Attraction and Relationships: Discussion Questions

Group 1: Bridget, Kellee, Kristen

Group 2: Matt, Chris, Travis

Group 3: Sandi, Kaci, Leslie

Group 4: Alexa, Victoria, Melissa

Group 5: Jolene, Ginger, Shalene

Bryan et al.: “The impact of males proposing condoms on perceptions of an initial sexual encounter”

1. Although the research did not include a female proposer condition, speculate on the results from such a comparison and how female participants' views might differ toward the female proposer.

2. How could the results of this study be incoporated into an information campaign promoting condom use? Who would be the target audience - males, females, both? What parts of the study might discourage males and females from using condoms?

3. The authors suggest that interventions designed to increase condom use should focus on emphasizing the positive aspects of proposing condum use. Given the results from the study, how might you design a PMT-based intervention where threat level is manipluated and the positive aspects of proposing condom use are highlighted?

4. Is it realistic to expect that results would generalize to older individuals of the same demographic characteristics? Could increased sexual experience that likely accompanies increased age influence the results in any way?

Rusbult et al.: “Impact of couple patterns of problem solving on distress and nondistress in dating relationships”

5. In the Rusbult et al. study, do you think that social roles affected the results? Would the results would be different if this study was conducted today?

6. Females tended to engage in higher levels of constructive conflict resolution (voice and loyalty), which may be due to socialization. Might these trends change with the increasing levels of androgeny among the population (rather than traditional masculainity and femininity)?

7. How might the gender differences in problem solving strategies found in Rusbult et al. (1986) differ when examining close relationships of the same gender (i.e., close friends, siblings, same-sex couples)? In other words, would males and females still have the same tendencies toward engaging in voice, loyalty, and neglect?

8. Based on these results, what recommendations/exercises can a couples therapist implement to help repair troubled relationships?

Barnett & Hyde: “Women, men, work, and family: An expansionist theory”

9. The authors state that all of the empirical research that forms the foundation for the theory is based on a Caucasian American sample and that further research is needed to assess if the results are generalizable to African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Do you think the results would be generalizable? Why or why not?

10. I was struck by how many changes have occurred in gender research in such a short time. But clinically, I have noticed increased distress among men trying to adhere to rigid gender-roles. Although women have been successfully broadening their gender identity (that is, closer in line with traditionally male-dominated findings), and though gender differences appear to be diminishing, some men report suffering from some sort of backlash. Many men in my generation are coping with being stay-at-home fathers or earning the lesser income in a two-income family, and they have voiced concern over their value and perceived masculinity in society. By broadening our notion of femininity, are we narrowing (or keeping static) masculinity?

11. What issues related to multiple roles might a client in our clinic present? Based on the article, what would you want to assess before dealing with the situation?

Hyde: The gender similarities hypthesis"

12. Findings from the meta-analysis indicate that there are no significant differences in self-esteem among males and females. However, we hear so frequently about self-esteem issues in females and higher levels of depression in females. Why might the results have shown equal self-esteem levels? Specifically, are there other factors or personality characteristics to take into account? Potential age differences?

13. Hyde presents evidence that there are far more similarities than differences between males and females, even though our tendency (both professionally and through mass media) is to focus on the differences. Are there other populations with which we emphasize differences even though prevailing evidence tells us that they are more similar than different? Why might we have a tendency to focus on discrepancies rather than similarities?

14. What to do think has led to the success of books such as John Gray’s Men and from Mars, Women are from Venus?

15. Given the results of Hyde’s meta-analysis, what techniques might therapists use in relationship conflicts to dispel the firmly held beliefs of gender differences? Would dispelling these beliefs be beneficial in all instances?