Gender Gaps in the Measurement of Public Opinion About Homosexuality in Cross-national Surveys: A Question-Wording Experiment

Measures of attitudes towards homosexuality in cross-national studies have received criticism for not being ‘gender-sensitive’. The current study used a split-ballot design allowing for separate analyses of the attitudes towards ‘gay men and lesbian women’, ‘gay men’, and ‘lesbian women’ in a pooled sample of 3,381 participants from Great Britain, Hungary, and Portugal. Analyses controlling for sociodemographics showed that differences in attitudes towards male and female targets were generally small and did not interact with the gender of the rater. In addition, results showed that men’s attitudes towards homosexuality were more strongly related to their gender ideology than women’s attitudes. Implications of these findings for cross-national studies measuring attitudes towards homosexuality are discussed

Morphology of the mandibular condyle in a Kenyan population

Use of condylar prostheses in mandibular reconstructive surgery is increasing in Kenya. To retain functional capability, condylar prostheses have to preserve the form of the condyle. Although condylar shape and size have been shown to vary between populations, few studies of these have been done in Africans. This study aimed to describe the morphology of the mandibular condyle in a Kenyan population. Sixty three mandibles of African origin were used. Condylar shape was assessed from the anterior, superior and lateral aspects as per a scheme used by Wedel et al. (1978). Data collected were analyzed using SPSS v.17 for frequencies and represented using tables, charts and photographs. The commonest shapes were: slightly convex anteriorly (71.43%); oblong superiorly (73.02%); and convex laterally (80.16%). Only the lateral shape displayed sexual dimorphism, with 100% of females but 88.33% of males having the C1 (convex) shape. Asymmetry was found in 12 (19.05%) of the mandibles. Right and left condyles are similar in shape in most cases but the frequency of the convex lateral shape displayed sexual variation. The mandibular condyles of Kenyans were different in frequency of convex lateral and anterior shapes from condyles of other populations recorded in literature. These differences in morphology imply that condylar measurements cannot be generalized in the manufacture of condylar prostheses and have to be customized for the local population as well as for male and female condyles.Keywords: Mandibular condyle, shap

An evaluation of a mental toughness education and training program for early-career English football league referees

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a Mental Toughness Education and Training Program (MTETP) in elite football officiating. The MTETP consisted of four individual and two group-based workshops designed to develop Mental Toughness (MT) and enhance performance in three English Football League (EFL) referees. Adopting a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design, MT and referee-assessor reports were evaluated. Self and coach-ratings of MT highlighted an instant and continued improvement in all three referees during the intervention phases. Performance reports of all referees improved throughout the intervention phases compared to the baseline phase. Social validation data indicated that an array of strategies within the MTETP facilitated MT development. Discussions acknowledge theoretical and practical implications relating to the continued progression of MT interventions in elite sport