Single-child Families: Pros and Cons

V príspevku sú analyzované vybrané dáta týkajúce sa protichodných názorov na optimálny počet detí v súčasnej rodine v kontexte existenčnej neistoty. Údaje boli získané v rámci širšieho kvalitatívneho výskumu zameraného na rodičovstvo a reprodukciu. Vzorka pozostáva z 18 fókusových skupín, ktoré sa uskutočnili v troch regiónoch Slovenska – západnom strednom a východnom. V každom regióne prebehlo šesť fókusových diskusií, z ktorých tri sa realizovali s ekonomicky lepšie a tri s ekonomicky horšie situovanými rodičmi. V rovnakom pomere sa skupiny delili aj podľa počtu detí (polovica jednodetných a polovica dvojdetných skupín). V jednotlivých fókusových skupinách bolo takmer vždy rovnomerné zastúpenie mužov a žien.  Výsledky poukazujú na to, že rodičia s jedným dieťaťom sú rodičmi s dvoma deťmi pomerne schematicky kritizovaní kvôli  mamonu, materializmu a karierizmu, ako aj sebeckosti a nezodpovednosti. Jednodetní rodičia však uvádzajú pestrejšiu škálu dôvodov, pre ktoré majú len jedno dieťa. Medzi nimi dominujú  neistota na trhu práce, strach z prepustenia, nedostatok financií na splácanie hypoték a tiež snaha udržať si určitý životný štandard. Vo všeobecnosti jednodetní rodičia nemajú pocit, že sú sebeckí, ale naopak, považujú svoje rozhodnutie za zodpovedné vzhľadom na súčasnú situáciu charakterizovanú vysokou mierou nezamestnanosti.Selected data concerning antagonistic view and beliefs on optimal number of children in contemporary families in the context of existential insecurity are analysed in the article. Data were obtained within a broader qualitative research on family and reproduction. The sample consists of 18 focus group discussions realized in three regions of Slovakia - eastern, central and western. In each region, six focus groups, three with parents economically better off and three with economically poorer families were carried out. In the same balance focus groups were divided according to the number of children (one half of one child and one half of two children families). The proportion of men and women was symmetric in almost each focus group. Results show that parents having only one child are relatively schematically criticized by two-child parents because of the mammon, careerism, as well as selfishness and irresponsibility. However, single-child parents show a more colourful palette of reasons/justifications why having only one child.  It is uncertainty on labour market, fear of losing job, lack of funds for mortgage payment and efforts to preserve the acquired life standard that prevail. In general, parents having only one child do not think they are irresponsible; quite the reverse, they perceive their decision as responsible with respect to the current situation characterized by a high unemployment rate

Intergroup trust as a mediator between compassion and positive attitudes toward sexual minorities

Nurturing compassion is not only beneficial for one’s well-being in terms of feelings and cognitions directed toward oneself, but it can also have positive effects on attitudes toward other people through associated humanity and recognition of the universality of suffering. Having compassion toward others may be particularly beneficial in intergroup relations, as minority and stigmatized groups often experience a lack of compassion from the majority. The present study (N = 244) examines the relation between self-compassion, compassion toward others, and the level of trust and positive attitudes toward members of sexual minorities. The results of path analysis suggest that the relationship between compassion for others and attitudes toward people belonging to sexual minorities is mediated by intergroup trust. Fostering compassion could therefore play an important role in increasing trust and improving attitudes toward the people belonging to stigmatized minorities

Antibiotic-Treated SPF Mice as a Gnotobiotic Model

Decontamination of specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice of BALB/c line was accomplished by administration of amoxicillin per os potentiated with potassium clavulanate at a dose of 387.11 mg/kg body weight and ciprofloxacin administered s.c. at a dose of 18.87 mg/kg body weight every 12 h for 5 days. This resulted in a decreased viability of microorganisms in feces and the cecal content of mice and decreased counts of cultivable microorganisms in the feces, which by day 3 of study declined below the recovery level and to the reduction of animal microbiota to two detected cultivable species, namely Escherichia coli (GenBank KX086704) and Enterococcus sp. (GenBank KX086705). Convalescence of decontaminated animals under gnotobiotic conditions for 10 days prevented restoration of species diversity of mice microbiota and sufficed to return the metabolic, hematological and morphological values to the physiological range. It also restored the fermentative activity of the intestine to the level similar to that observed before antibiotic treatment. Animals subjected to this procedure can be used in further studies. As a result, we created a mouse gnoto model with reduced and controlled microbiota without alteration of the overall health status of the respective animals

Patterns and universals of mate poaching across 53 nations : the effects of sex, culture, and personality on romantically attracting another person’s partner

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.peer-reviewe

Are men universally more dismissing than women? Gender differences in romantic attachment across 62 cultural regions

The authors thank Susan Sprecher (USA), Del Paulhus (Canada), Glenn D. Wilson (England), Qazi Rahman (England), Alois Angleitner (Germany), Angelika Hofhansl (Austria), Tamio Imagawa (Japan), Minoru Wada (Japan), Junichi Taniguchi (Japan), and Yuji Kanemasa (Japan) for helping with data collection and contributing significantly to the samples used in this study.Gender differences in the dismissing form of adult romantic attachment were investigated as part of the International Sexuality Description Project—a survey study of 17,804 people from 62 cultural regions. Contrary to research findings previously reported in Western cultures, we found that men were not significantly more dismissing than women across all cultural regions. Gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment were evident in most cultures, but were typically only small to moderate in magnitude. Looking across cultures, the degree of gender differentiation in dismissing romantic attachment was predictably associated with sociocultural indicators. Generally, these associations supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment, with smaller gender differences evident in cultures with high–stress and high–fertility reproductive environments. Social role theories of human sexuality received less support in that more progressive sex–role ideologies and national gender equity indexes were not cross–culturally linked as expected to smaller gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment.peer-reviewe

Narcissism and the strategic pursuit of short-term mating : universal links across 11 world regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2.

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and East Asia) were used to evaluate whether narcissism (as measured by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory; NPI) was universally associated with short-term mating. Results revealed narcissism scores (including two broad factors and seven traditional facets as measured by the NPI) were functionally equivalent across cultures, reliably associating with key sexual outcomes (e.g., more active pursuit of short-term mating, intimate partner violence, and sexual aggression) and sex-related personality traits (e.g., higher extraversion and openness to experience). Whereas some features of personality (e.g., subjective well-being) were universally associated with socially adaptive facets of Narcissism (e.g., self-sufficiency), most indicators of short-term mating (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality and marital infidelity) were universally associated with the socially maladaptive facets of narcissism (e.g., exploitativeness). Discussion addresses limitations of these cross-culturally universal findings and presents suggestions for future research into revealing the precise psychological features of narcissism that facilitate the strategic pursuit of short-term mating

Narcisismo y búsqueda estratégica del emparejamiento a corto plazo a través de las culturas: Enlaces omnipresentes a través de 11 regiones mundiales del Proyecto de la descripción de la sexualidad internacional 2

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and East Asia) were used to evaluate whether narcissism (as measured by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory; NPI) was universally associated with short-term mating. Results revealed narcissism scores (including two broad factors and seven traditional facets as measured by the NPI) were functionally equivalent across cultures, reliably associating with key sexual outcomes (e.g., more active pursuit of short-term mating, intimate partner violence, and sexual aggression) and sex-related personality traits (e.g., higher extraversion and openness to experience). Whereas some features of personality (e.g., subjective well-being) were universally associated with socially adaptive facets of Narcissism (e.g., self-sufficiency), most indicators of short-term mating (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality and marital infidelity) were universally associated with the socially maladaptive facets of narcissism (e.g., exploitativeness). Discussion addresses limitations of these cross-culturally universal findings and presents suggestions for future research into revealing the precise psychological features of narcissism that facilitate the strategic pursuit of short-term mating.Estudios previos, en primer lugar a través de las muestras de culturas occidentales, han documentado asociaciones sistemáticas del narcisismo subclínico con múltiples indicadores de estrategias del emparejamiento a corto plazo (p. ej. sociosexualidad ilimitada, infidelidad, caza de pareja). En este estudio se han usado respuestas de la encuesta transcultural de 30.470 personas de 53 naciones de 11 regiones mundiales (América del Norte, América del Sur/América Central, Europa del Norte, Europa del Oeste, Europa del Este, Europa del Sur, Oriente Próximo, África, Asia del Sur/Sudoeste de Asia, Asia del Este y Oceanía) para evaluar si el narcisismo (medido por el Inventario de Personalidad Narcisista; NPI) se asocia panuniversalmente con los indicadores del emparejamiento a corto plazo, tanto en la dirección, como en la intensidad. Los resultados sugieren que el narcisismo (incluidos muchos aspectos suyos medidos por el NPI) tiene las mismas asociaciones básicas con los rasgos de personalidad relacionados con el sexo (p. ej. extraversión alta) y con los resultados sexuales claves (p. ej. búsqueda más activa de las estrategias del emparejamiento a corto plazo) a través de las 11 mayores regiones mundiales del PDSI 2. La discusión se enfoca en las implicaciones y limitaciones del estudio actual

Constructions of sexual relationships: a study of the views of young people in Catalunia, England and Slovakia and their health implications

Q methodology was applied to investigate the views of young people from Catalunia, England and Slovakia regarding sexual relationships and their health implications. The Q sorts of 188 16-18-year-olds from these three diverse European regions were reduced by Q factor analysis to six clear accounts. These accounts are presented in relation to three emergent themes: (a) traditionalism/liberalism; (b) locus of responsibility; and (c) the relationship between sex and love, and these discursive themes are discussed in relation to health-salient criteria such as awareness of sex-related risk and corresponding implications for conduct