GAY MARKETING: Opportunity or Nightmare for Firms

This study investigated young adults’ attitudes towards homosexuality and perceptions of gay marketing based on data acquired through a survey questionnaire that included a total of 64 items on demographics and life experiences, attitude towards homosexuality and perceptions of gay marketing administered to 402 students at a private university in Turkey of both sexes aged 18 to 28. Findings suggest that young adults hold negative attitudes towards homosexuality, ranging from moderately negative to strongly negative, and generally with no significant differences by the respondents’ parents’ education, respondents’ political view or acquaintance with any homosexual person or level of exposure to gay themed advertisements. Female respondents hold slightly more negative attitudes towards homosexuality than male respondents do. A factor analytic method revealed three major components of young adults’ perceptions of gay marketing which could be named subjective perceptions (SP), perceptions of marketing strategies (MS) and opinion on moral consequences (MC). Results are discussed with the limitations of the study, and implications for marketers.

Factor analysis and personality theory

This article deals with the factor analytic approach to personality. More specifically, it deals with problems in factor analyses of personality questionnaires which contribute to factorial confusion. It is stated that in fact the factorial results make better sense than is usually admitted. The apparent disparity of results can be accounted for by technical defects in the chosen factor analytic method. Furthermore, it is shown that another source of disagreement lies in the interpretation of what are essentially the same factors.

Continuity and Change in Women's Characteristics over Four Decades

Fifty-three mothers of participants in the Guidance Study of the Institute of Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley, were rated on 21 cognitive and personality-social characteristics at approximately 30 years of age and again at age 70. As judged by the interage correlations, all 5 of the cognitive variables and 10 of the 16 personality variables, proved to be relatively stable over the 40-year period. Ratings of intelligence, mental alertness, speed of mental processes, use of language, and accuracy in thinking were relatively consistent and the following personality-social characteristics also showed continuity over the 40-year interval: talkativeness, cheerfulness, frankness in discussion, tendency to criticize, excitability, energy level and self-esteem. Ratings of self-assurance, attitude toward child and satisfaction with life showed little stability over this long interval. A new factor analytic method was used to extract 3 factors common to both ages, together with 2 factors specific to age 30 and 3 factors specific to age 70.

Partitioned Variates: An Alternative to Factor Analysis

A traditional method of analyzing scores for use in psychological measurement is exemplified by the variation associated with factor analysis. The factor analytic method is shown to contain implicit assumptions concerning the common and unique variance of any variable by exclusion of the latter. A new method of developing psychologically meaningful scores is presented which considers only the unique variance of a variable. These new scores, called partitioned variates, are supported both logically and with external criteria, and a detailed worked example is provided. The methodology and concept suggested here should provide researchers with an alternative to the more traditional viewpoints and methods of data analysis.

A Factor Analytic Inquiry into the Multidimensionality of Death Anxiety

The multidimensionality of the concept of death anxiety is highlighted and previous attempts to clarify the concept are reviewed. Advantages of the factor analytic method of concept elaboration are presented. A study is reported in which four dimensions of death anxiety were identified and a test instrument for the measurement of each dimension constructed. A group of 135 students and a statewide probability sample of 1279 respondents were used in the study. The dimensions of death anxiety identified are death avoidance, death fear, death denial and reluctance to interact with the dying. Relationships between factor scores and unfactored index scores are discussed.