Study on Breastfeeding: Mothers seen as less competent

Breastfeeding might be better for babies, but it might be murder on Mom's career.

New research from Montana State University, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggest people hold lower opinions of women who breastfeed.

The researchers conducted three experiments. In one, subjects rated actress Brooke Shields as less competent - but warmer and friendlier - when given biographical information saying she breastfed, rather than bottle-fed, her children.

Another test showed women were judged less competent and not as capable in the workplace after being shown in a magazine advertisement endorsing a breast cream to treat nipples after breastfeeding.

The competence scores for women in the ad were higher when the breast cream was described as a product to "refresh nipples before intimacy" or to treat nipples chafed by jogging.

The third experiment put subjects in a situation where they overheard a woman's voice-mail messages. Some of the messages addressed a situation in which the recipient would go home to breastfeed her baby. Others mentioned the woman going home to give her baby a bath. In another manipulation, meant to sexualize the breast, the message talked about the woman going home to put on a strapless bra. A fourth message was considered neutral.

In the cases where the messages addressed breastfeeding, the woman involved was ranked more negatively.

Significantly, the researchers found no appreciable difference in the way males and females responded in the experiments. All of the subjects were childless.

Breastfeeding rates are higher in Canada than the U.S., but one expert said it's possible a similar bias exists in Canada.

"A lot of the gender research and stereotypes don't show many differences between Canada and the U.S.," said Jennifer Berdahl, a psychology professor with the University of Toronto.

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Bipolar Disorder Affecting Families

by James Rowland

Family dynamics are always very complex. Add to the equation a mentally ill person and families often disintegrate under the stress and pressure of managing the patient. There are several mental disorders which can affect people. Of these, mood disorders like Bipolar disorder not only affect the individual but have serious consequences for the entire family.

A human being with ailment classically swings between mania and depression. These mood fluctuations come nigh on and can each episode can last for up to days, harmfully moving the frame's and conduct. In severe example of mania the party skill hallucinations and misbelief and in severe depression there is cheerless. In each of these site, the becomes very trying to accomplish and there is an itemization in communication and relationships.

If someone has bipolar disorder, it affects families to a very large degree because the person's behaviour is abnormal and not what is accepted in society. This takes a toll on the families. For example, a depressive episode will make the person lethargic, uncommunicative, and withdrawn, lose confidence and self worth, and become irritable and even suicidal. Since these people avoid meeting anyone, or if they do, seem disinterested and very sad, they make other people uncomfortable. In a manic episode the person becomes socially inappropriate by becoming overly aggressive, talking loudly and very fast, becoming reckless with the spending of money and risk taking behaviours, becoming argumentative, engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviour, etc.

Bipolar disorder seriously affects families because there is an added emotional, mental and physical stress that comes along with taking care of an ill person. It is very taxing to see a loved one go through the hell of a mental disorder. This becomes especially difficult when the families don't completely understand the disorder and are caught unawares.

If there is a domestic limb with bipolar illness, type are posh negatively also because of the whole dishonor emotionally involved to conceptual condition. Families live with fear and guilt of the order of how others will look at them. A by-product of what society thinks approximately rational affliction is also superficial in the services and structure provided for those unnatural by them and their nearest and dearest. This adds to the anxiety of taking care of someone with bipolar malady because there is no real ordinary help away from each other from hospitalisation which is a last option and pricey at that.

Families are also unnatural badly if an earning delegate has bipolar illness. This form may end up manufacture bad evaluation as a grade of the condition, like rashly walk out a well paying job, or conclusive to sell the house, and thus assume the whole household.

More Information:

Learn more about Bipolar Disorder. Stop by James Rowland's site where you can find out all about Bipolar Disorder and what it can do for you.

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