Using Scenarios for Measuring the Affective and Behavioral Components of Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men: Validation of the SABA Scale.

Attitude-change research requires sound attitude measures adequately predicting behavior. Most existing attitude measures focus on the cognitive (and some on the affective) attitude component (while neglecting the behavioral component). The present research introduces the SABA, a brief scale that consists of Scenarios measuring the Affective and Behavioral components of Attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. In two studies with student and non-student samples (n1 = 66, n2 = 202), we developed a 25-item scale and reduced it by performing exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded two factors (affective and behavioral) for each version (SABA-L for attitudes toward lesbians, SABA-G for attitudes toward gay men). The reduced scales each contained five scenarios showing good reliability. High convergent validity and discriminant validity were shown using explicit and implicit attitude measures in a multitrait-multimethod analysis. Further, SABA scores correlated with the Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS) and the Attitudes Toward Lesbians (ATL) and Gay Men Scale (ATG), but-as predicted-not with social anxiety and the Homopositivity Scale. The SABA's criterion and incremental validity were demonstrated in predicting attitude-related behavior better than the MHS. SABA scores showed established associations and differences in antigay attitudes based on age, religiousness, male role norms, authoritarianism, openness (SABA-G only), and sexual orientation, confirming (known-group) validity. Further, the SABA correlated less with the motivation to act without prejudice than the MHS, the ATL, and the ATG. Thus, outperforming existing attitude scales, the SABA appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument to measure attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.

A brief diversity training: Raising awareness of ingroup privilege to improve attitudes towards disadvantaged outgroups.

Diversity training is a popular strategy to reduce prejudice within educational settings. However, in practice, diversity training rarely relies on social-psychological theory, and research on its effectiveness in real-world settings is scarce. Previous research regarding diversity training has particularly neglected an important theoretical concept: privilege as the counterpart of discrimination. Therefore, we developed a diversity training aiming to increase awareness of ingroup privilege, using an intersectional approach to teach participants the complex interaction between privilege and oppression. We randomly allocated students of educational science (N = 112) to a repeated-measures (pre-test, post-test, follow-up) control-group design. Compared with the control group, training participants showed a significant increase in awareness of ingroup privilege 1 week after the training, whereas there was no change in awareness of discrimination. Furthermore, increased awareness of ingroup privilege 1 week after the training mediated improved outgroup attitudes (i.e., more positive outgroup feelings towards immigrants and refugees, reduced subtle prejudice towards immigrants and reduced homonegativity) 2 weeks after the training.

Same-gender distractors are not so easy to reject: ERP evidence of gender categorization.

Social categorization appears to be an automatic process that occurs during person perception. Understanding social categorization better is important because mere categorization can lead to stereotype activation and, in turn, to discrimination. In the present study we used a novel approach to examine event-related potentials (ERPs) of gender categorization in the "Who said what?" memory paradigm, thus allowing for a more in-depth understanding of the specific mechanisms underlying identity versus categorization processing. After observing video clips showing a "discussion" among female and male targets, participants were shown individual statements, each accompanied by one of the discussants' faces. While we measured ERPs, participants had to decide whether or not a given statement had previously been made by the person with the accompanying face. In same-person trials, statements were paired with the correct person, whereas in the distractor trials, either a same-gender or a different-gender distractor was shown. As expected, participants were able to reject different-gender distractors faster than same-gender distractors, and they were more likely to falsely choose yes for a same-gender than for a different-gender distractor. Both findings indicate gender-based categorization. ERPs, analyzed in a 300- to 400-ms time window at occipito-temporal channels, indicated more negative amplitudes for yes responses both for the same person and for same-gender distractors, relative to different-gender distractors. Overall, these results show gender-based categorization even when the task was to assess the identifying information in a gender-neutral context. These findings are interpreted as showing that gender categorization occurs automatically during person perception, but later than race- or age-based categorization.

The effects of enactment and intention accessibility on prospective memory performance.

The intention-superiority effect denotes faster response latencies to stimuli linked with a prospective memory task compared to stimuli linked with no prospective task or with a cancelled task. It is generally assumed that the increased accessibility of intention-related materials contributes to successful execution of prospective memory tasks at an appropriate opportunity. In two experiments we investigated the relationship between the intention-superiority effect and actual prospective memory performance under relatively realistic conditions. We also manipulated enactment versus observation encoding to further investigate the similarity in representations of enacted and to-be-enacted tasks. Additionally, Experiment 1 included a control condition to investigate the development of the intention-superiority effect over time. Participants were asked to perform prospective tasks at the end of the experiment to prepare the room for the next participant. They studied these preparatory tasks at the beginning of the experiment either by enacting them themselves or by observing the experimenter perform them. In Experiment 2, participants in a control condition did not intend to perform prospective tasks. We observed a smaller intention-superiority effect after enactment encoding than after observation encoding, but only if response latencies were assessed immediately before the prospective memory task. In addition, Experiment 2 suggested that the size of the intention-superiority effect is related to successful prospective memory performance, thus providing evidence for a functional relationship between accessibility and memory.

Cochlear implantation in patients with definite Meniere's disease.

The exact pathomechanism of deafening in Meniere's disease (MD) is still unknown; intoxication of hair cells and neural damage from endolymphatic hydrops is discussed. In the literature, there are only a few reports on hearing outcome of MD patients after treatment with cochlear implantation (CI) whereby especially the comparison of MD vs. non-MD patients with CI differs. In this retrospective study, results in speech understanding [Freiburger Einsilber (FES65) and Hochmair-Schulz-Moser test in quiet (HSM) and in noise (HSM + 10 dB)] of 27 implanted MD patients were collected and compared to a matched standard CI cohort. Alternative diagnoses were excluded as far as possible by re-analyzing neuroradiologic imaging. After first fitting, MD patients showed significantly better results in FES and HSM testing compared to controls. At 1-year refitting, this effect could not be seen anymore. To conclude, cochlear implantation is a safe and effective treatment for deafness in MD patients. Results in speech understanding are at least equal compared to general CI recipients. To the best of our knowledge, this retrospective study examined the largest collective of CI users deafened by MD so far.

Acoustic correlates of sexual orientation and gender-role self-concept in women's speech.

Compared to studies of male speakers, relatively few studies have investigated acoustic correlates of sexual orientation in women. The present investigation focuses on shedding more light on intra-group variability in lesbians and straight women by using a fine-grained analysis of sexual orientation and collecting data on psychological characteristics (e.g., gender-role self-concept). For a large-scale women's sample (overall n = 108), recordings of spontaneous and read speech were analyzed for median fundamental frequency and acoustic vowel space features. Two studies showed no acoustic differences between lesbians and straight women, but there was evidence of acoustic differences within sexual orientation groups. Intra-group variability in median f0 was found to depend on the exclusivity of sexual orientation; F1 and F2 in /iː/ (study 1) and median f0 (study 2) were acoustic correlates of gender-role self-concept, at least for lesbians. Other psychological characteristics (e.g., sexual orientation of female friends) were also reflected in lesbians' speech. Findings suggest that acoustic features indexicalizing sexual orientation can only be successfully interpreted in combination with a fine-grained analysis of psychological characteristics.

Ironic Effects of Sexual Minority Group Membership: Are Lesbians Less Susceptible to Invoking Negative Female Stereotypes than Heterosexual Women?

The traditional stereotype of the typical woman has been described as "nice, but incompetent." However, such general gender stereotypes are applied to individual targets only under certain conditions: They are used to "fill in the blanks" (Heilman, 2012) if little personal information is provided about a target. "Typical lesbians" are regarded to have more typically masculine (agentic) characteristics such as task competence than the typical woman does. We thus hypothesized that if a woman displays behavior coinciding with the stereotype of the typical woman, it is more readily interpreted as stereotypically female if performed by a heterosexual woman than by a lesbian. Participants (N = 296) read a hypothetical job interview in which we manipulated the target's sexual orientation (between subjects). Findings demonstrated that a lesbian was judged as more competent than a heterosexual woman in the presence of behavior that may be interpreted as gender-stereotypical (Experiments 1 and 2). This difference in competence judgments was not found in the absence of gender-stereotypical behavior (Experiment 1). Judging the heterosexual woman as low in masculinity was related to a judgment of lower competence (Experiment 2). Our findings demonstrate that there are conditions under which lesbians, a group often stereotyped negatively, are less susceptible to invoking negative female stereotypes than heterosexual women are.

Predictors of expectant fathers' parental leave-taking intentions before birth: masculinity, fatherhood beliefs, and social support.

Despite continuing progress, men remain underrepresented in childcare, domestic labor, and other care work. Because parental leave is discussed as a gateway to increasing men's childcare engagement, we aimed to gain insights into predictors of men's parental leave-taking intentions during the transition to parenthood. Using outcomes on a continuum from behavioral preferences to more behavior-oriented measures, we examine how masculinity and fatherhood beliefs as well as social support become relevant during men's formation of their leave-taking intentions. Planned analyses of data collected from 143 expectant fathers in Belgium and Germany revealed that the support men perceive from their partners for taking leave predicts their parental leave-taking desire, intention, and planned length of leave. Moreover, men's conception of a prototypical man, especially in terms of agency, was linked to their desire to take leave. Against expectations, father role attitudes and workplace support did not emerge as relevant predictors of men's intended leave-taking. Results of exploratory analyses suggest that care engagement of peers, expected backlash, and self-efficacy beliefs additionally play a role in men's intended leave-taking. We discuss parental leave as a negotiation process within couples and review the role of men's normative environment for their intended leave-taking.

Gaining masculine power through guns? The impact of masculinity threat on attitudes toward guns.

Gun violence is a serious problem in the United States and elsewhere and more so among men than women. We conducted an experiment to examine if men whose masculinity was threatened are more attracted to guns than non-threatened men, presumably to compensate for the threat. After completing a gender knowledge test, men (N = 168) randomly received either false masculinity threatening (experimental condition) or masculinity affirming (control condition) feedback. Subsequently, we measured men's attitudes toward guns and their choice of a gun-range voucher. Men whose masculinity was threatened (vs. affirmed) showed more positive attitudes toward guns and were more likely to choose the voucher. Both effects were statistically significant when the whole sample was analyzed and when very strict exclusion criteria were applied. However, when data exclusions were based on a suspicion check, effects were statistically significant only when a covariate was included (i.e., social dominance orientation, patriotism, or experience with guns). We discuss reasons for this mixed evidence, including the possibility that suspicion regarding the masculinity feedback could itself be a compensatory reaction to threat.

Did Descriptive and Prescriptive Norms About Gender Equality at Home Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-National Investigation.

Using data from 15 countries, this article investigates whether descriptive and prescriptive gender norms concerning housework and child care (domestic work) changed after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a total of 8,343 participants (M = 19.95, SD = 1.68) from two comparable student samples suggest that descriptive norms about unpaid domestic work have been affected by the pandemic, with individuals seeing mothers' relative to fathers' share of housework and child care as even larger. Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of the pandemic on descriptive norms about child care decreased with countries' increasing levels of gender equality; countries with stronger gender inequality showed a larger difference between pre- and post-pandemic. This study documents a shift in descriptive norms and discusses implications for gender equality-emphasizing the importance of addressing the additional challenges that mothers face during health-related crises.

Characterization of insulin resistance in young adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: An increased prevalence of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular (CV) disease has been reported in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)/non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cancer survivors. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the determinants of insulin resistance (IR) observed in this population, according to the treatment received. METHODS: Ninety one patients (45 men, mean age: 24 ± 5 years; mean follow-up: 15 ± 5 years) previously treated for a childhood ALL (n = 76) or NHL (n = 15) were grouped according to their previous treatment: chemotherapy only (Group I; n = 43), chemotherapy + cranial irradiation (CI) (Group II; n = 32) and chemotherapy + bone marrow transplant (BMT)/total body irradiation (TBI) (Group III, n = 16). RESULTS: A high prevalence of IR (HOMA-S < 60%) was observed in the BMT/TBI group (88%) compared to groups I (9%) and II (16%). The IR patients from groups [I+II] (12% of these groups) showed higher BMI, fat mass (FM) and visceral fat when compared with the non-IR patients. In contrast, the IR patients from group III had mean BMI and total FM similar to those of non-IR patients but showed a reduction of lean body mass and an increase in the relative proportion of trunk FM similar to the IR patients from groups [I + II]. This was associated with an altered lipid profile, high TNF-α and IL-6 levels, and reduced adiponectin levels compared to IR patients from group [I + II] and non-IR patients. CONCLUSION: Childhood ALL/NHL survivors treated by BMT/TBI frequently develop severe insulin resistance associated with peripheral-to-central fat redistribution, rather than increased total FM, and low adiponectin levels which may contribute to their increased CV risk.

Active route learning in virtual environments: disentangling movement control from intention, instruction specificity, and navigation control.

Active navigation research examines how physiological and psychological involvement in navigation benefits spatial learning. However, existing conceptualizations of active navigation comprise separable, distinct factors. This research disentangles the contributions of movement control (i.e., self-contained vs. observed movement) as a central factor from learning intention (Experiment 1), instruction specificity and instruction control (Experiment 2), as well as navigation control (Experiment 3) to spatial learning in virtual environments. We tested the effects of these factors on landmark recognition (landmark knowledge), tour-integration and route navigation (route knowledge). Our findings suggest that movement control leads to robust advantages in landmark knowledge as compared to observed movement. Advantages in route knowledge do not depend on learning intention, but on the need to elaborate spatial information. Whenever the necessary level of elaboration is assured for observed movement, too, the development of route knowledge is not inferior to that for self-contained movement.

Tuned for the future: intentions are only accessible when a retrieval opportunity is near.

The intention-superiority effect describes faster reaction times for stimuli related to an intention than for more neutral material during the retention interval. Some authors have interpreted the effect in terms of a more persistent activation of intention-related material. However, typically participants are instructed to realize the intention immediately after completing the task in which reaction times are assessed (e.g., a recognition task) in order to yield the intention-superiority effect. Thus, the reaction-time task is also associated with a retrieval context. We tested whether the proximity of a retrieval opportunity affects the intention-superiority effect by manipulating whether or not a recognition task indicated a retrieval opportunity. We observed an intention-superiority effect only if the task itself was a meaningful cue for a near retrieval opportunity. This finding indicates that even short-term-delayed intentions flexibly become more or less accessible, depending on the proximity of a retrieval opportunity. We further demonstrated that the intention-superiority effect is not restricted to motor tasks, but is also found for monitoring tasks when the task realization has personally relevant consequences (replicating Schult & Steffens, Memory & Cognition, 39, 1487-1495, 2011).

Patient Preferences for Long-Term Implant Care in Cochlear, Glaucoma and Cardiovascular Diseases.

In the process of developing and implementing innovative implant technologies the consideration of patient preferences can be beneficial for patients, doctors and developers. Nevertheless, in existing literature, there is still scarce knowledge of patients' perspectives on long-term implant care. In this study, three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) were conducted in the context of cochlear implants (CI, n = 92), glaucoma implants (GI, n = 21) and cardiovascular implants (CVI, n = 23), examining the relative importance of attributes of long-term implant care from the patients' perspective. The participants chose between differently shaped options for implant-related care. The attributes of these care options were generated and selected based on previous literature reviews, group discussions and a diary study with patients. The choice data were analyzed via binary logit regression. In CI-DCE, the technological compatibility of the implant with newer implant models, accessories or devices from other manufacturers was highly valued by participants, whereas in GI-DCE the (in)dependency on glaucoma medication post-implantation had the greatest influence on participants' choice behavior. In CVI-DCE, the attribute with the highest relative importance related to the means of securing long-term treatment success. In all three DCE, shared decision making was relatively important for participants. Our results emphasized the importance of an adequate transfer of technological advancements in implant care for promoting patient benefits, such as the availability of comprehensible, understandable, high-quality information about current developments. Similarly, promoting technological health literacy and further pushing the technological compatibility, durability and safety of implants are directions for future implant development in accordance with patients' preferences. Therefore, the participation of implant wearers in the development process is encouraged.

Racism in Europe: Characteristics and Intersections With Other Social Categories.

Concerning race and its intertwinements with gender, sexual orientation, class, accents, or ability there is a scarcity of social psychological research in Europe. With an intersectional approach studying racism in Europe it is possible to detect specific experiences of discrimination. The prevalent understanding of European racism is connected to migration from the former colonies to the European metropoles and the post-Second-World-War immigration of 'guest workers.' Thus, the focus of this research is on work-related discrimination. Against the background of a short historical review, we present the results of the few existing studies on intersectional discrimination within the labor market in Europe and discuss their implications. The pattern of findings is more complex than the assumption that individuals belonging to two or more marginalized social categories are always the most discriminated ones. Gender, sexual orientation, and origin rather interact with the specific job context. These interactions determine whether minority individuals are discriminated against or even preferred over individuals belonging to the majority group. We argue that considering the stereotype content model and social-identity theory helps to structure the sometimes contradictory results of intersectionality research. Therefore, the review presents new perspectives on racism in Europe based on current research, develops hypotheses on the interplay of intersecting identities, and identifies four novel research questions based on racist attributions considering situational variables: These are the role of concrete job contexts in explaining (no) discrimination, the influence of different stereotypes regarding marginalized groups, the explanatory value of sexual orientation as well as class or socioeconomic-status and age in terms of some patterns of results.

Reactions and Feelings to a Close Relative's Coming Out in a Heterosexual Relationship.

Which different feelings and reactions do different family members show if an adult family member who has long been perceived as heterosexual discloses their sexual identity as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)? Previous studies have investigated reactions of spouses and sometimes children in the United States. This article describes the findings of qualitative interviews and a German-language quantitative survey (N = 188) in which family members were asked about their emotions, experiences during the coming out process, and their use of support options. The samples were recruited via different LGB+ online forums and organizations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (age M = 44.08). The results demonstrate that a coming out after years of a heterosexual biography and family life affects adults' parents and siblings in addition to spouses and children. Siblings were perceived as a supportive group of family members showing calm and mostly positive reactions. Parents mainly reported surprise but also showed on the one hand interest in supporting their children in the coming out process; on the other hand, we find also evidence for negative reactions including rejecting behavior. Children's coping and well-being depended on the time that had passed since the coming out and their age at the time of the coming out. Spouses felt shocked, angry, and the ground was pulled from under their feet. Comparing the perspectives of these groups of family members, differences between them, and their specific needs are discussed. Practical implications are derived from the support options mentioned, and range from information from books, the internet to professional advice. Spouses report the need of diverse support options, whereas other family members ask friends and other family members for support. Forums, counseling and the possibility to exchange were perceived as a support but were more accessible for women than for men. They provide the chance for a communicative exchange before the stress becomes too strong.

Corrigendum: Potentiation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-induced protection of spiral ganglion neurons by C3 exoenzyme/Rho inhibitor.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.602897.].

Proteome profile of patients with excellent and poor speech intelligibility after cochlear implantation: Can perilymph proteins predict performance?

Modern proteomic analysis and reliable surgical access to gain liquid inner ear biopsies have enabled in depth molecular characterization of the cochlea microenvironment. In order to clarify whether the protein composition of the perilymph can provide new insights into individual hearing performance after cochlear implantation (CI), computational analysis in correlation to clinical performance after CI were performed based on the proteome profile derived from perilymph samples (liquid biopsies). Perilymph samples from cochlear implant recipients have been analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). The proteins were identified using the shot-gun proteomics method and quantified and analyzed using Max Quant, Perseus and IPA software. A total of 75 perilymph samples from 68 (adults and children) patients were included in the analysis. Speech perception data one year after implantation were available for 45 patients and these were used for subsequent analysis. According to their hearing performance, patients with excellent (n = 22) and poor (n = 14) performance one year after CI were identified and used for further analysis. The protein composition and statistically significant differences in the two groups were detected by relative quantification of the perilymph proteins. With this procedure, a selection of 287 proteins were identified in at least eight samples in both groups. In the perilymph of the patients with excellent and poor performance, five and six significantly elevated proteins were identified respectively. These proteins seem to be involved in different immunological processes in excellent and poor performer. Further analysis on the role of specific proteins as predictors for poor or excellent performance among CI recipients are mandatory. Combinatory analysis of molecular inner ear profiles and clinical performance data using bioinformatics analysis may open up new possibilities for patient stratification. The impact of such prediction algorithms on diagnosis and treatment needs to be established in further studies.

Interactive context integration in children? Evidence from an action memory study.

Action-object phrases (e.g., "lift the bottle") are remembered better if they have been enacted rather than learned verbally. This enactment effect is largest in free recall for phrases with objects (e.g., "bottle") present because these phrases can be interactively encoded with those context objects (interactive context integration) that serve as retrieval cues. The current study investigated whether 6- and 8-year-olds are already capable of interactive context integration. Experiment 1 demonstrated interactive context integration with 8-year-olds. This was hindered in a condition where attention was directed away from context objects. Experiment 2 demonstrated interactive context integration with 6-year-old kindergartners. Taken together, our findings show that even 6-year-olds are capable of incidental context integration through enactment and that this process is attention based.

On the representation of intentions: do personally relevant consequences determine activation?

The intention-superiority effect describes shorter latencies for reactions to stimuli intended for future enactment, relative to stimuli associated with no enactment or canceled enactment. Previous attempts to demonstrate an intention-superiority effect for other types of tasks--for instance, observing the experimenter executing actions--have not yielded an intention-superiority effect. A reason for this could be that the typical enactment task was associated with a higher degree of personal relevance than were other laboratory-based tasks and that task importance or its consequences heighten the accessibility of intention-relevant materials. In two experiments, we demonstrate an intention-superiority effect for different types of tasks (e.g., monitoring a video clip) when task realization has personally relevant consequences in terms of a performance evaluation. In contrast, we found no intention-superiority effect when future enactment had no personally relevant consequences for participants. These findings imply that the intention-superiority effect is not restricted to actions but occurs generally for relevant plans.