Joseph P. Stokes

The relation of social network and individual difference variables to loneliness.

Both social network variables and individual differences measures (extraversion, neuroticism, and self-disclosure) were predictive of self-reported loneliness in a college student sample. Of the social network variables, the density of the network showed the strongest and most consistent relation to

The inventory of socially supportive behaviors: Dimensionality, prediction, and gender differences

The nature of social support as measured by the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) was explored in the study. The results of a principal components analysis suggest that it is appropriate to use the ISSB as a global measure of a unidimensional construct. The components that emerged were interpretable, however, and are consistent with the types of social support that have been cited in the literature. Males and females do not differ in overall social support as measured by the ISSB, but females report receiving more emotional support than males do. Social network variables predicted ISSB scores for males but not for females. The network variable that predicted social support most strongly was the number of people a respondent felt close to and could confide in or turn to for help in an emergency. The meanings and implications of these findings are discussed.

Assessing Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men: The Modern Homophobia Scale

The authors developed the Modern Homophobia Scale (MHS), a scale that includes measures of attitudes toward lesbians (MHS-L) and attitudes toward gay men (MHS-G). An initial pool of 97 items was generated by the authors based on a review of the literature on homophobia and feedback from several focus groups. Responses to the initial pool of items were factor analyzed. The final versions of the MHS-L and the MHS-G included items reflecting the following factors: Personal Discomfort with lesbians/gay men, Institutional Homophobia toward lesbians/gay men, and the Deviance/Changeability of female/male homosexuality. Although the Personal Discomfort, Institutional, and Deviance/Changeability factors were separable, they were highly correlated and showed little evidence of divergent validity. Reactions to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual characters in written vignettes provided initial support for the validity of the MHS. Both the MHS-L and MHS-G were significantly correlated with the Index of Homophobia and the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. A greater degree of homophobia on the MHS-L and MHS-G was associated with a greater degree of socially desirable responding as measured by the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Lower levels of homophobia on the MHS-L and MHS-G were associated with having lesbian and gay acquaintances and friends. On the MHS-L, men and women did not differ in their overall level of homophobia toward lesbians, but significant gender differences on MHS-L factor scores were present. Compared to men, women were more supportive of gay men on all three factors of the MHS-G.

Bisexually active men: Social characteristics and sexual behavior

We describe social characteristics and sexual behavior of young, Black or White bisexually active men (N = 536, 52% Black, M age = 25). Bisexual activity appeared to be relatively stable over time: the recruitment criterion was any sex with a man and a woman in the previous three years, yet 60% were bisexually active during the past six months, and 56% began their bisexual activity at least five years prior to the study. Compared to Whites, Black respondents were more likely to self‐identify as bisexual, reported more female sex partners, and were less likely to have disclosed their bisexual activity to others. Few respondents participated in the gay community. Rates of unsafe sex were high: 31% reported unprotected anal intercourse with a man in the past six months, with no ethnic differences. Blacks reported more unprotected sex with women and were more likely to exchange sex for money. Of the men who had been HTV tested (74%), 10.5% of Blacks and 2.9% of Whites were HIV seropositive. The sexual risk of...

Components of Group Cohesion Intermember Attraction, Instrumental Value, and Risk Taking

This article explores the nature of cohesion in groups people join in order to affect. personal change. The nature of cohesion is explored by examining three constructs thought to be related to cohesion: (1) attraction to individual members of a group, (2) the instrumental value of the group, and (3) risk-taking behaviors that occur in the group. The multiple correlation of measures of these three constructs and a widely used measure of cohesion in a variety ofgroups is. 751. Possible advantages of conceiving of cohesion in terms of these three constructs is discussed.

Finding the “Community” in Community-Level HIV/AIDS Interventions: Formative Research with Young African American Men Who Have Sex with Men

Data from 76 qualitative interviews with 18- to 29-year-old African American men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chicago and Atlanta were examined to identify perceptions of “community” and components of a community-level HIV/AIDS intervention. Many men reported feeling marginal to African American and gay White communities because of perceived homophobia and racism. Those who reported feeling part of gay African American communities characterized communities in terms of settings, social structures, and functions, including social support, socialization, and mobility. Despite these positive functions, divisions among groups of MSM, lack of settings for nonsexual interaction with other MSM, lack of leadership, and negative attitudes toward homosexuality may make it difficult for men to participate in activities to alter community contexts that influence behavior. Rather, changing norms, increasing social support, and community building should be part of initial community-level interventions. Community building might identify leaders, cre ate new settings, and create opportunities for dialogue between MSM and African American community groups to address negative perceptions of homosexuality.

FEMALE PARTNERS OF BISEXUAL MEN What They Don't Know Might Hurt Them

Individual interviews with 350 behaviorally bisexual men aged 18-30 revealed that 71% of their female sexual partners and 59% of their steady female sexual partners in the past 6 months had not been aware of their homosexual activity. Rates of nondisclosure were higher for African-American than White men. Compared to nondisclosers, men who disclosed to all their female partners were less self-homophobic and perceived their friends, families, and neighbors as more accepting of their homosexual behavior. Compared to men who had disclosed, the nondisclosers had more female partners and used condoms less consistently with women.

Gender differences in predicting loneliness from social network characteristics.

In two studies we examined gender differences in predicting loneliness from measures of social network structure and a measure of perceived social support. The results showed that social network characteristics, especially density, were consistently better predictors of perceived loneliness for men than for women. Study 1 used the traditional measure of network density in which the number of relationships among network members was determined. Study 2 used a newly developed index of density that assessed the extent of closeness of relationships between pairs of network members. Uniformly, male subjects with more highly interconnected, cohesive sets of friends reported themselves to be less lonely, whereas density had little relation to loneliness in female subjects. These results are discussed as possibly indicating that men and women use different standards in evaluating whether they are lonely. It is suggested that men may use more group-oriented criteria in evaluating loneliness, whereas women focus more on the qualities of dyadic relationships.

Sexual behavior condom use disclosure of sexuality and stability of sexual orientation in bisexual men.

Little is known regarding the social and sexual behavior of bisexual men, a population of increasing importance given their risk for HIV transmission. In this exploratory study, we described a sample of 105 self‐identified bisexual men recruited through a newspaper ad and interviewed in person. Our objectives were to (a) describe their social characteristics and reported sexual behavior with males and females; (b) assess rates of disclosure of sexuality to others, including female sexual partners; (c) examine behavioral versus self‐labeling definitions of bisexuality, vis‐a‐vis involvement in the gay community, mental health, and HIV‐risk behavior; and (d) test the stability of sexual orientation during one year in a subsample of respondents. HIV‐risk behavior was generally low. Most respondents had not disclosed their same‐sex attraction to their social networks, including female sexual partners. Behaviorally bisexual men had higher psychological well‐being and lower HIV risk than did men who self‐identi...

Comparing Gay and Bisexual Men on Sexual Behavior, Condom Use, and Psychosocial Variables Related to HIV/AIDS

Interviews were conducted with 750 men, recruited from a variety of sources in Chicago, who reported sex with men in the past 3 years. Behavioral criteria were used to establish groups of gay and bisexual men. We predicted that gay men, compared to bisexual men, would report more male sexual partners, more experience with receptive sex, and more tolerant attitudes toward homosexuality. The only reliable difference between the gay and bisexual men with respect to number of partners was that gay men were more likely to have had a steady male partner or lover. Gay men were more likely than bisexual men to have engaged in receptive sex, including unprotected receptive anal sex. Bisexual men were more self-homophobic and saw other people as less accepting of same-sex activity. There were no differences between gay and bisexual men in other psychosocial variables. Interventions designed to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS need to consider differences in gay and bisexual mens sexual behavior and attitudes toward homosexual behavior.