OPEN-CLOSED MINDEDNESS AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN FEMALE NURSING ADMINISTRATORS AS COMPARED TO NON-NURSING ADMINISTRATORS.
Contributors: New York University.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 209
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of political participation and dogmatism in female nurse administrators compared to female non-nurse administrators. It was proposed that the nurses' level of political participation would be lower than the non-nurses'; the level of dogmatism in nurses would be higher.

These predictions were based on theoretical formulations and research data which strongly indicated that nurse administrators demonstrate highly feminine behaviors that are very similar to those that describe close-mindedness--more so than other female administrators. Many nurse authors have claimed that the psychological effects of a male dominated authoritarian medical system leave nurses convinced of their inferiority and the need for their subordination to the medical profession.

A sample of 100 women between the ages of 35-65 filled out questionnaires which combined Rokeach's dogmatism scale and Verba and Nie's political participation scale.

Significant differences were found opposite of those predicted. Nurses were found to vote at significantly higher rates than non-nurses; and no significant differences were found between nurses and non-nurses in their level of general political participation. Since the nurse group was considerably older, better educated, and had higher salaries, additional analyses were conducted using analysis of covariance controlling for age, education and salary as covariates. Additional analyses revealed that age was contributing the greatest portion of the variance between the two groups in the area of voting, and not group identity. Regarding the lack of significance between the groups in their levels of general political participation, additional analyses revealed that salary was the most important determinant of one's general political activity, and not whether she was a nurse or non-nurse.

Nurses were found to be less dogmatic than non-nurses and not more, as predicted. Additional analysis controlling for age, education and salary as covariates did not present mitigating findings.

Finally, a comparison of the two groups, based on the combined variance of a linear composite of political participation and dogmatism variables, yielded a significant distinction between nurse administrators and non-nurse administrators. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: B, page: 3707.

Thesis (PH.D.)--NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 1986.

School code: 0146.