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Bode A, Kowal M, Cannas Aghedu F, Kavanagh PS. Romantic Love and Sexual Frequency: Challenging Beliefs. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2024:1-12. [PMID: 39175258 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2024.2394670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Common conceptions of romantic love suggest that romantic love is associated with increased sexual activity with more frequent sex in the earlier stages of a romantic relationship. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated individual-level factors and sexual frequency using a validated measure of romantic love. This study tested a number of hypotheses about the factors associated with sexual frequency among 720 sexually active young adults experiencing romantic love from the Romantic Love Survey 2022. We hypothesized that relationship duration, the intensity of romantic love and obsessive thinking about a loved one, commitment, and hypomanic-like features would be associated with sexual frequency. Using hierarchical linear regression, controlling for known covariates, we found no significant associations between any of our variables of interest and the frequency of sexual frequency and our entire model of 14 well-reasoned predictors explained only 4.06% of the variation in sexual frequency. The findings are surprising and highlight how little is currently known about sexual activity and sexual desire among individuals experiencing romantic love.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bode
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Marta Kowal
- IDN Being Human Lab, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Phillip S Kavanagh
- Discipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
- Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Magill, SA, Australia
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2
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Agey E. Arranged and non-arranged marriages have similar reproductive outcomes in Nepal. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11080. [PMID: 38744943 PMCID: PMC11094175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61467-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Much of the evolutionary literature on mate choice presumes that individual mate preferences function to increase individual fitness, and this assumption has been confirmed in several experimental studies with animals. However, human mate choice, in many cultures, is heavily controlled by parents via arranged marriages, rather than the selection of the marrying individuals. Several studies have demonstrated that parents and offspring do not exhibit identical preferences for an in-law or spouse, respectively. If parental choice thwarts offspring's evolved mate preferences from being expressed, then arranged marriages should reduce fitness. Using data from the Chitwan Valley Family Study, I examined whether having an arranged marriage, as compared to a non-arranged marriage, is associated with differences in total births, offspring survival to age 15, or interbirth intervals in Nepal, a culture with a rich history of arranged marriage. I find that there are no differences in any reproductive outcomes between arranged, co-selected, and self-selected marriages. These results indicate that individuals in arranged and non-arranged marriages may achieve similar fitness outcomes via different pathways, which may be unique to human mating systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Agey
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
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3
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Mashayekh-Amiri S, Asghari Jafarabadi M, Molaie B, Rashidi F, Hemati E, Aliasghari F, Mirghafourvand M. Validation and measurement properties of the Male and Female Fertility Knowledge Inventories (MFKI and FFKI) in Iranian couples. Reprod Health 2024; 21:57. [PMID: 38649965 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-024-01795-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most important population challenges during the last three decades has been the significant decrease in the fertility rate worldwide. Since the validity and reliability of the Male and Female Fertility Knowledge Inventories (MFKI and FFKI) have not been determined in Iran, we conducted this study to assess psychometric characteristics of the MFKI and FFKI in couples in Tabriz and Urmia, Iran. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study, as the first part (quantitative phase) of a sequential explanatory mixed-method study. The current study was done on 1200 participants (600 women with their husbands) living in the northwestern region of Iran, between January 2023 and September 2023. The psychometric properties of the Persian version of the tool (MFKI and FFKI) were performed in 5 stages, including translation process, content validity, face validity, construct validity and reliability assesment. RESULTS In this study, the CVI, CVR, and impact scores of the MFKI tool were equal to 0.90, 0.88, 3.26 and CVI, CVR, and Impact scores of the FFKI tool were respectively equal to 0.95, 0.91 and 3.59, that it indicated a satisfactory level of content and face validity. Then, to check the construct validity, the results of the exploratory factor analysis of the MFKI tool on 13 items led to the identification of 3 factors, including Environment and reproductive health (ERH), Lifestyle factors (LSF) and Sperm quality (SQ), which explained 66% of the cumulative variance. The results of the exploratory factor analysis of the FFKI tool on 15 items led to the identification of 4 factors, including Reproductive health (RH), Lifestyle factors (LSF), Chance of conception (CHC) and Ovarian reserve and preservation (ORP), which explained 68% of the cumulative variance. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicated that the Persian version of MFKI and FFKI has acceptable psychometric properties to measure the awareness of Iranian couples regarding fertility, which can be used as a screening tool for fertility knowledge by health care professionals and also as a reliable tool in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mashayekh-Amiri
- Student of Midwifery, Students Research Committee, Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi
- Cabrini Research, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behnam Molaie
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Science, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rashidi
- Students Research Committee, Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Elnaz Hemati
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aliasghari
- Reproductive Health Research Center, Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Mojgan Mirghafourvand
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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4
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Fernandez AM, Barbato MT, Cordero B, Acevedo Y. What's love got to do with jealousy? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1249556. [PMID: 37842714 PMCID: PMC10568137 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1249556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Romantic love and jealousy seem antagonistic, but the expression of both emotions have evolutionary functions that can go in the same direction of maintaining a relationship. Considering natural selection designed adaptations to solve the problems surrounding reproduction, then love and romantic jealousy are emotions aimed at staying cooperative for a period of time, where love solves the adaptive challenges of promoting pair bonding, cooperation, and protecting offspring; and jealousy is triggered by a threat or the loss of a valuable cooperative relationship, either on behalf of descendants in need of resources, or a close romantic bond. Consequently, understanding love and romantic jealousy points in the same adaptive functional domain of protecting a romantic pair bond. Specifically, love can be comprehended in two different ways and in regard to jealousy. First, conceiving love as the attachment to significant others one develops throughout lifetime, and secondly, it contemplates affective dependence. Results from a sample of single and committed individuals (n = 332) show the predicted positive correlation between attachment and jealousy as stable traits, consistent with previous literature. In addition, there is a non-significant and low correlation, respectively, between attachment and love as a measure of dependence. Furthermore, in the single participants group, jealousy was associated with love. The discussion emphasizes the need for expanding a functional account of love and jealousy as complementary emotions of our human affective endowment. Finally, it would be informative to study attachment as a relational trait and love as a specific affection for a romantic partner that could be manipulated to elucidate the functional design of jealousy.
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Sorokowski P, Kowal M, Sternberg RJ, Aavik T, Akello G, Alhabahba MM, Alm C, Amjad N, Anjum A, Asao K, Atama CS, Atamtürk Duyar D, Ayebare R, Conroy-Beam D, Bendixen M, Bensafia A, Bizumic B, Boussena M, Buss DM, Butovskaya M, Can S, Carrier A, Cetinkaya H, Croy I, Cueto RM, Czub M, Dronova D, Dural S, Duyar I, Ertugrul B, Espinosa A, Estevan I, Esteves CS, Frackowiak T, Garduño JC, González KU, Guemaz F, Halamová M, Herak I, Horvat M, Hromatko I, Hui CM, Jaafar JL, Jiang F, Kafetsios K, Kavčič T, Kennair LEO, Kervyn N, Ha TTK, Khilji IA, Köbis NC, Kostic A, Lan HM, Láng A, Lennard GR, León E, Lindholm T, Linh TT, Lopez G, Van Luot N, Mailhos A, Manesi Z, Martinez R, McKerchar SL, Meskó N, Pejičić M, Misra G, Monaghan C, Mora EC, Moya-Garófano A, Musil B, Natividade JC, Nizharadze G, Oberzaucher E, Oleszkiewicz A, Omar-Fauzee MS, Onyishi IE, Özener B, Pagani AF, Pakalniskiene V, Parise M, Pazhoohi F, Pisanski A, Pisanski K, Ponciano E, Popa C, Prokop P, Rizwan M, Sainz M, Salkičević S, Sargautyte R, Sarmány-Schuller I, Schmehl S, Shahid A, Sharad S, Siddiqui RS, Simonetti F, Tadinac M, Vauclair CM, Vega LD, Walter KV, Widarini DA, Yoo G, Zaťková M, Zupančič M, Sorokowska A. Modernization, collectivism, and gender equality predict love experiences in 45 countries. Sci Rep 2023; 13:773. [PMID: 36641519 PMCID: PMC9840424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26663-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent cross-cultural and neuro-hormonal investigations have suggested that love is a near universal phenomenon that has a biological background. Therefore, the remaining important question is not whether love exists worldwide but which cultural, social, or environmental factors influence experiences and expressions of love. In the present study, we explored whether countries' modernization indexes are related to love experiences measured by three subscales (passion, intimacy, commitment) of the Triangular Love Scale. Analyzing data from 9474 individuals from 45 countries, we tested for relationships with country-level predictors, namely, modernization proxies (i.e., Human Development Index, World Modernization Index, Gender Inequality Index), collectivism, and average annual temperatures. We found that mean levels of love (especially intimacy) were higher in countries with higher modernization proxies, collectivism, and average annual temperatures. In conclusion, our results grant some support to the hypothesis that modernization processes might influence love experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kelly Asao
- Westminster College, Salt Lake City, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Mons Bendixen
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Boris Bizumic
- Australian National University AU, Canberra, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Seda Can
- Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Daria Dronova
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Seda Dural
- Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | | | | | - Carla Sofia Esteves
- Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbona, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Mária Halamová
- Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Iskra Herak
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Konstantinos Kafetsios
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Palacky University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Tina Kavčič
- University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Nicolas Kervyn
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | | | - Nils C Köbis
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hoang Moc Lan
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-Hanoi), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | | | - Ernesto León
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
| | | | - Trinh Thi Linh
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-Hanoi), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Giulia Lopez
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Nguyen Van Luot
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-Hanoi), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Zoi Manesi
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Edna Ponciano
- University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Coimba, Brazil
| | - Camelia Popa
- Romanian Academy - Institute of Philosophy and Psychology "C. Rădulescu-Motru", Bucharest, Romania
| | | | | | - Mario Sainz
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gyesook Yoo
- Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee, South Korea
| | - Marta Zaťková
- Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
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6
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Meskó N, Őry F, Happ Z, Zsidó AN. Sex differences in predictors of relationship satisfaction: The effects of dyadic coping, love, sexual motivation and having children. INTERPERSONA: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2022. [DOI: 10.5964/ijpr.7217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study explored sex differences in the predictors of relationship satisfaction (dyadic coping, love, sexual motivation, having children). A total of 465 Hungarian participants (319 women and 146 men) with a mean age of 33.6 years completed an online test battery comprising four self-report measures. The results revealed that women’s relationship satisfaction had more significant predictors than men’s, and half of the common predictors showed significant sex differences. Men’s satisfaction was positively predicted by the Intimacy and Passion components of love, while it was negatively predicted by Negative Dyadic Coping and by having at least one child. Besides Intimacy and Passion, two common predictors across sexes, women’s satisfaction was also positively predicted by the Commitment component of love, and also by successful coping with dyadic stress. By contrast, negative predictors were having sex as a means of coping with emotional problems (Sex as Coping), the individual aspect of dyadic coping (One’s Own Dyadic Coping), and Negative Dyadic coping. The findings are discussed in both bio-psychological and social constructionist approaches.
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7
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Agey E, Morris A, Chandy M, Gaulin SJC. Arranged Marriage Often Subverts Offspring Mate Choice: An HRAF‐Based Study. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Agey
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
| | - Addison Morris
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
| | - Maya Chandy
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
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8
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Kowal M, Groyecka-Bernard A, Kochan-Wójcik M, Sorokowski P. When and how does the number of children affect marital satisfaction? An international survey. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249516. [PMID: 33886597 PMCID: PMC8062063 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The present global study attempts to verify the links between marital satisfaction and the number of children as well as its moderators in an international sample. Data for the study was obtained from our published dataset and included 7178 married individuals from 33 countries and territories. We found that the number of children was a significant negative predictor of marital satisfaction; also sex, education, and religiosity were interacting with the number of children and marital satisfaction, while there were no interactions with economic status and individual level of individualistic values. The main contribution of the present research is extending our knowledge on the relationship between marital satisfaction and the number of children in several, non-Western countries and territories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Kowal
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
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9
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Bode A, Kushnick G. Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love. Front Psychol 2021; 12:573123. [PMID: 33912094 PMCID: PMC8074860 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.573123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Romantic love is a phenomenon of immense interest to the general public as well as to scholars in several disciplines. It is known to be present in almost all human societies and has been studied from a number of perspectives. In this integrative review, we bring together what is known about romantic love using Tinbergen’s “four questions” framework originating from evolutionary biology. Under the first question, related to mechanisms, we show that it is caused by social, psychological mate choice, genetic, neural, and endocrine mechanisms. The mechanisms regulating psychopathology, cognitive biases, and animal models provide further insights into the mechanisms that regulate romantic love. Under the second question, related to development, we show that romantic love exists across the human lifespan in both sexes. We summarize what is known about its development and the internal and external factors that influence it. We consider cross-cultural perspectives and raise the issue of evolutionary mismatch. Under the third question, related to function, we discuss the fitness-relevant benefits and costs of romantic love with reference to mate choice, courtship, sex, and pair-bonding. We outline three possible selective pressures and contend that romantic love is a suite of adaptions and by-products. Under the fourth question, related to phylogeny, we summarize theories of romantic love’s evolutionary history and show that romantic love probably evolved in concert with pair-bonds in our recent ancestors. We describe the mammalian antecedents to romantic love and the contribution of genes and culture to the expression of modern romantic love. We advance four potential scenarios for the evolution of romantic love. We conclude by summarizing what Tinbergen’s four questions tell us, highlighting outstanding questions as avenues of potential future research, and suggesting a novel ethologically informed working definition to accommodate the multi-faceted understanding of romantic love advanced in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bode
- Human Behavioural Ecology Research Group, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Geoff Kushnick
- Human Behavioural Ecology Research Group, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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10
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Mafra AL, Defelipe RP, Varella MAC, Townsend JM, Valentova JV. Mate value, intrasexual competition and sociosexual desire drive Brazilian women's well-being. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e25. [PMID: 37588543 PMCID: PMC10427315 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Well-being (vs. ill-being) might function as an internal guide for approaching (vs. avoiding) situations, strategies, and achievements that ancestrally led to higher (vs. lower) reproductive success. Indeed, coupled individuals report higher well-being than singles, while depressive individuals report lower mate value and higher sociosexuality. Here we investigate associations between well-being, depression and evolutionary reproduction-related aspects (mate value, intrasexual competition, age, and sociosexuality). Overall, 1,173 predominantly heterosexual Brazilian women (mean = 31.89; standard deviation = 11.10) responded to online instruments measuring self-perceived happiness, life-satisfaction, depression, mate value, intrasexual competition, age, and sociosexuality. Multiple regression models indicated that higher well-being was positively predicted by mate value and negatively by intrasexual competition and sociosexual desire, while the opposite was true for depression. Although intrasexual competition and unrestricted sociosexuality can, under some circumstances, increase individual reproductive success, they are risky and suboptimally effective strategies, thus leading to feelings of ill-being. Contrarily, affective long-term bonds, higher mate-value, and lower intrasexual competition might increase feelings of well-being, because this would lead to a safer route towards ancestral reproductive advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthonieta Looman Mafra
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello de Morais, 1721 Butantã, São Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Renata Pereira Defelipe
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello de Morais, 1721 Butantã, São Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Marco Antonio Correa Varella
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello de Morais, 1721 Butantã, São Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - John M. Townsend
- Department of Anthropology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello de Morais, 1721 Butantã, São Paulo, SP 05508-030, Brazil
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Ter Kuile H, Finkenauer C, van der Lippe T, Kluwer ES. Changes in Relationship Commitment Across the Transition to Parenthood: Pre-pregnancy Happiness as a Protective Resource. Front Psychol 2021; 12:622160. [PMID: 33664696 PMCID: PMC7921486 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.622160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition to parenthood is both a joyous and a challenging event in a relationship. Studies to date have found mostly negative effects of the birth of the first child on the parental relationship. We propose that partners' pre-pregnancy individual happiness may serve as a buffer against these negative effects. We predicted that parents who are happy prior to pregnancy fare better in terms of relationship commitment after childbirth than unhappy parents. To test our prediction, we used data of a 5-wave longitudinal study among 109 Dutch newlywed couples who had their first child during the study and a comparison group of 55 couples who remained childless. We found that the relationship commitment of fathers with higher pre-pregnancy happiness and fathers with a partner with higher pre-pregnancy happiness increased slightly in the years after childbirth, whereas the relationship commitment of fathers with lower pre-pregnancy happiness and fathers with a partner with lower pre-pregnancy happiness decreased. In addition, the relationship commitment of mothers with a happier partner prior to pregnancy decreased only slightly across the transition to parenthood but showed a steeper decline for mothers with a partner with average or lower pre-pregnancy happiness. In line with the idea that happiness acts as a resource when partners have to deal with relationship challenges, individual happiness predicted changes in relationship commitment for parents, but not for partners who remained childless.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar Ter Kuile
- Department of Social, Health & Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Catrin Finkenauer
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Esther S Kluwer
- Department of Social, Health & Organisational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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12
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Sorokowski P, Sorokowska A, Karwowski M, Groyecka A, Aavik T, Akello G, Alm C, Amjad N, Anjum A, Asao K, Atama CS, Atamtürk Duyar D, Ayebare R, Batres C, Bendixen M, Bensafia A, Bizumic B, Boussena M, Buss DM, Butovskaya M, Can S, Cantarero K, Carrier A, Çetinkaya H, Chabin D, Conroy-Beam D, Croy I, Cueto RM, Czub M, Dronova D, Dural S, Duyar I, Ertugrul B, Espinosa A, Estevan I, Esteves CS, Frackowiak T, Graduño JC, Guemaz F, Ha Thu T, Haľamová M, Herak I, Horvat M, Hromatko I, Hui CM, Jaafar JL, Jiang F, Kafetsios K, Kavcic T, Kennair LEO, Kervyn N, Köbis NC, Kostic A, Krasnodębska A, Láng A, Lennard GR, León E, Lindholm T, Lopez G, Alhabahba MM, Mailhos A, Manesi Z, Martinez R, Sainz Martinez M, McKerchar SL, Meskó N, Misra G, Monaghan C, Mora EC, Moya-Garófano A, Musil B, Natividade JC, Nizharadze G, Oberzaucher E, Oleszkiewicz A, Omar Fauzee MS, Onyishi IE, Özener B, Pagani AF, Pakalniskiene V, Parise M, Pawłowski B, Pazhoohi F, Pejičić M, Pisanski A, Pisanski K, Plohl N, Ponciano E, Popa C, Prokop P, Przepiórka A, Quang Lam T, Rizwan M, Różycka-Tran J, Salkičević S, Sargautyte R, Sarmany-Schuller I, Schmehl S, Shahid A, Shaikh R, Sharad S, Simonetti F, Tadinac M, Thi Khanh Ha T, Ugalde González K, Vauclair CM, Vega LD, Widarini DA, Wojciszke B, Yoo G, Zadeh ZF, Zaťková M, Zupančič M, Sternberg RJ. Universality of the Triangular Theory of Love: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Triangular Love Scale in 25 Countries. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2021; 58:106-115. [PMID: 32783568 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2020.1787318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Triangular Theory of Love (measured with Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale - STLS) is a prominent theoretical concept in empirical research on love. To expand the culturally homogeneous body of previous psychometric research regarding the STLS, we conducted a large-scale cross-cultural study with the use of this scale. In total, we examined more than 11,000 respondents, but as a result of applied exclusion criteria, the final analyses were based on a sample of 7332 participants from 25 countries (from all inhabited continents). We tested configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance, all of which confirmed the cultural universality of the theoretical construct of love analyzed in our study. We also observed that levels of love components differ depending on relationship duration, following the dynamics suggested in the Triangular Theory of Love. Supplementary files with all our data, including results on love intensity across different countries along with STLS versions adapted in a few dozen languages, will further enable more extensive research on the Triangular Theory of Love.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Sorokowski
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | - Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | - Maciej Karwowski
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | - Agata Groyecka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mons Bendixen
- Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU)
| | | | | | | | | | - Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Seda Can
- Department of Psychology, Ankara University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ilona Croy
- Technische Universität Dresden Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine
| | | | - Marcin Czub
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | - Daria Dronova
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - Seda Dural
- Department of Psychology, Ankara University
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Tomasz Frackowiak
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | | | | | - Tran Ha Thu
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bogusław Pawłowski
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | | | | | | | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, University of Wroclaw and Smell and Taste Clinic
| | | | | | | | - Pavol Prokop
- Comenius University and Slovak Academy of Sciences
| | | | - Truong Quang Lam
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bogdan Wojciszke
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University
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Frąckowiak T, Groyecka-Bernard A, Oleszkiewicz A, Butovskaya M, Żelaźniewicz A, Sorokowski P. Difference in Perception of Onset of Old Age in Traditional (Hadza) and Modern (Polish) Societies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E7079. [PMID: 32992636 PMCID: PMC7579439 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite relatively clear physiological indicators of old age, little is known about cross-cultural differences in psychological perceptions of the transition to old age. Although recent studies suggest consistency between modern countries, the subjective perception of old age onset in traditional societies remains poorly explored. Therefore, we compared the perception of timing of old age between a traditional tribe of hunter-gatherers (the Hadza) and a Polish sample representing a modern, industrialized population. The results indicate that the Hadza perceive old age onset as being significantly earlier than do the Poles. Furthermore, we found between-gender differences in the Polish sample: men set a lower threshold of old age onset than women. The Hadza showed no between-gender difference. Although the samples were matched for age, a larger proportion of Hadza considered themselves old. We discuss these findings from cultural and demographical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Frąckowiak
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland; (T.F.); (A.G.-B.); (A.O.)
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125993, Russia;
| | - Agata Groyecka-Bernard
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland; (T.F.); (A.G.-B.); (A.O.)
| | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland; (T.F.); (A.G.-B.); (A.O.)
- Taste and Smell Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125993, Russia;
- Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow 125993, Russia
| | | | - Piotr Sorokowski
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, 50-527 Wroclaw, Poland; (T.F.); (A.G.-B.); (A.O.)
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14
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Frackowiak T, Oleszkiewicz A, Butovskaya M, Groyecka A, Karwowski M, Kowal M, Sorokowski P. Subjective Happiness Among Polish and Hadza People. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1173. [PMID: 32581967 PMCID: PMC7296072 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Life satisfaction and happiness were broadly studied in Western populations, whereas evidence from traditional societies remains surprisingly scarce. We collected data on the happiness from 145 Hadza, and compared it with data obtained from 156 Poles, representing Westernized society. Participants were asked to answer four simple questions from Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky and Lepper, 1999). Results indicate that Hadza report a higher level of happiness with their lives than do Polish people. Our findings also show that sex was not related to happiness in both populations, while age was a negative predictor of happiness, but only among Poles. Therefore, we hypothesize that positive perception of aging in societies may increase their actual happiness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Carl Gustav Carus Medical School, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marina Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Social Anthropology, Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia
| | - Agata Groyecka
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Marta Kowal
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
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Fieder M, Huber S. Effects of wife's and husband's income on wife's reproduction: an evolutionary perspective on human mating. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2020; 65:31-40. [PMID: 32065537 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2019.1689351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
From an evolutionary perspective, for women mate choice may be of crucial importance particularly concerning resources needed for rearing children. In modern societies, however, resources in terms of income are often provided by both women and men. Nonetheless, the effects of a wife's and husband's socioeconomic status on the wife's reproduction have not been investigated on a broader level. We therefore aim to investigate the effects of wife's and husband's income on wife's number of children and her probability of remaining childless using census data from nine countries mainly in the developing world for a total of 782,147 women aged 45-54 years who currently live with a husband and their spouses. Overall, both wife's and husband's income are significantly negatively associated with wife's number of children. Only in Israel do we find a positive association between husband's income and wife's offspring number. A wife's probability of remaining childless, however, increases with increasing own, but decreases with increasing husband's income. We conclude that in this sample of nearly all developing countries, effects of husband's socioeconomic status on wife's reproduction are acting through childlessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Fieder
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Huber
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Romantic Love and Reproductive Hormones in Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16214224. [PMID: 31683520 PMCID: PMC6861983 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16214224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Increased reproductive success is among the most commonly proposed adaptive functions of romantic love. Here, we tested if hormonal changes associated with falling in love may co-vary with hormonal profiles that predict increased fecundity in women. We compared blood serum levels of estradiol (E2, E2/T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), free testosterone (fT), and cortisol (CT), measured in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in single women (N = 69) and in women at the beginning of a romantic heterosexual relationship who reported being in love with their partner (N = 47). Participants were healthy, regularly cycling women aged 24 to 33 who did not use hormonal contraception. We found that women in love had higher levels of gonadotropins (FSH, LH) and lower testosterone levels compared to single women who were not in love. These groups of women did not, however, differ in terms of estradiol, prolactin, or cortisol levels.
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Significance of Affection Changes during Pregnancy: Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16132254. [PMID: 31247914 PMCID: PMC6651471 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16132254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The complex process of gestation involves significant biological, psychological, and social changes for both women and men looking toward the same direction. The aim of this study was to analyze changes occurring in affective health between the members of a couple during pregnancy. For this, a cross sectional descriptive study using Sternberg's questionnaire based on his Triangular Theory of Love (intimacy, passion, and commitment) was implemented. A total of 180 couples participated in the study. Data were collected four times during pregnancy: at the beginning, during the first trimester, the second trimester, and during the third trimester. The level of intimacy was higher at the beginning of pregnancy (123.93 ± 9.67), the same as the level of passion (119 ± 9.83). The commitment score in women was, in general, higher than in men. The commitment score in men increased at the beginning of the third trimester (124.31 ± 7.72). Statistically significant differences between the sexes were found for the level of commitment at the beginning of the pregnancy (p = 0.001) and at the third trimester (p = 0.008), these scores being higher for women than for men. No significant differences between men and women were found for the remaining components of the triangle. During pregnancy, no significant changes were found regarding overall affection throughout the entire period.
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Williams AC, Hill LJ. Nicotinamide as Independent Variable for Intelligence, Fertility, and Health: Origin of Human Creative Explosions? Int J Tryptophan Res 2019; 12:1178646919855944. [PMID: 31258332 PMCID: PMC6585247 DOI: 10.1177/1178646919855944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Meat and nicotinamide acquisition was a defining force during the 2-million-year evolution of the big brains necessary for, anatomically modern, Homo sapiens to survive. Our next move was down the food chain during the Mesolithic 'broad spectrum', then horticultural, followed by the Neolithic agricultural revolutions and progressively lower average 'doses' of nicotinamide. We speculate that a fertility crisis and population bottleneck around 40 000 years ago, at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, was overcome by Homo (but not the Neanderthals) by concerted dietary change plus profertility genes and intense sexual selection culminating in behaviourally modern Homo sapiens. Increased reliance on the 'de novo' synthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan conditioned the immune system to welcome symbionts, such as TB (that excrete nicotinamide), and to increase tolerance of the foetus and thereby fertility. The trade-offs during the warmer Holocene were physical and mental stunting and more infectious diseases and population booms and busts. Higher nicotinamide exposure could be responsible for recent demographic and epidemiological transitions to lower fertility and higher longevity, but with more degenerative and auto-immune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian C Williams
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lisa J Hill
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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National income inequality predicts cultural variation in mouth to mouth kissing. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6698. [PMID: 31040378 PMCID: PMC6491799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43267-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Romantic mouth-to-mouth kissing is culturally widespread, although not a human universal, and may play a functional role in assessing partner health and maintaining long-term pair bonds. Use and appreciation of kissing may therefore vary according to whether the environment places a premium on good health and partner investment. Here, we test for cultural variation (13 countries from six continents) in these behaviours/attitudes according to national health (historical pathogen prevalence) and both absolute (GDP) and relative wealth (GINI). Our data reveal that kissing is valued more in established relationships than it is valued during courtship. Also, consistent with the pair bonding hypothesis of the function of romantic kissing, relative poverty (income inequality) predicts frequency of kissing across romantic relationships. When aggregated, the predicted relationship between income inequality and kissing frequency (r = 0.67, BCa 95% CI[0.32,0.89]) was over five times the size of the null correlations between income inequality and frequency of hugging/cuddling and sex. As social complexity requires monitoring resource competition among large groups and predicts kissing prevalence in remote societies, this gesture may be important in the maintenance of long-term pair bonds in specific environments.
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Gomez-Bernal F, Madva EN, Puckett J, Amonoo HL, Millstein RA, Huffman JC. Relationships Between Life Stressors, Health Behaviors, and Chronic Medical Conditions in Mid-Life Adults: A Narrative Review. PSYCHOSOMATICS 2019; 60:153-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.psym.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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