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Biomedical subjects

G R Semin

Publications and source records attributed to G R Semin.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

How do we communicate stereotypes? Linguistic bases and inferential consequences.

The linguistic expectancy bias is defined as the tendency to describe expectancy-consistent information at a higher level of abstraction than expectancy-inconsistent information. The communicative consequences of this bias were examined in 3 experiments. Analyses of judgments that recipients made on the basis of linguistically biased information generated by transmitters indicated that behavior in expectancy-consistent messages was attributed more to dispositional and less to situational factors than behavior in expectancy-inconsistent messages. Moreover, this effect was mediated by the level of linguistic abstraction of the messages. These findings provide direct evidence for the hypothesis that recipients are sensitive to variations in linguistic abstraction in spontaneous language use because of stereotypes. Results are discussed with respect to the interpersonal aspects of stereotyping.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Revisiting the past and back to the future: memory systems and the linguistic representation of social events.

Five studies were conducted to investigate the relationship between how people communicate about social events and how representations of these events are stored in memory. It was hypothesized that more distant events in memory would be described with more abstract linguistic predicates, and recent events with more concrete language. The 1st study supported this hypothesis. The 2nd and 3rd experiments demonstrated that abstract predicates used as prompts elicit memories that are significantly more removed in time than concrete predicates. Two final experiments showed that these outcomes are not merely a function of the type of semantic cue but an interaction between memory and preferential predicate use. The findings illustrate a link between memory and communicative behavior of a type that has not been previously studied. The results are discussed in terms of a recent, well-supported model of 2 separate fast-learning and slow-learning memory systems.

Affect↗
PubMed1998

How mothers' parenting styles affect their children's sexual efficacy and experience.

The relations among mothers' parenting styles and adolescents' sexual self-efficacy and sexual experience were examined in a sample of 253 British adolescent-mother pairs. Also explored was whether adolescents' self-efficacy would be positively or negatively related to their sexual experience. Mothers' parenting styles were expected to influence children's locus of control, based on the theory that mothers who are involved with their children and mothers who stress independence contribute to the development of an internal locus of control in their children, increasing the children's feelings of sexual self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling was used to test a longitudinal model. The results support the assumption that maternal involvement leads to higher levels of self-efficacy, whereas maternal control was associated with lower levels of self-efficacy. Sexual self-efficacy was associated with higher levels of sexual experience. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

The effect of quality of family interaction and intergenerational transmission of values on sexual permissiveness.

Quality of family interaction as a moderator of the relation between mothers and their adolescent children's sexual permissiveness was examined. Mothers were expected to be able to influence their children's sexual standards, but this effect was expected to be stronger when the family interaction was characterized by mutual understanding and respect. This hypothesis was tested by means of multiple-group structural equation modeling, with a sample of 323 adolescent-mother pairs that were representative of the Brighton and Hove (UK) area. The adolescents were 14 to 18 years old. The results supported our hypothesis that intergenerational transmission of values benefits from good mother-child relations. In addition, we found that socioeconomic status was less strongly related to adolescent permissiveness and age was more strongly related in high quality of interaction groups than in low quality of family interaction groups. Implications of the study are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Gender as a moderator of the effects of the love motive and relational context on sexual experience.

The moderator effect of gender on (i) the relation between adolescents' sexual experience on the one hand; and (ii) their orientations towards the type of relational and emotional commitment that they expect to be present before engaging in a sexual relationship, and (iii) having a steady partner on the other was examined. We hypothesized that the relations between these facets would be stronger for women. We utilized a random sample of 253 British adolescents interviewed twice with a 1-year interval. LISREL multigroup analysis with mean structures was used to test the hypotheses, thus offering the opportunity of detecting moderator as well as main effects of gender. Differential effects of emotional and relational commitment and having a steady partner relationship on sexual experience supported the hypotheses.

Adolescent↗