The Spanish version of a scale evaluating negative attitudes towards bisexuality is validated

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CÓRDOBA

 

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RESEARCHER TEAM FROM UNIVERSITY OF CÓRDOBA

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CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF CORDOBA

The Spanish version of a scale evaluating negative attitudes towards bisexuality is validated

A team from the Department of Psychology at the UCO has translated into Spanish and validated a scale to evaluate binegativity with a gender perspective, and developed a reduced version that makes it more efficient

Bisexuality is a more prevalent sexual orientation than homosexuality, despite being much less visible. In fact, studies show that rates of distress, depression, and anxiety among bisexual people are higher than among homosexuals. Denial, invisibility and a lack of community support impact these individuals' mental health.

This orientation has also received less attention by academia. There are few tools to assess discrimination against bisexual people based on their sexual orientation, and in the Spanish context they are even more limited. Thus, a team from the Department of Psychology at the University of Cordoba has translated into Spanish and validated a scale used in the Anglo-Saxon world to evaluate negative attitudes towards bisexuality: The Gender-Specific Binegativity Scale (Yost & Thomas, 2012).

With the validation work of the team formed by researchers Rosario Castillo, Carmen Tabernero, Sandra Santiago, Laura Onieva and Bárbara Luque, and researchers Sebastián Vivas and Francisco García, this instrument can be used in the Spanish context. In addition, "an added benefit of this scale is that it allows attitudes towards bisexual women and bisexual men to be measured separately, making it a very valuable measuring instrument because it allows the gender perspective to be taken into account," explained Rosario Castillo, the work's main author.

The scale is comprised of 30 items to evaluate women and 30 to evaluate men, with statements such as: "I don't think that bisexual women (or men) should work with children", "I don't think that bisexual women (or men) should marry" or "I avoid bisexual women (men)".

To overcome the drawback of the instrument's length, which entails having to complete 30 items referring to bisexual women and 30 to bisexual men, the team validated a shorter version with only 8 parallel items for each gender.

Results of the validation

495 students in the School of Education Sciences and Psychology participated in the development of this scale, completing it along with other variables of interest, such as sexism and social dominance. "We chose this sample because they are young people who, in the future, will be professionals  working with people of different ages and having the responsibility to treat everyone equally," said the researcher. The results confirmed the validity of the instrument and, in addition, allow for a deeper look at bisexuality.

The rejection of bisexual people was very limited, but negative attitudes were related to sexism, homophobia and an orientation towards social dominance, which is a variable that evaluates discrimination, in general, and support for social hierarchies. That is, those who had negative attitudes towards bisexual people were also more sexist and showed greater attachments to hierarchy.

"Based on the results, bisexual men are more frowned upon than bisexual women. Bisexual men, in addition, are more scorned by men themselves," explained researcher Sebastián Vivas. This has a lot to do with gender stereotypes since, although there are negative attitudes towards both bisexual women and men, in the case of women they are more related to promiscuity and eroticization on the part of men, and "they are seen as a confused heterosexual woman, while in the case of men, they are made invisible and pointed to as confused homosexuals."

This work bolsters the visibility of bisexuality, providing an instrument that paves the way for further research into attitudes towards bisexual people on a larger scale, developing strategies to promote equal treatment, such as training in equality for people who work in public service, or education, at every level, and then being able to evaluate the effects of these programs; in short, moving towards a better and more egalitarian society.

References

Castillo-Mayén, Rosario & Vivas, Sebastián &Garcia-Torres, Francisco & Tabernero, Carmen & Santiago-Sillero, Sandra &Onieva-Castón, Laura & Luque, Bárbara. (2024). The Gender-Specific Binegativity Scale: Validation in a Spanish Sample of University Students and Proposal of a Brief Version. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 1(21). 279-296. DOI: 10.1007/s13178-023-00912-1

Yost, M. R., & Thomas, G. D. (2012). Gender and binegativity: Men's and women's attitudes towards male and female bisexuals. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41(3), 691–702. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-011-9767-8

 

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JOURNAL

Sexuality Research and Social Policy

DOI

10.1007/s13178-023-00912-1 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

The Gender-Specific Binegativity Scale: Validation in a Spanish Sample of University Students and Proposal of a Brief Version

 

Oxytocin: the love hormone that holds the key to better memory

Researchers identify specific oxytocin neurons in the mouse brain that modulate object recognition memory

TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

 

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RESEARCHERS DISCOVER THAT ACTIVATING A SPECIFIC GROUP OF OXYTOCIN NEURONS IN THE MOUSE BRAIN IMPROVES PERFORMANCE IN NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION TASKS.

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CREDIT: AKIYOSHI SAITOH FROM TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

Oxytocin (OXT) is a hormone that is known for its effects on psychological well-being and emotional bonding in animals. Interestingly, research has shown that this natural chemical in the brain plays a crucial role in other cognitive processes as well, including learning and memory. Now, scientists may have discovered exactly how OXT influences memory in animals by studying “OXT neurons” that contain OXT receptors and function differently based on the availability of the chemical in the brain.

In a recent study published on 16 November 2023, in PLOS One, a group of researchers, headed by Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh, along with Junpei Takahashi from the Tokyo University of Science, delved into the complex neural pathways and signaling mechanisms activated by OXT. They offered unprecedented insights into its implications for learning and memory. “Previously we had suggested that oxytocin may be a new therapeutic candidate for dementia based on studies using a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. To investigate this further, in this study, we examined the role of endogenous OXT in mouse cognitive function. This was done by using pharmacogenetic techniques to specifically activate OXT neurons in specific brain regions. The cognitive function of mice was then evaluated using the Novel Object Recognition Task (NORT),” explains Prof. Saitoh.

The research emphasizes the significant role of OXT in regulating social memory, as deficiency in either OXT or its receptors has been linked to aberrant social memory in mice. This groundbreaking study, however, shifts the focus to the role of endogenous OXTergic projections in learning and memory, particularly within the supramammillary nucleus (SuM).

To identify the neurons that are responsible for OXT’s effect on memory, the researchers visualized slices of the mouse brain after specifically activating OXT neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), observing positive signals in the PVN and its projections to the SuM. Additional validation of OXTergic neuron activation was confirmed through increased c-Fos positive cells (indicating neuron activation) in the PVN after administering clozapine N-oxide (used to activate the neurons).

Further, the study focused on the impact of OXTergic neuron activation on learning and memory using the Y-maze and NORT. Surprisingly, no changes were observed in short-term spatial memory in the Y-maze test. However, the activation of OXTergic neurons significantly boosted long-term object recognition memory in the NORT. Intriguingly, an increased number of c-Fos positive neurons in SuM and the dentate gyrus (a region within the brain’s hippocampus) after NORT indicated the involvement of OXTergic neurons in maintaining long-term memory through these regions. Additionally, the team employed selective activation of OXTergic axons in SuM, resulting in mice spending more time exploring novel objects, suggesting a direct modulation of object recognition memory by OXTergic axons projecting from PVN to SuM.

This study, for the first time, reveals the involvement of OXT in object recognition memory through the SuM. It suggests potential implications for understanding the role of physiological OXT in Alzheimer's disease and highlights the involvement of OXTergic projections in modulating recognition memory. “There is a widely acknowledged belief that dementia tends to advance more rapidly in settings where individuals experience loneliness or limited social engagement. However, the scientific underpinnings of this phenomenon have remained largely elusive. Our research seeks to elucidate the crucial role of a stimulating environment that activates oxytocin in the brain, potentially mitigating the progression of dementia,” explains Prof. Saitoh. The ongoing exploration of this field is anticipated to pave the way for innovative treatments and pharmaceutical interventions aimed at halting the advancement of dementia.

 

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Reference                     

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294113

 

About The Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of “Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society," TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

 

 

About Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh from Tokyo University of Science

Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh, a distinguished researcher and Professor at Tokyo University of Science's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is renowned for his expertise in medical and behavioral pharmacology, neuroscience, and anti-anxiety drug development. Holding a Ph.D. from Hoshi University, he has authored over 100 impactful publications in areas such as Pharmacology, Psychopharmacology, and Neuropharmacology. With four patents to his name, Prof. Saitoh's innovative contributions have left a lasting mark. His influential work, reflected in numerous citations, establishes him as a key figure in advancing pharmaceutical and neuroscience disciplines.

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JOURNAL

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0294113 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Oxytocinergic projection from the hypothalamus to supramammillary nucleus drives recognition memory in mice

AFGHANISTAN

New women’s rights movement emerges ahead of UN meeting in Doha

• By Amu
• 21 HOURS AGO

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In anticipation of a United Nations meeting, a new movement advocating for women’s rights, named “Afghanistan’s Progressive Forces Movement,” was formed by several women protesters on the eve of the event in Doha.

The group aims to protect women’s rights in Afghanistan, in response to the Taliban’s increasing efforts to restrict these rights. A statement released by the movement labeled the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan citizens, especially women, as unprecedentedly oppressive.

The movement’s members have called on regional and international entities to avoid any form of engagement or recognition of the Taliban.

The UN meeting, scheduled for Feb. 18-19 in Doha, will bring together special envoys from various countries to deliberate on Afghanistan’s situation. Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, previously announced that the envoys would also engage with female representatives from Afghanistan.

 

France's EDF returns to profit as nuclear power generation rebounds

By Angela Barnes

Published on 16/02/2024 - 

French energy company EDF said on Friday that it returned to profit in 2023 as nuclear fleets reopened.

The power giant reported a net profit of €10 billion for last year, compared to the €17.9 billion loss it posted in 2022. This was largely due to higher nuclear power output in 2023.

"In France, the 41.4TWh increase in nuclear power output to 320.4 Terawatt hour (TWh), in the upper end of the range announced for the year, illustrates EDF’s very good operational performance. 

"This turnaround was achieved by good management of the stress corrosion repairs and reactor outages, thanks to efficiency and reactivity of the teams to improve the fleet availability," a company statement said.

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For this year, EDF confirmed it was aiming for a target of 315-345 TWh.

• French inflation falls to two-year low as energy prices decline

The company also highlighted that 46 reactors were online at the beginning of January 2024, representing total capacity of 50GW.

"15 of the 16 reactors most sensitive to stress corrosion were repaired by end-2023, and the last one will be repaired during its 10-year inspection which starts in February 2024. Additionally, the 2023 programme of checks on welds repaired during reactor construction has been completed," EDF said.

Meanwhile, it noted, the estimates of nuclear output in France are confirmed at 315-345TWh for 2024 and 335-365TWh for 2025 and 2026.

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset, England (file photo)Kin Cheung/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved

EDF is also the owner of the Hinkley Point C power plant in the UK, which has taken a near €13bn hit after delays and cost overruns.

In the same statement, EDF said it had taken a €12.9 billion impairment charge on the project, which is now set to be completed by 2031 at a cost of around  €39 billion.