Carrie A. Lynn

To examine gender role attitudes among women, 146 female volunteers completed a survey packet containing one of two scenario conditions. The scenarios depicted a college age female as varying in degree of perceived traditionalism (traditional; non-traditional). The participants’ age group was controlled for as well (18-35; 36-54; 55+). Results showed that age was associated with positive evaluations of the traditional scenario and with views toward sexual expression. Attitudes toward sexual expression were associated with more traditional marriage views. The value of assessing age in relation to gender role beliefs is discussed.

Laureen A. Frost and Marian E. Gibson

Historically, in areas concerning mating and childbearing, research has promoted intelligence as the prominent choice for a child’s characteristics based on the ability to select male sperm. However, recent scientific breakthroughs have also allowed for selection of female ovum. Given society’s pre-occupation with beauty and its relation to success for females, it is unclear as to what extent offspring selection would be made on beauty alone. The objective of this study was to examine the extent that the physical attractiveness stereotype versus the desire for an intelligent offspring would influence the selection of a potential egg donor. Participants (n = 119), 59 men and 60 women, were randomly assigned to read one of four scenario conditions depicting a potential egg donor as varying in both attractiveness and intelligence. Next, they completed a variety of measures regarding personal history, gender role beliefs, body image, perfectionism level, and scenario-based questions. Results revealed that the participants did not make clear-cut choices. When assessing for beauty of a potential female child, the beautiful woman was chosen regardless of her intelligence level. Intelligence was not related to the production of a child when beauty was the measured trait. When rating for perceived intelligence of the child, both beauty and intelligence were significant factors in donor choice. Implications for egg donations and infertility are discussed.

Lynne Marie Maconochie, Diane M. MacPherson and Jessica Racca

Cohabitation is becoming an increasingly common stage in courtship, especially for college students. Two hundred college students, with a mean age of 20.23 years, participated in an examination of the perceptions of cohabitation among students in this age group. Men and women were equally represented and randomly assigned to read one of four scenario conditions, varying by the living situation prior to marriage and by the quality of the marital relationship. Results indicated that college students perceived couples who had cohabitated prior to marriage as happier when compared to couples who had not cohabitated prior to marriage. Although results revealed that participants gender did not effect their perceptions of the scenario couple’s level of commitment or happiness, it was found that participants with more favorable attitudes toward marriage perceived the scenario couples as happier, regardless of the quality of their relationship. Furthermore, the increase of non-traditional values as a causal factor of premarital cohabitation is discussed.

Tanya T. Cairns and Michelle M. Champagne

The present study was designed to examine attitudes toward public displays of affection based on the sexual orientation of the couples presented. Participants included 143 volunteers, over 50% were dating or married, 51% were men, and all were heterosexual. Participants were randomly assigned to reading one of three scenarios depicting a heterosexual, gay male, or lesbian couple engaging in an act of affection in a busy café. Results showed that participants who had more liberal attitudes toward sexual expression and those who engaged in public displays of affection themselves were more accepting of the public display of affection presented in the scenario. In addition, participants who had few or no gay contacts were more homophobic than those who had three or more contacts. Also, men were found to be more homophobic and had a more negative attitude towards same sex touching than women.

Andrea Niedbala and Kelly Mason

The purpose of this study was to investigate stereotypes that develop from weight and public eating habits. Female college students (n = 120) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. A scenario was read that depicted a female who was either underweight or overweight and consumed either a small or large amount of food; questions pertaining to the character immediately followed the scenario. In addition, participants completed scales related to body esteem, tendencies to hide the body, and eating restraints. Results indicated that the overweight female was perceived as having more negative personality traits and was seen as more likely to eat larger amounts in private. Results also suggested that the underweight female that ate a large amount of food and the overweight female that ate a small amount in public were both perceived as happy with their bodies.

The purpose of this study was to examine young adult perceptions of cross-sex friendships and to determine which elements of a platonic friendship may lead to development of an intimate, sexual affair between friends. A convenience sample of 149 college students (11% men, 89% women) from a New England college completed a survey assessing demographic information, intimacy between friends, relationship satisfaction, sexual attitudes, and perceptions of cross-sex friendships. The mean age of the participants was 24 years; approximately 54% were single; 7% were married; 40% were currently involved in a committed relationship. Participants were asked to read one of six scenarios depicting a relationship between cross-sex friends. After reading the scenario, they rated the likelihood of the characters crossing the platonic barrier and engaging in a sexual encounter. Data revealed that level of attraction was a factor in whether or not participants viewed the cross-sex friends as engaging in a sexual affair. Results also indicated that marital status did not play a part in whether participants believed cross-sex friends would engage in a sexual affair. The results further indicated that neither participants’ sexual attitudes nor their levels of intimacy and satisfaction in current relationships were related to their perceptions of the cross-sex friends and whether they would engage in a sexual affair. However, it was found that high satisfaction in relationships is positively associated with high reported intimacy in relationships. Additional self-report measures were also analyzed and results are discussed.

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