Jasna Horvat

Gender-Role Attitudes in University Students in the United States, Slovenia, and Croatia

Determinants of gender-role attitudes were examined in samples of university students from Pittsburgh in the United States, Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Osijek in Croatia. Surveys including items from the Attitudes Toward Women Scale and the Neosexism Scale were administered to a total of 1,544 U.S. students, 912 Slovene students, and 996 Croatian students between the years of 1991 and 2000. As predicted, men held less egalitarian or more sexist attitudes about the appropriate roles for women and men, and those with more frequent attendance at religious services held more sexist attitudes. No changes in attitudes were found for women over time, but Slovene males were found to become more traditional over time.

Psychological Differences in Stayers and Leavers: Emigration Desires in Central and Eastern European University Students

The desires to live in another country or to emigrate from ones country of origin was examined in a sample of 3200 university students from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, and Slovenia. All of these countries have been experiencing economic difficulties during their transition from socialist to market-driven economies. It was hypothesized that students who wanted to emigrate would score higher in Achievement and Power Motivation and would also show higher levels of Work Centrality and lower levels of Family Centrality than those who wanted to stay in their country of origin. Motive predictors were further expected to be most important for those with high Work Centrality. As predicted, high Work Centrality and low Family Centrality were found to differ for those who wanted to leave as compared to those who wished to remain in their country. The predicted interactions for motivation and Work Centrality were supported. Achievement Motive levels alone did not relate to emigration desires, but Power Motivation did differ for the two groups, as predicted.

Gender Role and Religion as Predictors of Attitude Toward Abortion in Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and the United States

Since socialism’s decline, abortion has become a divisive political issue in East Central Europe, just as it is in the United States. Questionnaires administered to college students in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and the United States between 1991 and 1994 assessed the importance of religious identification, degree of religious feelings and participation, desired number of children, and gender role attitudes as predictors of approval of abortion for reasons of personal choice. Multiple regression indicated that these variables best predicted level of approval of abortion in Slovenia. The strong link between gender role attitude and abortion approval that emerged in the Slovene 1993 data is discussed in relation to the changing social and political contexts.

Economic Influences on Ideals About Future Jobs in Young Adults in Formerly Socialist Countries and the United States

University students today in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) confront a world in which old ideals learned under state socialism are being questioned. Despite initial difficulties after the end of socialism, most of these countries now have more stable market economies. This article investigates how macroeconomic variables relate to ideals for future work in samples of students from eight CEE countries and the United States. Results indicate there are some significant relationships between macroeconomic factors and job values. Wanting a job that pays well is associated with poorer economic conditions, whereas wanting a career is associated with better economic conditions. Results for wanting a job that allowed time for family are mixed, with higher GDP per capita a positive predictor but economic growth a negative predictor. Economic predictors of wanting a job helping others are weak, with a significant effect of growth found only when U.S. data are added.

Wine market segmentation in continental Croatia

The purpose of this article is to provide a wine market segmentation methodology as a meaningful tool for wine marketing strategy creation in Croatia. Based on recently published research of wine consumers in comparable countries, specific marketing features of wine as a product and research on wine market characteristics in continental Croatia, the field research (telephone interview) was conducted on a sample of 600 wine consumers in continental Croatia in order to define specific wine market segments and their characteristics. Six specific wine consumer segments have been identified, and their characteristics described. Obtained results can serve as a basis for creation and/or improvement of marketing strategy by wine producers. This can be of strategic importance in circumstances of high competition between large and small producers on national level, competition between local and imported wine, as well as increasingly sophisticated and requiring consumers.

Measuring computer and Web attitudes using CAS and WAS measurement instruments

The purpose of this article was to examine CAS (computer attitude scale) and WAS (WWW attitude scale) measurement instrument for measuring computer and WWW attitudes in Region of East Croatia. The research questions to be answered by this study are: (R1) What is the relationship between the CAS and the WAS? (R2) What are the predictor variables of various computer experiences to the CAS and to the WAS? (R3) Are there significantly demographic differences on the CAS and on the WAS? Internal consistency, stability and validity of the CAS and the WAS measurement instrument were tested and discussed