Introduction. The Sexual Double Standard (SDS) entails that women are evaluated more negatively than men for engaging in similar sexual behavior. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated through the...Show moreIntroduction. The Sexual Double Standard (SDS) entails that women are evaluated more negatively than men for engaging in similar sexual behavior. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated through the language used by parents in conversation with their children. In this study, SDS-related gender messages parents pass on toward their children will be investigated. Methods. This research was conducted with 99 families consisting of a father, a mother and their fifteen-year-old child. Parent’s gender messages were measured through gender vignettes. During an interview, children read vignettes to their parents, regarding adolescents’ promiscuous behavior, which parents had to respond to. Positive and negative evaluations were coded. Associations between the parent’s sex, the child’s sex and the sex of the child in the vignette in relation to parent’s gender messages are being measured through three-way ANOVA’s. Results. A significant main effect was found for the sex of the child in the vignette on parent’s gender messages. Overall, more positive evaluations are given about boys than about girls. Fathers with a son give more positive evaluations about boys than fathers with a daughter. Fathers with a son give more positive evaluations about boys than about girls. Discussion. These findings suggest that parents pass on implicit gender stereotypes that are in line with the SDS by being less positive about girls than about boys. Especially fathers with a son pass on implicit gender stereotypes to their child that are in line with the SDS. These findings provide insights in the subtle gender messages through which parents pass on implicit gender stereotypes.Show less
The onset of puberty is accompanied by various physical and mental developments that can influence the self-confidence and substance use of young people. In this thesis, it is tried to answer...Show moreThe onset of puberty is accompanied by various physical and mental developments that can influence the self-confidence and substance use of young people. In this thesis, it is tried to answer whether self-confidence mediates the relationship between the onset of puberty development and substance use and what differences are visible for boys and girls (N = 186). All participants were between 14 and 18 years old and came from the west of the Netherlands. The data used in this research was collected through home visits and questionnaires. To answer the research question, a mediation analysis by Baron & Kenny (1986) was used. The mediation analysis investigated the relation between the onset of puberty development and substance use, the onset of puberty development and self-confidence and self-confidence and substance use. These analyses are done for both boys and girls. The results show that boys have significantly higher scores on self-confidence and substance use than girls. There is a significant relationship between confidence and substance use for boys, but not for girls. The significant relationship found for boys is different in nature than for girls. There is no mediation effect of self-confidence on the relation between the onset of puberty development and substance use. It is important for future research to further investigate the relation between self-confidence and substance use in boys. In addition, it is essential to investigate whether an unequivocal answer can be found whether the onset of puberty development influences substance use. In this way, interventions against substance use can be used effectively.Show less
