies

This study focuses on the ‘self-personalization’ of campaign politics, marked by candidates highlighting their personal lives over their policy positions. The rise of social media may be accelerating this shift. Applying Strategic Stereotype Theory [Fridkin, K. L., &; Kenney, P. J. (2014 Fridkin, K. L., &; Kenney, P. J. (2014). The changing face of representation: The gender of U.S. senators and constituent communications. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). The changing face of representation: The gender of U.S. senators and constituent communications. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.], which holds that women politicians try to deactivate stereotypes that associate men with agentic leadership traits while capitalizing on stereotypes that associate them with warmth, we assess what role gender plays in candidate self-personalization on social media. A large-scale computerized content analysis of social media posts by gubernatorial candidates in 2014 suggests that male candidates may see more and female candidates see less strategic benefits in personalizing, but this effect does not persist in the face of electoral contextual variables like competitiveness. We also find qualitative differences in the ways male versus female candidates personalize through social media.     

Somebody's Fetish: Self-Objectification and Body Satisfaction Among Consensual Sadomasochists

Considering that sexuality scholars claim consensual sadomasochists experience sexual objectification differently from the general population (Califia, 1994 Califia, P. (1994). Public sex: The culture of radical sex. Pittsburgh, PA: Cleis Press. [Google Scholar]; Connell, 2002 Connell, R. W. (2002). Gender. Malden, MA: Blackwell. [Google Scholar]; Nussbaum, 1995 Nussbaum, M. C. (1995). Objectification. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 24(4), 249–291. doi:10.1111/j.1088-4963.1995.tb00032.x[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), this study explored self-objectification (Fredrickson &; Roberts, 1997 Fredrickson, B. L. &; Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and body satisfaction among 121 self-identified consensual sadomasochists, 67 of whom also self-identified as women. Participants responded to an online survey and reported their self-objectification, self-surveillance, body shame, and body satisfaction measures, along with their body mass index (BMI) and identification as dominant, submissive, or switch. The data revealed that the study participants’ differed greatly in their sexual objectification experiences according to their genders, sexual orientations, and sadomasochistic identities, suggesting that consensual sadomasochism offers participants an environment partially free of the negative consequences resulting from Western beauty ideals.     

Reply to Cameron et al.: Mistakes Were Made. Can They Be Corrected?

Cameron, Cameron, and Proctor (2017 Cameron, P., Cameron, K. M., &; Proctor, K. (2017). Children of homosexuals more apt to become homosexual and experience parental molestation: Surveys over three decades. Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 429–433. doi:10.1080/01494929.2017.1279942[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) have complained that Cameron and Cameron (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) were not cited in some articles authored by this journal’s editor. As part of this editor’s policy of welcoming critiques of the editor or articles published in Marriage &; Family Review, we are pleased to respond, as part of an assignment for a graduate course in statistics and research design. Although remarkable for its time in terms of sample design, Cameron and Cameron’s (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) research featured substantial limitations or ambiguity in sampling attrition, measurement of parental sexual orientation, and small sample size with respect to the number of children with same-sex parents. Although we cannot recall the exact reasons for which the editor neglected to cite Cameron and Cameron (1996 Cameron, P., &; Cameron, K. (1996). Homosexual parents. Adolescence, 31, 757–776.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in more frequency or detail, there were many scientifically reasonable possibilities. Cameron et al. (2017 Cameron, P., Cameron, K. M., &; Proctor, K. (2017). Children of homosexuals more apt to become homosexual and experience parental molestation: Surveys over three decades. Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 429–433. doi:10.1080/01494929.2017.1279942[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) are welcome to respond in detail to our concerns.     

Part I: A Review of the Literature on Multisystemic Treatment Within an Evidence-based Framework: Implications for Working With Culturally Diverse Families and Children

One key step in the evidence-based practice process directs practitioners to pose client-oriented, practical, evidence-search questions (COPES), seeking the truth about what will help their client (Gibbs, 2003 Gibbs , L. ( 2003 ). Evidence-based practice for the helping professions ; Pacific Grove , CA : Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning . [Google Scholar]) and inform policy (Gambrill, 2006) and not to take a “one method fits all” position. Literature focusing on providing services to minority children and families in the child welfare system strongly supports this approach (Cohen, 2000 Cohen , N. ( 2000 ). Child welfare: A multicultural focus ; Needham Heights , MA : Allyn &; Bacon . [Google Scholar]; Lum, 2004 Lum , D. ( 2004 ). Social work practice and people of color: A process-stage approach ; Boston : Brooks/Cole . [Google Scholar]; Samantrai, 2004 Samantrai , K. ( 2004 ) . Culturally competent public child welfare practice . Belmont , CA : Brooks/Cole-Thompson Learning . [Google Scholar]). This article poses an effectiveness question, locates and evaluates existing evidence, and then presents implications for working with families and children from diverse backgrounds. The effectiveness question posed is, “If families and children from diverse populations experiencing mental health problems receive Multisystemic Therapy, will they have similar outcomes across race and ethnicity?”     

On Social Capital and Diversity in a Feminized Industry: Further Developing a Theory of Internal Public Relations

Women's work relationships with other women in public relations management settings provide context for further developing Kennan and Hazleton's (2006 Kennan , W. R. , & Hazleton , V. ( 2006 ). Internal public relations, social capital, and the role of effective organizational communication . In C. H. Botan and V. Hazleton (Eds.) Public relations theory II (pp. 311 – 338 ). Mahwah , NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . [Google Scholar]) conception of internal public relations (IPR) theory. To date, undertheorized in the public relations literature are intra-management relationships, social capital-diversity links, and connections between practitioners’ day-do-day lives and organizational contexts. Interviewed were 42 senior-level female public relations managers (African American, Asian American, Caucasian, and Hispanic) whose experiences reveal outcomes of woman/woman dyad work relationships over the past 5 decades and ways these may impact IPR in feminized industries. Explication of IPR theory and suggestions for further development are offered.     

An Exploratory Analysis of Executive Functioning for Female Sexual Offenders: A Comparison of Characteristics Across Offense Typologies

This study examined the association between female sexual offending behavioral patterns, as delineated by Sandler and Freeman's (2007 Sandler, J. C. and Freeman, N. J. 2007. Typology of female sex offenders: A test of Vandiver and Kercher. Sex Abuse, 19: 73–89. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) typologies, and executive functioning. The sample included all referrals for sexual offender assessments within a women's maximum/medium security prison between January 2009 and October 2009. Each subject was administered the Stroop (Golden & Freshwater, 2002 Golden, C. J. and Freshwater, S. M. 2002. The Stroop color and word test: A manual for clinical and experimental uses, Wood Dale, IL: Stoelting Company.  [Google Scholar]) and Trail Making Test (Reitan, 2004 Reitan, R. M. 2004. “Validity of the trail making test as an indicator of organic brain damage”. In Neuropsychological assessment, 4th, Edited by: Lezak, M. D., Howison, D. B. and Loring, D. W. 371–374. New York: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) and were assigned to a typological category. Nonparametric analyses were conducted to determine if there was an association between typology and performance on neuropsychological tests. Results yielded no significant associations between test scores and typological category. Subjects displayed average capacities for a subset of executive functions, suggesting that the mechanisms for sexually offending behavior in females may differ from males.     

MAKING OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE,MAKING STANDPOINT: A JOURNEY INTO GLORIA ANZALDÚA'S BORDERLANDS

ABSTRACT

The theory of oppositional culture, as discussed by Bonnie Mitchell and Joe Feagin (1995 Mitchell , Bonnie L. and Feagin Joe R. 1995 . “ America's Racial-Ethnic Cultures: Opposition within a Mythical Melting Pot .” Pp. 65 – 86 in Toward the Multicultural University , edited by B. Bowser , B. Bowser , T. Jones and G.A. Young . Westport , CT : Praeger . [Google Scholar]), suggests that African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans draw on their own cultural resources to resist domination. Patricia Hill Collins suggests that Black women develop a unique vision of the social world based on their position within a matrix of domination that organizes intersecting oppressions of race, class, and gender, among others. Expression of this unique vision or standpoint, however, is rendered problematic within a matrix of domination organized via four domains of power—the structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal (Collins 2000 Collins , Patricia . 2000 . Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, , 2nd edition . New York : Routledge . [Google Scholar]). This article suggests that Gloria Anzaldúa's writing—her storytelling, narratives, and poetry—is a significant form of oppositional culture and contributes to the achievement of a Chicana feminist standpoint within a matrix of domination as Anzaldúa shares tales of living in the borderlands. The paper provides a brief analysis of Anzaldúa's Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987).     

Researchers Deserve a Better Critique: Response to Larzelere,Gunnoe, Roberts,and Ferguson (2017)

This commentary addresses the critique by Larzelere, Gunnoe, Roberts, and Ferguson (2017 Larzelere, R. E., Gunnoe, M. L., Roberts, M. W., &; Ferguson, C. J. (2017). Children and parents deserve better parental discipline research: Critiquing the evidence for exclusively “positive” parenting. Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 24–35. doi:10.1080/01494929.2016.1145613[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]: Marriage &; Family Review, 53, 24–35) ostensibly concerning the quality of research on “positive parenting” but actually critiquing physical punishment research. The critique revealed that the authors have a poor understanding of positive parenting. After explicating the different meanings of that term and describing what positive parenting is, we then address each of their four critiques of the physical punishment research. Each critique was flawed in multiple ways. After identifying their errors and correcting misinformation, we then raise broader issues about children’s right not to be hit and how professional organizations are increasingly recognizing the need and calling for an end to all physical punishment of children.     

Sexual Esteem in Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Sexual Behavior,Contraception Use,and Romantic Relationships

Sexual esteem is an integral psychological aspect of sexual health (Snell &; Papini, 1989 Snell, W. E. Jr., &; Papini, D. R. (1989). The Sexuality Scale: An instrument to measure sexual‐esteem, sexual‐depression, and sexual‐preoccupation. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 256–263. doi:10.1080/00224498909551510[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), yet it is unclear whether sexual esteem is associated with sexual health behavior among heterosexual men and women. The current analysis used a normative framework for sexual development (Lefkowitz &; Gillen, 2006 Lefkowitz, E. S., &; Gillen, M. M. (2006). “Sex is just a normal part of life”: Sexuality in emerging adulthood. In J. J. Arnett &; J. L. Tanner (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 235–256). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Tolman &; McClelland, 2011 Tolman, D. L., &; McClelland, S. I. (2011). Normative sexuality development in adolescence: A decade in review, 2000–2009. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21, 242–255. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00726.x[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) by examining the association of sexual esteem with sexual behavior, contraception use, and romantic relationship characteristics. Participants (N = 518; 56.0% female; mean age = 20.43 years; 26.8% identified as Hispanic/Latino; among non-Hispanic/Latinos, 27.2% of the full sample identified as European American, 22.4% Asian American, 14.9% African American, and 8.7% multiracial) completed Web-based surveys at a large Northeastern university. Participants who had oral sex more frequently, recently had more oral and penetrative sex partners (particularly for male participants), and spent more college semesters in romantic relationships tended to have higher sexual esteem than those who had sex less frequently, with fewer partners, or spent more semesters without romantic partners. Sexually active male emerging adults who never used contraception during recent penetrative sex tended to have higher sexual esteem than those who did use it, whereas female emerging adults who never used contraception tended to have lower sexual esteem than those who did use it. Implications of these results for the development of a healthy sexual self-concept in emerging adulthood are discussed.     

Religiosity as a Potential Moderator of the Effects of R-rated Movies on Delinquency

Previous research suggests viewing R-rated movies is associated with delinquency (Tanski et al. 2010 Tanski , Susanne E. , Sonya Dal Cin , Mike Stoolmiller , and James D. Sargent . 2010. “Parental R-Rated Movie Restriction and Early-Onset Alcohol Use.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 71(3):452–460.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Titus-Ernstoff et al. 2008 Titus-Ernstoff , L. , M. A. Dalton , A. M. Adachi-Mejia , M. R. Longacre , and M. L. Beach . 2008 . “Longitudinal Study of Viewing Smoking in Movies and Initiation of Smoking by Children.” Pediatrics 121 : 15 – 21 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), while religiosity leads to decreases in substance use (Jang and Johnson 2001 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2001 . “Neighborhood Disorder, Individual Religiosity, and Adolescent Use of Illicit Drugs: A Test of Multilevel Hypotheses.” Criminology 39 ( 1 ): 109 – 144 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Kovacs, Piko, and Fitzpatrick 2011 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2011 . “The Effects of Childhood Exposure to Drug Users and Religion on Drug Use in Adolescence and Young Adulthood.” Youth and Society 43 : 1220 – 1245 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Miller 1998 Miller , W. 1998 . “Researching the Spiritual Dimensions of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems.” Addiction 93 : 979 – 990 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Regnerus 2003 Regnerus , Mark D. 2003 . “Moral Communities and Adolescent Delinquency: Religious Contexts and Community Social Control.” Sociological Quarterly 44 : 523 – 554 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, the influences of religiosity and viewing R-rated movies have not been examined in conjunction. This article tests whether religiosity moderates the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, results suggesting that rather than religiosity moderating the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, viewing R-rated movies actually tempers the pro-social effects of religiosity. This finding only held true for certain types of substance abuse, and not activity-based forms of delinquency such as fighting. The results are discussed in light of their implications for the current study of the effects of religiosity on delinquency, and suggestions are made for future research on the relationship between viewing R-rated movies and delinquency.     

Beyond Pensions: A Radical Systems-Based Transformation of Present-Future Choice

Aging populations worldwide, fiscal deficits, growing sovereign debt, and slowing economies have combined to create and exacerbate what is widely known as the “pension crisis”, characterized by poverty among the elderly substantially due to inadequate retirement income. We argue that the roots of the crisis go much deeper than “pensions”, and involve a long-term secular shift from saving and capital formation to consumption, in the West. Cosmetic “solutions” to the pension crisis, such as delaying the retirement age, are ineffective. The “pension crisis” label itself impedes clear thinking about developing an effective and affordable solution. The core of the problem is the fact that present-future choice tilted to “present”, in the West, for decades. Higher saving, over a longer time horizon, invested at higher average returns, is the ultimate goal, and only one that offers true long-term transformative change. We propose an original, radical, systemic solution, based on an evolutionary social transformation¹1 ‘Evolution has achieved an extraordinary record of design, yet has taken an extremely long period of time to do so’?…?‘The exponentially quickening pace of the evolution of human-created technology, which picked up the pace from the evolution of life-forms’. (Kurzweil, 1999 Kurzweil, R. 1999. The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. New York: Viking. [Google Scholar]) of present-future choice toward increased saving; a proposal that addresses the roots of the pension crisis, not just the symptoms.²2 This paper is based in part on a longer study, Gerstenhaber et al., 2015 Gerstenhaber, M., Maital, S. & Buchnik, T. 2015. The Carob Tree: A Radical Evolutionary Systemic Solution to the Pension Crisis. Haifa, Israel: S. Neaman Institute, Technion. [Google Scholar]; an earlier version of the pension reform proposal outlined below can be found in Passig and Gerstenhaber (2014) Passig, D. & Gerstenhaber, M. 2014. A Possible Pension-savings Paradigm for a Sustainable Future: A Developed Country Case Study (UK). Journal of Organisational Transformation & Social Change, 11(3): 207–229. doi: 10.1179/1477963314Z.00000000030[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] and Gerstenhaber (2009) Gerstenhaber, M. 2009. Have You Ever Seen a Retired Tiger in the Jungle? Eradicating Pensioner Poverty: A Manifesto for Democratic and Responsible Capitalism. London: Ruscombe Press. [Google Scholar]. We contend that an effective pension allocation and accumulation system is a stable force for economic growth over time — but only when these significant capital investments are made directly in the real economy and take account of appropriate technological innovation. At the moment the bulk of global investment capital in the West is directed to short-term speculative activity in various financial markets, opportunistically taking advantage of historically low borrowing rates. We provide a macroeconomic simulation of our proposal, should it be adopted, comparing no-change and radical-change scenarios for the Israel economy, and urge scholars to carry out similar projections and analyses for individual OECD countries. We next show how an increase in national saving and capital formation can contribute to “rebalancing” the global economy, between low-saving Western nations and high-saving Asian ones. Finally, we outline our “four pillar” radical proposal, which leverages persistent long-run saving and investment, and illustrate its impact with some macroeconomic projections for Israel, comparing two scenarios, one with low national saving, the second with increased national saving. An achievable increase in the national saving rate, implemented through the tax system and accompanied by intelligent capital formation, can have enormous impact, it is shown, not only on elderly poverty but on society as a whole. In our plan, lower consumption demand through higher savings, is offset by higher capital formation, which has a larger employment and GDP multiplier.     

Perceptions and Use of Gerotechnology: Implications for Aging in Place

ABSTRACT

Understanding perceptions and use of gerotechnology is crucial to optimize design, application, and education strategies that may reduce caregiver burden, extend healthy aging in place, and minimize demands on the health care system. A pilot project was conducted to explore attitudes, opinions, and preferences of older adults concerning the use of technology to support and extend their ability to “aging in place.” Four major themes emerged as important for older adults to age in place: safety and independence, social interaction, use of technology in the past, and the desire for support. Based on the literature in gerotechnology and the pilot study findings, we present a conceptual model that integrates gerotechnology into the life span theory of control (Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995 Heckhausen, J. and Schulz, R. 1995. A life-span theory of control. Psychological Review, 102(2): 284–304. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Schulz & Heckhausen, 1996 Schulz, R. and Heckhausen, J. 1996. A life span model of successful aging. American Psychologist, 51(7): 702–714. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and the concept of aging in place.