PsycTESTS Dataset

Abstract : This research examined the relationship between male and female cadets' views toward women in society, in the military, and at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) with knowledge and understanding of academic, military, and physical fitness standards at USAFA. Prior to the admission of women at USAFA, the Department of Physical Education created physical fitness standards based on research that showed physiological differences in males and females (Baldi, 1991; Petosa, 1989). This study found that male cadets had high sexist attitudes toward women in society, did not agree with the involvement of women in combat, did not agree with women holding certain jobs in the military, and believed women negatively impacted standards at USAFA. About 66% of the cadets surveyed believed differences in physiology warranted different sets of fitness standards; however, about 17% of the cadets, who were all male, supported equal standards based on the fact that men and women are expected to perform the same jobs in the Air Force. According to the results, high sexist attitudes of women are good indicators of support for equal physical fitness standards. The views expressed in this study are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress. It is a measure of the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Items were designed to tap how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded respondents find their lives. The scale also includes a number of direct queries about current levels of experienced stress. The PSS was designed for use in community samples with at least a junior high school education. The items are easy to understand, and the response alternatives are simple to grasp. Moreover, the questions are of a general nature and hence are relatively free of content specific to any subpopulation group. The questions in the PSS ask about feelings and thoughts during the last month. In each case, respondents are asked how often they felt a certain way.