The relationship context of human behavior and development

Comment: Developing and Maintaining High-Quality Relationships via Emotion

This comment addresses opportunities for understanding the social functions of emotion by taking a developmental perspective. I agree that understanding emotions and their development will meaningfully illuminate understanding of prosociality in everyday life. Taking Vaish and Hepach’s (2020) approach one step further, I suggest that rather than using the framing of questions about prosociality from the adult literature to guide questions about the development of social emotions in children, in the future, developmental researchers consider the social milieu in which emotions evolved and in which children’s emotions may develop, to guide their questions. This may feed forward to a richer understanding of cooperation and reciprocity in the literature regarding adult strangers.

Mother-child dyadic influences of affect on everyday movement behaviors: evidence from an ecological momentary assessment study

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that affect is associated with everyday movement behaviors in children and adults. However, limited work to date has investigated dyadic influences of momentary affect on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time among children and their mothers using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

METHODS

Mothers and their children (eight to 12-years-old at baseline) from the Los Angeles metropolitan area participated in a longitudinal study with six semi-annual measurement waves across three years. During each measurement wave, mothers and children reported momentary negative and positive affect via a custom smartphone-based EMA application across seven days (randomly sampled up to eight times per day). Each dyad member's momentary affective states were used to predict their own and the other dyad member's accelerometer-measured MVPA and sedentary time in the prompt-matched 45-min time window. Multilevel modeling within the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) framework was applied to accommodate the nested dyadic nature of the data.

RESULTS

At the within-subject level, when children had higher-than-usual positive affect, they engaged in greater MVPA and less sedentary time in the prompt-matched 45-min window (actor effects; ps < .001). When mothers experienced higher-than-usual positive affect, they engaged in more sedentary time in the same 45-min window (actor effect; p < .001). Children's higher-than-usual positive affect also predicted more MVPA time of their mothers (partner effect; p < .05). At the between-subjects level, for mothers who reported higher average negative affect than other mothers, their children overall had less MVPA and more sedentary time (partner effects ps < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study extends the literature by demonstrating that mothers' and children's everyday physical activity and sedentary time are not only associated with their own affective states, but also may be influenced by the affective states of each other. Our findings suggest that affective states have the potential to influence movement behaviors in mother-child dyads' everyday lives. Affective underpinnings of physical activity and sedentary behaviors should be further studied in order to develop family-based intervention strategies to influence these behaviors.

Individual and network factors associated with HCV treatment uptake among people who inject drugs

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID), a population with disproportionately high rates of HCV, remains low. Peers have been shown to positively impact a broad range of health outcomes for PWID. There is, however, limited data on the impact of PWID social network members on HCV treatment.

METHODS

HCV-infected PWID enrolled in an ongoing community-based cohort were recruited as "indexes" to complete an egocentric social network survey. The survey elicited from the index PWID a list of their network members and the index's perception of network member characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare individual and network factors associated with HCV treatment in the index PWID.

RESULTS

Among 540 HCV-infected PWID, the mean age was 55.7 years and the majority were black (87.2%) and male (69.8%). PWID reported a mean of 4.4 (standard deviation [SD] 3.2) network members, most of whom were relatives (mean 2.2 [SD 1.5]). In multivariable analysis, increasing index age and HIV infection were positively associated with HCV treatment, while drug use and homelessness in the preceding 6 months were negatively associated with HCV treatment. From a network perspective, having at least one network member who regularly talked with the index about seeing their doctor for HIV care was associated with HCV treatment (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.3, 5.6]). Conversely, PWID who had at least one network member who helped them understand their HCV care were less likely to have been HCV treated (AOR 0.2; CI [0.1, 0.6).

CONCLUSION

HCV treatment uptake in this group of PWID appeared to be positively influenced by discussions with network members living with HIV who were in care and negatively influenced by HCV information sharing within PWID networks. These findings underscore the influence of peers on health seeking behaviors of their network members and emphasizes the importance of well-informed peers.

Characterizing latent classes of social support among persons who inject drugs

BACKGROUND

Social network members influence risk and health behaviors, yet little is known about the support that persons who inject drugs (PWID) receive from their closest ties.

METHODS

970 participants from the AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) study completed a social network survey between April 2016 and June 2017 about their five closest ties. Our analysis: 1) identified latent classes of support received by participants; 2) determined whether class membership differed by current (≤12 months) vs. former (>12 months) injection drug use; 3) compared classes of support by individual and network characteristics.

RESULTS

970 participants listed 3,388 network members. We identified three support classes: (1) Moderate (n = 249): probabilities of support <0.40; (2) High (n = 366): probabilities of support 0.58-0.82; (3) Very high (n = 355): probabilities of support 0.91-0.99. In adjusted analysis compared to moderate support, the odds of high and very high support increased as the mean age of network members increased (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]:1.03; 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.05) and as the number of network members with whom they interacted daily increased (AOR-high: 1.33; 95 % CI:1.14, 1.56 and AOR-very high: 1.54; 95 % CI: 1.30, 1.83). While current injection drug use was associated with lower unadjusted odds of high and very high support, the associations were not statistically significant in adjusted analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Support was higher among networks of older ties and more frequent interaction, but differences did not appear to be driven by injection drug use status. Findings point to the importance of the closest social ties.

Beauty and the beast: Promotion concerns and the pursuit of physically attractive mates

OBJECTIVE

In the mating market, individuals differ in their aspirations to pursue opposite-sex mates who have a relatively higher (vs. similar) level of physical attractiveness. Few studies have explored how motivational concerns outside the mating domain can account for these individual differences in romantic aspiration. Based on regulatory focus theory, this research tested how broad concerns for promotion and prevention influence the aspiration and dating outcome.

METHOD

Four studies tested whether promotion concerns increase romantic aspiration and the chance to mate with a more physically attractive partner. The first three studies tested how promotion concerns, either measured (Studies 1a and 2) or manipulated (Study 1b), can influence romantic aspiration. Study 3 further tested how one's chronic promotion concerns are related to the physical attractiveness of the current partner (as rated by observers).

RESULTS

The first three studies supported the prediction that promotion concerns increase aspiration to pursue more physically attractive mates. The last study also found that, controlling for their own physical attractiveness, individuals with stronger promotion concerns tend to mate with physically attractive partners.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the significant roles of broad motivational concerns in determining both aspiration and chance to date a more physically attractive partner.

Adult attachment insecurity and associations with diabetes distress, daily stressful events and self-management in type 1 diabetes

Anxious and avoidant attachment may be detrimental for diabetes distress and management. Additionally, individuals' perceptions of their partner's involvement may affect these associations. The study explored cross-sectionally and at the daily level whether anxious and avoidant attachment associated with diabetes distress or stressors and diabetes management, and whether higher perceived collaboration and support (C&S) moderated associations between attachment and diabetes management. Individuals with type 1 diabetes (N = 199; M age = 46.82; 52.3% women) completed measures of diabetes distress, diabetes-related C&S, self-care, average blood glucose (hemoglobin A1c), and attachment insecurity, and daily diary measures of diabetes-related C&S, diabetes stressors, mean blood glucose, and self-care. Higher anxious and avoidant attachment associated with higher diabetes distress. Higher anxious attachment associated with more daily stressors. Anxious attachment associated with lower self-care. C&S did not moderate any associations. Findings highlight the need to consider attachment when designing interventions to reduce diabetes-related distress.

Pair-Bonding as Inclusion of Other in the Self: A Literature Review

This article surveys scholarship on the self-expansion model principle of inclusion of other in the self (IOS) as it relates to long-term pair-bonding (i.e., enduring adult romantic monogamous relationships). First, we introduce the concept of IOS and then provide a brief overview of prior research. We then review compelling extensions and findings related to relational concepts such as perspective taking (Bernstein et al., 2015), social comparison (Thai and Lockwood, 2015), self-determination (Weinstein et al., 2016), humor (Treger et al., 2013), and pain contagion (Martire et al., 2013). Next, we explore two recent theoretical directions of the principle—the two-dimensional model of relational self-change (McIntyre et al., 2015) and the perceived inclusion of the other in the self (IOS-perceived) construct (Tomlinson and Aron, 2013). Considering these findings and their relation to pair-bonding, we propose important future directions of the IOS principle of the self-expansion model.

The Authenticity of the Others: How Teammates’ Authenticity Relates to Our Well-Being

Although prior research has linked being authentic to individual well-being, little is known about authenticity’s external effects, that is, whether being around those who are authentic is good or bad for us. Integrating authenticity research and social penetration theory, we propose that others’ authenticity facilitates a number of positive intra- and interpersonal processes. Using a sample of 715 employees nested in 109 teams working for a nonprofit organization, we found that teammate authenticity relates positively to focal employees’ work engagement and negatively to their emotional exhaustion. While teammate authenticity explained incremental validity in both outcomes beyond the focal employee’s self-authenticity, it did not moderate the link from self-authenticity to well-being. Thus, instead of further facilitating beneficial intra-individual processes, being around authentic teammates seems to trigger distinct beneficial (social) processes that are neglected when focusing merely on the authenticity of the individual employee.

Emotions at the Service of Cultural Construction

Emotions signal flaws in the person’s anticipation systems, or in other words, in aspects of models of how the world works. As these models are essentially shared in society, emotional challenges experienced by any individual are of relevance to the community of others. Emotions emerge at the heart of the individual experience, the only place where collective knowledge can be tested against the world. Once felt, emotions generate a cascade of psychological facts: compelling concern, cognitive work, social sharing, and propagation of the social sharing. The larger the fault detected, the more intense the emotion, the more intensive the cognitive work it generates, and the broader the social sharing of the episodic information. Through the social sharing of emotions, common knowledge is updated and enriched.

The Social Relations Model for Count Data

Abstract. The social relations model (SRM) is typically used to identify sources of variance in interpersonal dispositions in families. Traditionally, it uses dyadic measurements that are obtained from a round-robin design, where each family member rates each other family member. Those dyadic measurements are mostly considered to be continuous, but we, however, will discuss how the SRM can be adapted to count dyadic measurements. Such SRM for count data can be formulated in the SEM-framework by viewing it as a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), but it can also be defined in the multilevel framework. These two frameworks result in equivalent models of which the parameters can be estimated using maximum likelihood estimation or a Bayesian approach. We perform a simulation study to compare the performance of those two estimators. As an illustration, we consider intergenerational co-activity data from a block design and contrast family dynamics between non-divorced families and stepfamilies.

The validity of RFID badges measuring face-to-face interactions

Face-to-face interactions are important for a variety of individual behaviors and outcomes. In recent years, a number of human sensor technologies have been proposed to incorporate direct observations in behavioral studies of face-to-face interactions. One of the most promising emerging technologies is the application of active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) badges. They are increasingly applied in behavioral studies because of their low costs, straightforward applicability, and moderate ethical concerns. However, despite the attention that RFID badges have recently received, there is a lack of systematic tests on how valid RFID badges are in measuring face-to-face interactions. With two studies, we aim to fill this gap. Study 1 (N = 11) compares how data assessed with RFID badges correspond with video data of the same interactions (construct validity) and how this fit can be improved using straightforward data processing strategies. The analyses show that the RFID badges have a sensitivity of 50%, which can be enhanced to 65% when flickering signals with gaps of less than 75 s are interpolated. The specificity is relatively less affected by this interpolation process (before interpolation 97%, after interpolation 94.7%)-resulting in an improved accuracy of the measurement. In Study 2 (N = 73) we show that self-report data of social interactions correspond highly with data gathered with the RFID badges (criterion validity).

Well-Being and Romantic Relationships: A Systematic Review in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are both stages in which romantic relationships play a key role in development and can be a source of both well-being and negative outcomes. However, the limited number of studies prior to adulthood, along with the multiplicity of variables involved in the romantic context and the considerable ambiguity surrounding the construct of well-being, make it difficult to reach conclusions about the relationship between the two phenomena. This systematic review synthesizes the results produced into this topic over the last three decades. A total of 112 studies were included, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. On the one hand, these works revealed the terminological heterogeneity in research on well-being and the way the absence of symptoms of illness are commonly used to measure it, while on the other hand, they also showed that romantic relationships can be an important source of well-being for both adolescents and emerging adults. The findings underline the importance of providing a better definition of well-being, as well as to attribute greater value to the significance of romantic relationships. Devoting greater empirical, educational, and community efforts to romantic development in the stages leading up to adulthood are considered necessary actions in promoting the well-being of young people.

The Young Adult Love Lives of Happy Teenagers: The Role of Adolescent Affect in Adult Romantic Relationship Functioning

This study assessed early adolescent positive and negative affect as long-term predictors of romantic conflict, anxious and avoidant attachment, romantic and social competence, and relationship satisfaction in adulthood utilizing a longitudinal, multi-informant study of 166 participants assessed annually at ages 14-17, and again at ages 23-25. Positive affect in adolescence predicted greater self-rated social competence during late adolescence and greater self-rated romantic competence and less partner-reported hostile conflict almost a decade later. Negative affect predicted lower social and romantic competence. Results generally remained significant after controlling for personality traits, providing greater support for the hypothesis that affect has a robust, direct relation to romantic development over time.

Leader–follower pessimism (in)congruence and job satisfaction

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the (in)congruence of leaders’ and followers’ cognitive characteristics (i.e. pessimism), followers’ identification with a leader and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 291 working professionals are analyzed, following a series of hierarchical linear modeling and mediated polynomial regression analyses.

Findings

Polynomial regression analysis results indicate that alignment (congruence) between leaders’ pessimism and followers’ pessimism, when both are at high levels, is related to low levels of job satisfaction. Further, leader–follower congruence at lower levels of pessimism leads to high levels of job satisfaction through the mediator of followers’ perceived identification with a leader.

Originality/value

By identifying (in)congruence of leader–follower pessimism as a key antecedent, and taking an explanatory mechanism of identification with a leader into account, the authors contribute to disentangling the conceptual paths that underlie the mode by which implicit leadership theory might explain instances of individual job satisfaction.

Our Fragile Relationships: Relationship Threat and Its Effect on the Allure of Alternative Mates

Long-term romantic commitments may offer many benefits. It is thus unsurprising that people employ strategies that help protect their relationships against the allure of alternative partners. The present research focused on the circumstances under which these strategies are less effective. Specifically, four studies examined the effect of internal relationship threat on expressions of desire for alternative mates. In Study 1, participants reported perceptions of relationship threat, their desire for their partner, and expressions of attraction to alternative mates. In Studies 2-4, participants underwent a threat manipulation and then encountered attractive strangers. Their reactions during these encounters (expressed interest, provision of help, and overt flirtation in Studies 2, 3, and 4, respectively) were recorded. Results showed that experiencing threat led to increased expressions of desire for alternatives. As indicated in Studies 1 and 2, decreased desire for current partners partially explained this effect, suggesting that desire functions as a gauge of romantic compatibility, ensuring that only valued relationships are maintained.

Positive Interpersonal Processes

Good relationships are characterized by frequent positive social interactions, such as having fun together, sharing laughs, doing kind things for one another, and expressing gratitude. Here, building on rapidly emerging findings, I articulate core features of positive interpersonal processes for the first time. This approach leads to useful specificity in predictions about relationship consequences and simultaneously contributes to both affective and relationship science, two domains that span disciplines within the psychological literature. In turn, basic research on everyday positive interpersonal processes points toward new avenues for understanding the well-established links between good relationships and health.

Mindfulness - The Missing Link in the Relationship Between Leader-Follower Strategic Optimism (Mis)match and Work Engagement

Assuming a followership perspective and building on implicit leadership theory, this study examines the mediating role of followers' mindfulness in the relationship between leader-follower strategic optimism (mis)match and work engagement. Specifically, we propose that a discrepancy between the respective levels of leaders' and followers' strategic optimism correlates with low levels of mindfulness and work engagement. A field study of 291 working professionals, using polynomial regression and response surface analysis, supports the (mis)match hypotheses. The results demonstrate that followers' mindfulness mediates the relationship between leaders' and followers' matching levels of strategic optimism (whether at high-high and low-low leader-follower strategic optimism conditions) and work engagement. These findings have important implications for training and the extent to which interventions based on personal resources, such as strategic optimism and therefore mindfulness, foster higher work engagement.

Indistinguishability tests in the actor-partner interdependence model

When considering dyadic data, one of the questions is whether the roles of the two dyad members can be considered equal. This question may be answered empirically using indistinguishability tests in the actor-partner interdependence model. In this paper several issues related to such indistinguishability tests are discussed: the difference between maximum likelihood and restricted maximum likelihood based tests for equality in variance parameters; the choice between the structural equation modelling and multilevel modelling framework; and the use of sequential testing rather than one global test for a set of indistinguishability tests. Based on simulation studies, we provide guidelines for best practice. All different types of tests are illustrated with cross-sectional and longitudinal data, and corroborated with corresponding R code.

Epistemology in the Era of Fake News

Fake news has recently garnered increased attention across the world. Digital collaboration technologies now enable individuals to share information at unprecedented rates to advance their own ideologies. Much of this sharing occurs via social networking sites (SNSs), whose members may choose to share information without consideration for its authenticity. This research advances our understanding of information verification behaviors among SNS users in the context of fake news. Grounded in literature on the epistemology of testimony and theoretical perspectives on trust, we develop a news verification behavior research model and test six hypotheses with a survey of active SNS users. The empirical results confirm the significance of all proposed hypotheses. Perceptions of news sharers' network (perceived cognitive homogeneity, social tie variety, and trust), perceptions of news authors (fake news awareness and perceived media credibility), and innate intentions to share all influence information verification behaviors among SNS members. Theoretical implications, as well as implications for SNS users and designers, are presented in the light of these findings.

Cognitive Development of Toddlers: Does Parental Stimulation Matter?

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of quality of early stimulation on cognitive functioning of toddlers living in a developing country.

METHODS

The developmental functioning of 150 toddlers in the age range of 12-30 mo (53% boys; Mean = 1.76 y, SD = 0.48) was assessed by the mental developmental index of the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII). The StimQ questionnaire- toddler version was used to measure cognitive stimulation at home. The questionnaire consists of four subscales including availability of learning materials (ALM), reading activities (READ), parent involvement in developmental activities (PIDA), and parent verbal responsivity (PVR). Multivariate regression analysis was used to predict cognitive scores using demographic (age of child), socio-economic status (SES) (income, parental education), and home environment (subscale scores of StimQ) as independent variables.

RESULTS

Mean Mental Development Index (MDI) score was 91.5 (SD = 13.41), nearly one-fifth (17.3%) of the toddlers had MDI scores less than 80 (cognitive delay). Children with cognitive delay, relative to typically developing (TD, MDI score ≥ 80) cohort of toddlers, had significantly lower scores on all the subscales of StimQ and the total StimQ score. Despite the overall paucity of learning materials available to toddlers, typical developing toddlers were significantly more likely to have access to symbolic toys (P = 0.004), art materials (P = 0.032), adaptive/fine motor toys (P = 0.018), and life size toys (P = 0.036). Multivariate regression analysis results indicated that controlling for confounding socio-economic status variables, higher parental involvement in developmental activities (PIDA score) and higher parental verbal responsivity (PVR score) emerged as significant predictors of higher MDI scores and explained 34% of variance in MDI scores (F = 23.66, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Disparities in child development emerge fairly early and these differences are not all linked to economic disparities. There is a need to develop evidence-based parenting interventions for primary prevention of developmental problems, especially in resource poor countries.

Convoys of Social Relations in Cross-National Context

Purpose of the Study

This study examines national variations in social networks among older adults across 4 countries in diverse regions of the world: Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, and the United States. The aim is to provide insights into universal as well as unique attributes of social networks in later life.

Design and Methods

The analyses examine convoy characteristics among adults aged 50+ in metropolitan areas of Japan (N = 557), Lebanon (N = 284), Mexico (N = 556), and the United States (N = 583). Data were collected using the hierarchical mapping technique on representative samples in each locale. Multilevel models were conducted by nation to examine whether convoy characteristics vary by age and closeness.

Results

Network size and geographic proximity were dimensions of social networks sensitive to national context. By contrast, how age and feelings of closeness varied with contact frequency and the presence of children in networks revealed universal patterns. Furthermore, feelings of closeness varied by age with regard to size and contact frequency in Lebanon, proximity in Japan, and composition in Mexico.

Implications

Identifying universal and unique characteristics of social networks in later life provide a preliminary empirical basis upon which to advance a global perspective on convoys of social relations and how they inform policies that can facilitate health and well-being among middle-aged and older people around the world.

Positive Social Interactions in a Lifespan Perspective with a Focus on Opioidergic and Oxytocinergic Systems: Implications for Neuroprotection

In recent years, a growing interest has emerged in the beneficial effects of positive social interactions on health. The present work aims to review animal and human studies linking social interactions and health throughout the lifespan, with a focus on current knowledge of the possible mediating role of opioids and oxytocin. During the prenatal period, a positive social environment contributes to regulating maternal stress response and protecting the fetus from exposure to maternal active glucocorticoids. Throughout development, positive social contact with the caregiver acts as a “hidden regulator” and promotes infant neuroaffective development. Postnatal social neuroprotection interventions involving caregiver–infant physical contact seem to be crucial for rescuing preterm infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Attachment figures and friendships in adulthood continue to have a protective role for health and brain functioning, counteracting brain aging. In humans, implementation of meditative practices that promote compassionate motivation and prosocial behavior appears beneficial for health in adolescents and adults. Human and animal studies suggest the oxytocinergic and opioidergic systems are important mediators of the effects of social interactions. However, most of the studies focus on a specific phase of life (i.e., adulthood). Future studies should focus on the role of opioids and oxytocin in positive social interactions adopting a lifespan perspective.

Transforming cross-cultural conflict into collaboration

Purpose

Scholarly research provides few insights into how integrating the western values of individualism and low power distance with the eastern values of collectivism and high power distance may influence cross-cultural conflict management. Following the framework of the theory of cooperation and competition, the purpose of this paper is to directly examine the impacts of organization-level collectivism and individualism, as well as high and low power distance, to determine the interactive effects of these four factors on cross-cultural conflict management.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a 2×2 experiment study. Data were collected from a US laboratory experiment with 80 participants.

Findings

American managers working in a company embracing western low power distance and eastern collectivism values were able to manage conflict cooperatively with their Chinese workers. Moreover, American managers working in a company valuing collectivism developed more trust with Chinese workers, and those in a company culture with high power distance were more interested in their workers’ viewpoints and more able to reach integrated solutions.

Originality/value

This study is an interdisciplinary research applying the social psychology field’s theory of cooperation and competition to the research on employee-manager, cross-cultural conflict management (which are industrial relations and organizational behavior topics, respectively), with an eye to the role of cultural adaptation. Furthermore, this study included an experiment to directly investigate the interactions between American managers and Chinese workers discussing work distribution conflict in four different organizational cultures.

Parental Modeling and Deidentification in Romantic Relationships Among Mexican-origin Youth

This study investigated youth's modeling of and de-identification from parents in romantic relationships, using two phases of data from adolescent siblings, mothers, and fathers in 246 Mexican-origin families. Each parent reported his/her marital satisfaction and conflict, and youth reported on parent-adolescent warmth and conflict at Time 1. Youth's reports of modeling of and de-identification from their mothers and fathers and three romantic relationship outcomes were assessed at Time 2. Findings revealed that higher parental marital satisfaction, lower marital conflict, and higher warmth and lower conflict in parent-adolescent relationships were associated with more modeling and less de-identification from parents. Moreover, higher de-identification was linked to a greater likelihood of youth being involved in a romantic relationship and cohabitation, whereas more modeling was linked to a lower likelihood of cohabitation and older age of first sex. Discussion underscores the importance of assessing parental modeling and de-identification and understanding correlates of these processes.

The Fragile Spell of Desire: A Functional Perspective on Changes in Sexual Desire Across Relationship Development

The sexual behavioral system evolved to motivate reproductive acts by arousing sexual desire. Building on the idea that this system has also been "exploited" by evolutionary processes to promote enduring bonds between romantic partners, the present article introduces an integrative model that delineates the functional significance of sexual desire in relationship formation and maintenance. This model explains why individuals' sexual reaction to their partner is context-dependent, clarifying how changes in the nature of interdependence over the course of relationships alter the ways in which specific predictors of sexual desire tend to promote (or inhibit) desire and thereby affect relationship depth and stability. The model postulates that although desire influences the development of attachment bonds, the contribution that it makes varies over the course of relationships. The model also provides new insight regarding fundamental but unresolved issues in human sexuality, such as the vulnerability of sexual desire and the desire-intimacy paradox.

Young Children's Moral Judgments, Justifications, and Emotion Attributions in Peer Relationship Contexts

Children (n = 160, 4- to 9-year-olds; M_age  = 6.23 years, SD = 1.46) judged, justified, attributed emotions, and rated intent for hypothetical physical harm, psychological harm, and resource distribution transgressions against close friends, acquaintances, disliked peers, or bullies. Transgressions against bullies were judged more acceptable than against friends and disliked peers and less deserving of punishment than against acquaintances and disliked peers. Transgressions against friends were judged least intended and resulting in more negative emotions for transgressors; actors transgressing against disliked peers, as compared to bullies or acquaintances, were happy victimizers. Across relationships, children viewed moral transgressions as wrong independent of rules and authority, based primarily on welfare and fairness justifications. Peer context colors but does not fundamentally change moral evaluations.

An Exploratory Investigation of the Role of Openness in Relationship Quality among Emerging Adult Chinese Couples

This study tested emerging adult couples’ openness and its fit effect on their romantic relationship quality using quadratic polynomial regression and response surface analysis. Participants were 260 emerging adult dyads. Both dyads’ openness and relationship quality were measured. The result showed that (1) female and male openness contribute differently to relationship quality; (2) couples with similar high openness could experience better relationship quality than those with similar low openness traits; and (3) when dyadic openness is dissimilar, it is better to be either relatively high or relatively low than to be moderate. These findings highlight the role of openness in emerging adults’ romantic relationships from a dyadic angle.

Close relationship qualities and maternal peripheral inflammation during pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

Close relationships are associated with pregnancy outcomes, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. This paper examines whether quality of women's close relationships, specifically with romantic partner (RP) and closest friend or family member (CF), is associated with inflammatory biomarkers during the third trimester of pregnancy.

METHODS

90 pregnant women were assessed during the second and third trimester. At both visits they completed self-reports describing the positive and negative aspects of their RP and CF relationships. Peripheral blood was collected during these visits, and used to measure systemic levels of cytokines, including IFNγ, IL10, IL6, IL8 and IL13. An index of inflammatory regulation, as reflected by the ratio of IL6:IL10, was also computed.

RESULTS

Positive (e.g. support, intimacy) and negative (e.g. conflict) aspects of the RP relationship interacted to predict third trimester cytokine values. Specifically, RP relationships relatively low in both positive and negative aspects were associated with lower third trimester anti-inflammatory (IL10, IL13) and anti-viral (IFNγ) cytokines, and a higher IL6:IL10 ratio, controlling for second trimester levels. These associations were independent of demographics, gestational age, weeks between assessment, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal stress, distress, depressed mood and RP cohabitation. CF relationship aspects were not associated with inflammatory markers.

CONCLUSIONS

RP relationships relatively low in both positive, e.g. support and intimacy, and negative, e.g. conflict, aspects were associated with a less anti- and more pro-inflammatory cytokine profile during the third trimester. These findings have implications for understanding the associations amongst close relationships, inflammation, and potentially pregnancy outcomes.