Are secret relationships hot, then not? Romantic secrecy as a function of relationship duration

Are secret romances alluring or aversive? One theory suggests that romantic secrecy increases obsessive preoccupation with romantic partners and thereby enhances romantic relationships. Another theory suggests that romantic secrecy is burdensome and thereby undermines romantic relationships. We sought to rectify these conflicting perspectives by examining romantic secrecy and relationship duration using a large, Internet-based sample (N = 564). We predicted that romantic secrecy would have a positive influence in newer romantic relationships (obsessive preoccupation theory) and a negative influence in older romantic relationships (burden theory). In contrast, the obtained results indicate that romantic secrecy is a burden to both new and old romantic relationships.     

How Do Romantic Relationship Satisfaction,Gender Stereotypes,and Gender Relate to Future Time Orientation in Romantic Relationships?

The present study is an investigation into how romantic relationship satisfaction and attitudes toward gender stereotypes about romantic relationship and gender are related to future time orientation in romantic relationships (FTORR). Four hundred and thirteen (208 men and 205 women) university students taking elective psychology courses at Middle East Technical University were given a scale including items about FTORR, romantic relationship satisfaction, and attitudes toward gender stereotypes about romantic relationships. All the participants were then involved in a heterosexual romantic relationship. Multiple regression results showed that for the women, attitudes toward men's assertiveness and men's dominance in relationships were more important predictors of FTORR than relationship satisfaction. For the men, attitudes toward men's assertiveness and romantic relationship satisfaction were important predictors of FTORR, but attitude toward men's dominance was not a predictor of FTORR. Women were more future oriented in their ongoing romantic relationships than were men. Finally, participants who were highly satisfied with their relationships scored higher on FTORR than those who were less satisfied.     

Friend or Foe? Differential Use of the Self‐Based Heuristic as a Function of Relationship Satisfaction

ABSTRACT We report two studies investigating whether relationship satisfaction differentially influences the use of the "self-based heuristic" (SBH) or the degree to which an individual's own characteristics contribute to ratings of another's personality. Individuals rated themselves, a friend, and a person with whom they have experienced significant conflict (a "foe"); ratings were made on measures of the Big Five and trait affectivity. Replicating previous research, judges made greater use of the SBH when rating trait affectivity than when rating the Big Five. In addition, individuals were more likely to utilize the SBH when rating friends than when rating foes. Further, relationship satisfaction made significant independent contributions in accounting for the variance in trait ratings of others. These findings extend our understanding of the mechanisms involved with person perception beyond observable trait-related information.     

Beliefs About the Outcomes of Extramarital Sexual Relationships as a Function of the Gender of the “Cheating Spouse”

A person perception experiment was conducted toexamine people's beliefs about the outcome of anextramarital sexual relationship involving ahypothetical single friend and a married person. Twohundred and eleven undergraduate students (80 males and129 females; most of whom were Caucasian) were theparticipants in the experiment. The married person inthe vignette was presented as either a man or a woman (and always the opposite gender of the singlefriend) and as having low or high investments in themarriage (as indicated by number of children and yearsmarried). Results indicated that the participants' perceptions of the outcome of this type ofextramarital relationship depended on the gender of themarried person/single friend. Participants were morelikely to believe that the married person loved the extramarital partner, was committed to theextramarital relationship, and would marry theextramarital partner, if the married person was a womanrather than a man. The investment manipulations had noeffect on participants' perceptions of therelationship. The results were discussed as they relateto other beliefs about male vs. femalesexuality.     

The Interpersonal Power of Feminism: Is Feminism Good for Romantic Relationships?

Past research suggests that women and men alike perceive feminism and romance to be in conflict (Rudman and Fairchild, Psychol Women Q, 31:125–136, 2007). A survey of US undergraduates (N?=?242) and an online survey of older US adults (N?=?289) examined the accuracy of this perception. Using self-reported feminism and perceived partners’ feminism as predictors of relationship health, results revealed that having a feminist partner was linked to healthier relationships for women. Additionally, men with feminist partners reported greater relationship stability and sexual satisfaction in the online survey. Finally, there was no support for negative feminist stereotypes (i.e., that feminists are single, lesbians, or unattractive). In concert, the findings reveal that beliefs regarding the incompatibility of feminism and romance are inaccurate.     

Can We Be (and Stay) Friends? Remaining Friends After Dissolution of a Romantic Relationship

ABSTRACT

Although many individuals report being friends with their ex-romantic partners (Wilmot, Carbaugh, & Baxter, 1985 Wilmot, W. W., Carbaugh, D. A. and Baxter, L. A. 1985. Communicative strategies used to terminate romantic relationships. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 49: 204–216. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]), the literature regarding post-romantic friendships is very limited. We investigated whether satisfaction in the dissolved romantic relationship could predict post-romantic friendships and friendship maintenance. We found that the more satisfied individuals were during the dissolved romance, the more likely they were to remain friends and the more likely they were to engage in friendship maintenance behaviors. We also found that friendship maintenance fully mediated the association between past romantic satisfaction and current friendship satisfaction.     

Young Adult Women’s Reports of Their Male Romantic Partner’s Pornography Use as a Correlate of Their Self-Esteem, Relationship Quality, and Sexual Satisfaction

Pornography is both prevalent and normative in many cultures across the world, including United States’ culture; however, little is known about the psychological and relational effects that it can have on young adult women involved in heterosexual romantic relationships in which their male partners view pornography. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between men’s pornography use, both frequency and problematic use, on their heterosexual female partner’s psychological and relational well-being among 308 young adult college women. In addition, psychometric properties for the Perceived Partner’s Pornography Use Scale are provided. Participants were recruited at a large Southern public university in the United States and completed an online survey. Results revealed women’s reports of their male partner’s frequency of pornography use were negatively associated with their relationship quality. More perceptions of problematic use of pornography was negatively correlated with self-esteem, relationship quality, and sexual satisfaction. In addition, self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between perceptions of partner’s problematic pornography use and relationship quality. Finally, results revealed that relationship length moderated the relationship between perceptions of partner’s problematic pornography use and sexual satisfaction, with significant dissatisfaction being associated with longer relationship length.     

Helpful Today,But Not Tomorrow? Feeling Grateful as a Predictor of Daily Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

This research extends the existing theoretical understanding of what predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Using experience sampling techniques, we examine the within‐person relation between OCB and a novel, theoretically relevant predictor: state gratitude. Using 4 independent samples with a total of 210 working adults and 173 undergraduate students, we developed a reliable and valid measure of state gratitude. Drawing upon the moral affect model of gratitude and affective events theory, we conducted 2 experience sampling studies with data collected from 67 (Study 2) and 104 (Study 3) working adults to test the effects of state gratitude on OCB, beyond the effects of several relevant constructs (i.e., state positive affect, dispositional gratitude, and social exchange). Our results advance OCB research and explanations of OCB by modeling OCB as a dynamic, time‐variant construct and by demonstrating that feelings of gratitude, a discrete positive emotion, can be an effective predictor of OCB.     

The Romance of Self-objectification: Does Priming Romantic Relationships Induce States of Self-objectification Among Women?

Objectification theory suggests that women internalize an observer’s perspective on the body (self objectification; Fredrickson and Roberts, Psychol Women Q 22:173–206, 1997); however, certain contexts and thoughts may make self-objectification more likely. Because the pursuit of relationships is tied to attractiveness, the present study examines whether women have an automatic link between self-objectification and romantic relationships. Using a US undergraduate sample, women (N?=?86) of different relationship statuses were either exposed to relationship-related or neutral words in a lexical decision making task. Following relationship priming, single women showed greater self-objectification and women in relationships showed less self-objectification. These findings are discussed in terms of self-objectification theory and the importance of attractiveness and beauty in the pursuit of relationships.     

Variations in Anxiety and Depression as a Function of ADHD Subtypes Defined by DSM-IV: Do Subtype Differences Exist or Not?

Concerns have been raised about the ability of diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to distinguish subtypes that are clearly distinct from each other with regard to clinical correlates. One area of concern is that research regarding differences in anxiety and depression as a function of ADHD subtype has produced discrepant findings. This study was designed to systematically evaluate whether the ADHD subtypes differ with regard to level of internalizing symptoms. From a large pool of children referred to an ADHD center based in a pediatric hospital, children were differentiated into three groups: ADHD, Combined Type (ADHD/COM); ADHD, Inattentive Type (ADHD/I); and a non-ADHD, comparison group (COMP). Parent- and child-report measures using both dimensional and categorical methods were used to assess internalizing symptoms. The results indicated that children with ADHD/COM and ADHD/I had similar levels of anxiety and depression. Subtype differences related to parent-reported depression were accounted for by group differences in level of externalizing problems. The results were discussed with regard to their implications for refining the criteria used to differentiate children with ADHD into subtypes.     

Reciprocal Relations between Emerging Adults’ Representations of Relationships with Mothers,Fathers, and Romantic Partners

This study employed a fully cross-lagged, longitudinal model to examine reciprocal relations between representations of relationships with parents and romantic partners at ages 20 and 22. Representations were assessed with continuous measures of dismissing/avoidant and preoccupied relationship styles across the attachment and affiliation systems for parents, and across the attachment, affiliation, and caregiving systems for romantic partners. Earlier relationships with both mothers and fathers independently predicted changes in later views of romantic relationships, and earlier romantic relationships predicted changes in later views of relationships with both mothers and fathers. This evidence of a developmental system of interconnected representations across relationships has theoretical implications about the nature of working models, and practical implications alerting parents to the onset of dating as a potentially fertile context for changes in their relationships with children.     

Is It Me or Is It Mine? Body-self Integration as a Function of Self-esteem,Body-esteem,and Mortality Salience

This research was designed to explore the extent to which the physical body is integrated into individuals' conceptualizations of self. We hypothesized that body-self integration would vary as a function of level of general self-esteem, specific self-evaluations for the body, and also mortality salience due to existential implications of the physical body's certainty of eventual death. In a neutral condition (no mortality reminder), individuals with high self-esteem were found to hold conceptualizations of the self that include the body to the extent that they had high body self-esteem, whereas individuals low in self-esteem did not exhibit these self-serving body-self representations. In addition, mortality salience led to a distancing of the self from the body, but only for people lacking the protection provided by high general or body-specific self-esteem. Our discussion focused on individual difference in low and high self-esteem and implications of bodily threats to conceptualizations for self.     

Who Finds Bill Gates Sexy? Creative Mate Preferences as a Function of Cognitive Ability,Personality, and Creative Achievement

Creativity is sexy, but are all creative behaviors equally sexy? We attempted to clarify the role of creativity in mate selection among an ethnically diverse sample of 815 undergraduates. First we assessed the sexual attractiveness of different forms of creativity: ornamental/aesthetic, applied/technological, and everyday/domestic creativity. Both males and females preferred ornamental/aesthetic forms of creativity in a prospective sexual partner than applied/technological and everyday/domestic forms of creativity. Secondly, we assessed the simultaneous prediction of general cognitive ability, personality, divergent thinking, self‐perceptions of creativity, and creative achievement on preferences for different forms of creativity in a prospective sexual partner. The results were generally consistent with assortative mating. The most robust predictors of a preference for applied/technological forms of creativity in a potential sexual partner were intellectual interests and creative achievement in applied/technological domains. In contrast, the most robust predictor of a preference for ornamental/aesthetic forms of creativity was openness to experience. The results suggest that openness to experience and its associated aesthetic, perceptual, and affective aspects are the primary characteristics influencing the sexual attractiveness of a creative display. Further, the results demonstrate the importance of also taking into account individual differences in personality, interests, and creative achievement when considering the sexual attractiveness of different manifestations of creativity.     

Male and Female Observers’ Evaluations of a Bullying Case as a Function of Degree of Harm,Type of Bullying,and Academic Level

Acting as disciplinary committee members, participants listened to a school bullying case that varied in terms of type (relational or verbal), degree of harm (low or high), and academic level of the victim and defendant (high school or university). Participants’ judgments (e.g., verdict, recommended sentence, seriousness, perceptions of both students) generally favored the victim when he experienced more rather than less harm, regardless of bullying type, and when the incident took place in a high school rather than a university. Additionally, women’s judgments supported the victim more than men’s. We propose that previous results suggesting that observers downgrade relational bullying occurred because no harm was specified. Moreover, we contend that observers relied on a “bullying schema” that includes the component that bullying occurs in primary and secondary schools, which led them to make less punitive judgments in the university case.     

Are Pornography Users More Likely to Experience a Romantic Breakup? Evidence from Longitudinal Data

Previous research suggests that pornography use, under certain circumstances, may negatively influence the quality of romantic relationships. Yet we still know relatively little about whether watching pornography is associated with the stability of romantic relationships later on. This study examined whether Americans who use pornography, either at all or more frequently, are more prone to report experiencing a romantic breakup over time. Longitudinal data were taken from the 2006 and 2012 waves of the nationally representative Portraits of American Life Study (N = 969). Binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated that Americans who viewed pornography at all in 2006 were nearly twice as likely as those who never viewed pornography to report experiencing a romantic breakup by 2012, even after controlling for relevant factors such as 2006 relationship status and other sociodemographic correlates. This association was considerably stronger for men than for women and for unmarried Americans than for married Americans. Analyses also showed a linear relationship between how frequently Americans viewed pornography in 2006 and their odds of experiencing a breakup by 2012. The findings affirm that earlier pornography use is associated with lower stability within Americans’ romantic relationships, especially for men and the unmarried. Data limitations and implications for future research are discussed.     

Fitts’ Law as a Function of System Dynamics and Target Uncertainty

Fitts’ law was found to hold for discrete movements executed by subjects controlling the velocity of a cursor with a control stick. The slope of movement time versus index of difficulty was approximately twice as large as for a comparable position control system. Target uncertainty also increased the slope of total time versus index of difficulty, and this effect is interpreted in terms of adaptive tuning of the human movement system.     

What is philosophy as a way of life? Why philosophy as a way of life?

Despite a recent surge of interest in philosophy as a way of life, it is not clear what it might mean for philosophy to guide one's life, or how a “philosophical” way of life might differ from a life guided by religion, tradition, or some other source. We argue against John Cooper that spiritual exercises figure crucially in the idea of philosophy as a way of life—not just in the ancient world but also today, at least if the idea is to be viable. In order to make the case we attempt to clarify the nature of spiritual exercises, and to explore a number of fundamental questions, such as “What role does reason have in helping us to live well?” Here we distinguish between the discerning and motivational powers of reason, and argue that both elements have limitations as guides to living well.     

How do Relationship Stability and Quality Affect Wellbeing?: Romantic Relationship Trajectories,Depressive Symptoms,and Life Satisfaction across 30 Years

Lifecourse theory scholars focus on how individuals traverse social roles, such as marriage, parenthood, and employment, in similar and different ways across their lives. This study examined one specific role trajectory: romantic relationships. This study examined men’s and women’s (N?=?3617) relationship status and quality across approximately 30 years. Using second-order latent class analysis, results showed four predominant relationship role trajectories: (a) Multiple Transitions, (b) Stable Marriage with High Conflict, (c) Stable Marriage with High Satisfaction, and (d) Marriage to Divorce/cohabitation. These relationship role trajectories differed on two aspects of quality of life: life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Individuals in the Multiple Transitions trajectory consistently reported poorest quality of life; however, those in the Multiple Transitions and Stable Marriage with High Conflict trajectories were the only that reported decreases in depressive symptoms over 30 years. Relationship satisfaction poorly differentiated the trajectories compared to relationship conflict and stability.