Intimacy Formation Research Articles

The dynamics of experiencing psychological closeness in crisi

The article discusses the issue of possible dynamics of psychological closeness in the conditions of a long-term psychologically traumatic situation. The results of the empirical study illustrating the presence of gender differences in the experience and perception of intimacy in a couple due to subjective perceptions and personality characteristics of partners. The mechanisms of intimacy formation in the dynamic aspect (before, during and after the crisis) are highlighted. The possibilities of rendering psychological help to a married couple, aimed at working with anxiety in connection with the change and loss of habitual ways of satisfying the needs for jointness and autonomy are considered.

Bidimensional self-esteem and sexual functioning among young adults: A systematic review

AbstractSexual difficulties marked by poor sexual functioning is often reported by young adults, where young adulthood is an important period for the formation of intimacy in relationships. There has been increasing research showing the relationship between global self-esteem and sexual functioning, but this association is seldom examined through the bidimensional framework of self-esteem that includes domains of self-liking and self-competence. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the empirical evidence on self-esteem domains and sexual functioning among young adults. Six databases (PsycINFO, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL Plus) were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles published from inception to June 2022. Articles were included in this review if they measured at least one domain of self-esteem, one domain of sexual functioning, reported the association between self-esteem and sexual functioning, and involved young adults from 18–30 years old. Of the 6020 records retrieved, 17 articles were included in this review. Data were extracted and synthesised, and a quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies was used to appraise the quality of articles ranging from poor to good. Most studies found positive associations between self-esteem elements and sexual functioning, particularly for global self-esteem and sexual self-esteem. However, these findings cannot be generalised due to the heterogeneity in measures of self-esteem constructs. This review reveals a gap in the literature as self-liking and self-competence have not been studied together in relation to sexual functioning, where most studies have focused on sexual satisfaction.

메타버스 플랫폼을 활용한 창의융합 프로젝트 사례 연구

The purpose of this study was to propose implications for the use of the metaverse platform in terms of education through the case of operating the creative convergence project of A university case using the metaverse platform. To this end, the metaverse platform observed participation in the activity process in the project learning activity environment designed in the virtual space, Gathertown, and conducted a survey and interview with learners after the activity. As a result of the study, the survey showed high interest in the metaverse platform, the necessity of pre-education on how to use it, the degree of intimacy formation, interaction, solidarity formation, reality, team activity immersion, satisfaction with the team activity process, and team activity results. In the in-depth interview, the positive effects of using other metabus platforms were confirmed such as self-expression for non-face-to-face identity, achievement of cooperative problem solving, collaboration and creativity through various tools, learning contextual experience through sharing of game and learning contents, in-depth learning and space design. Based on the results of this study, various implications for the use of the metaverse platform for creative convergence education at the university level were derived. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for the educational use of metaverse in universities.

Stable intimacy

Humans have the innate need to belong and relate to others. Stable relationships are a great influencer of happiness and health and, therefore, should receive stronger attention for their nurture. Online environment is steadily becoming the primary source of relationship formation, however, its instability poses threats to build stable relationships. Since online communication is increasingly used in relationship formation and communication, it holds opportunities for design interventions that support stable relationship creation. This paper introduces a pyramidical laddering approach that guides the building of online communication from the basis of stable creation of intimacy, to satisfying the needs of belonging and relatedness, to ultimately delivering wellbeing. The approach that was developed through the authors’ prior research aims to deal with the identified main barriers of online communication, distrust and disengagement, and their influence on the formation of stable connections in order to enable healthy intimacy formation in the online environment. This paper brings attention to the importance of romantic relationships on health and highlights opportunities for further research in the thus far under-researched area of design for relation making to support wellbeing and health of society.

대학생의 불안정한 성인애착과 정서표현 양가성의 관계

Objectives This study examines the mediating effect of internalized shame in the relationship between unstable adult attachment and ambivalence over emotional expression of college students who are in the early adulthood, who must accomplish the developmental task of ‘formation of intimacy’ in the psychosocial development stage. This study identified the process that affects the ambivalence over emotional expression according to the adult attachment type of college students. And it is expected that this study will suggest the direction of counseling and program development or psychological education intervention for college students in the future. Methods For this study, we conducted a survey by conveniently sampling 242 college students aged 18 years or older who are currently attending or taking a leave of absence from domestic universities. We used SPSS 22.0 for the data analysis of this study, and performed frequency analysis for the demographic variables of the study subject and verification of the reliability of the scale(Cronbach'α). In addition, we conducted Pearson correlation analysis to identify the relationship between variables, and conducted three-step multiple regression analysis and sobel test to verify the mediating effect of internalized shame. Results First, the results of analyzing the correlations between each variable of college students' unstable adult attachment, internalized shame, and ambivalence over emotional expression all showed significant positive correlations. Second, as a result of examining the mediating effect of internalized shame by classifying unstable adult attachment into sub-variables, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, it was partially mediated between attachment anxiety and emotional expression ambivalence. On the other hand, it completely mediated between attachment avoidance and emotional expression ambivalence. Conclusions This study shows that college students with unstable adult attachment type are more likely to feel shame, such as incompetent or inappropriately experiencing themselves, by internalizing negative evaluations and experiences from important subjects in the past. In addition, it was shown that this again leads to psychological conflicts due to hesitation and habitual inhibition of emotional expression.

대학생의 불안정한 성인애착과 정서표현 양가성의 관계

Objectives This study examines the mediating effect of internalized shame in the relationship between unstable adult attachment and ambivalence over emotional expression of college students who are in the early adulthood, who must accomplish the developmental task of ‘formation of intimacy’ in the psychosocial development stage. This study identified the process that affects the ambivalence over emotional expression according to the adult attachment type of college students. And it is expected that this study will suggest the direction of counseling and program development or psychological education intervention for college students in the future. Methods For this study, we conducted a survey by conveniently sampling 242 college students aged 18 years or older who are currently attending or taking a leave of absence from domestic universities. We used SPSS 22.0 for the data analysis of this study, and performed frequency analysis for the demographic variables of the study subject and verification of the reliability of the scale(Cronbach'α). In addition, we conducted Pearson correlation analysis to identify the relationship between variables, and conducted three-step multiple regression analysis and sobel test to verify the mediating effect of internalized shame. Results First, the results of analyzing the correlations between each variable of college students' unstable adult attachment, internalized shame, and ambivalence over emotional expression all showed significant positive correlations. Second, as a result of examining the mediating effect of internalized shame by classifying unstable adult attachment into sub-variables, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, it was partially mediated between attachment anxiety and emotional expression ambivalence. On the other hand, it completely mediated between attachment avoidance and emotional expression ambivalence. Conclusions This study shows that college students with unstable adult attachment type are more likely to feel shame, such as incompetent or inappropriately experiencing themselves, by internalizing negative evaluations and experiences from important subjects in the past. In addition, it was shown that this again leads to psychological conflicts due to hesitation and habitual inhibition of emotional expression.

라이브 스트리밍 커머스의 상호작용성이 사회적 실재감과 관계품질을 매개로 행동의도에 미치는 효과

Recently, livestreaming commerce has grown rapidly in the e-commerce market for fashion products. This study was designed to empirically identify how interactivity among the characteristics of live commerce affects the behavioral intentions of service users and the psychological mechanisms through which these effects take place. Data collection was conducted online for young adults in their 20s who are actively partaking in using fashion technology. To verify the mediating effect using the SPSS Macro Process Model 6, the data from 103 experienced users who watched fashion product shopping videos through livestreaming among 337 valid datasets were analyzed. As a result of the empirical study, it was found that that the mediating effect of social presence was significant in the path of interactivity on behavioral intention in the livestreaming shopping environment. In addition, the indirect effect of the sequential mediation model in which social presence and relationship quality were input as parameters was found to be significant. Social presence was confirmed to be an important variable in the establishment of live commerce as a preceding variable in the formation of the relationship composed of trust and satisfaction. However, it was found that the indirect path mediated by relationship quality and the direct path to behavioral intention without the mediation of social reality or relationship quality did not have a significant effect. In particular, the double mediation effect was stronger than simple mediation, suggesting that the reinforcement of relationship quality by social presence can act as an important mechanism to promote consumer behavior. In practice, it is expected that the formation of intimacy based on trust and satisfaction in the livestreaming shopping environment brought about by the experience of a social presence through real-time interaction will be a differentiation strategy that can activate the use of live commerce as a fashion distribution format.

A Case Study on Child-Centered Play Therapy for a Child with ADHD and ODD: Focusing on the Change of Play Theme at Stage

Objective This study was aimed to enhance of the effects of child-centered play therapy and the process of therapeutic change in a child with ADHD and ODD by examining the process of play therapy and the change of play themes at stages. Methods The participant was a first-grade boy in primary school who was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. The researcher directly conducted 62 sessions of child-centered play therapy once per week for 1 year and 5 months. Results First, the child’s aggressive and rebellious behavior decreased, and self-control and social situations adjusted accordingly through the child-centered play therapy. Second, looking at the changes of play theme at stage, the play themes of controlling and safety and exploration and mastery were mainly performed in the intimacy formation stage. The play theme of power and aggression increased significantly in the aggressive stage, and the play themes of family and nurturing and power and aggression increased in the degenerative stage. Finally, power and aggression decreased and family and nurturing and controlling and safety increased in the end stage Conclusion The effectiveness of child-centered play therapy was confirmed for a child with ADHD and ODD. By analyzing the play themes at stages of play therapy, certain patterns of change were identified. Keywords: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), child-centered play therapy, play theme

Validity and reliability of the Turkish Version of the Self-Disclosure Scale among university students

Objective: Self-disclosure plays an active role in the beginning of interpersonal communication, in the formation of intimacy, and in the trust of the communicators each other. In this study, it is aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Self-Disclosure Scale. Methods: A total of 274 nursing and medical university students were included in this study between May-June 2016. The data were collected using The Sociodemographic Information Form and the Self-Disclosure Scale. Exploratory factor analysis with a varimax rotation was used to examine the construct validity. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach a coefficients and item-total subscale correlations. The stability of the measures was examined through test–retest reliability assessment. Results: As a result of exploratory factor analysis, five factors with 64.45% of the variance explained and an eigenvalue >1 were extracted. Factor loading of items are between 0.53 and 0.86. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value for the scale is 0.70, and test-retest reliability coefficient value is 0.89. Conclusion: Self-Disclosure Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate self-disclosure level among university students.

Sexual Relationships, Sex Communication, and Condom Use among Heterosexual African-American Male College Students in the Southeastern US

This study provides a deeper understanding of hiv risk among African-American heterosexually active men in college. Forty-three men participated in five focus groups and 20 of these participants completed in-depth individual interviews. Participants desired both committed relationships that contributed to greater intimacy and casual sexual relationships. Participants reported many challenges in communicating clearly and specifically with their partners about sexual histories, sexual satisfaction and condom use. In particular, communication barriers inhibited the formation of intimacy and complicated efforts to practice safer-sex. hiv prevention efforts should address barriers to protection use, while strengthening health promotion messages and motivations that already exist.

Effect of perceived intimacy on social decision-making in patients with schizophrenia.

Social dysfunctions including emotional perception and social decision-making are common in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to determine the level of intimacy formation and the effect of intimacy on social decision in patients with schizophrenia using virtual reality tasks, which simulate complicated social situations. Twenty-seven patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls performed the 2 virtual social tasks: the intimacy task and the social decision task. The first one was to estimate repeatedly how intimate participants felt with each avatar after listening to what avatars said. The second one was to decide whether or not participants accepted the requests of easy, medium, or hard difficulty by the intimate or distant avatars. During the intimacy task, the intimacy rating scores for intimate avatars were not significantly different between groups, but those for distant avatars were significantly higher in patients than in controls. During the social decision task, the difference in the acceptance rate between intimate and distant avatars was significantly smaller in patients than in controls. In detail, a significant group difference in the acceptance rate was found only for the hard requests, but not for the easy and medium difficulty requests. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia have a deficit in emotional perception and social decision-making. Various factors such as a peculiarity of emotional deficits, motivational deficits, concreteness, and paranoid tendency may contribute to these abnormalities.

SNS의 교육적 활용 방법에 대한 대학생들의 인식 분석

The purpose of this study is to provide statistical analysis based suggestions on effective methods to take advantage of social network service (SNS) for educational purposes based on investigations of undergraduate students with high utilization of SNS. To achieve this, we conducted an open questionnaire survey and qualitatively analyzed the data using NVivo 10 program. Additionally, to visualize the analysis by education subject of the SNS educational methods, we have divided the data into 3 categories of teacher, student and common area. As a result, our analysis showed that the exchange opinions and discussions, information sharing and learning of contents of questions and answers, surveys, intimacy formation, counseling etc. were of the common area. Furthermore, teacher area included the notice announcement, teaching materials sharing, real-time assessment (quiz), attendance check, assignment grading and feedback, etc. Finally the student area was of project activities (group/individual), prepare and review the shared data, video self learning, peer review and feedback of projects, lecture evaluation, etc. ☞ keyword : SNS, Social Learning, Student Perspective, qualitative Research

Practice of Birth Control and Formation of Intimacy in Family in Japan Contents Analysis on Contribution Articles in Women's Magazines in the 1920's

Practice of Birth Control and Formation of Intimacy in Family in Japan Contents Analysis on Contribution Articles in Women's Magazines in the 1920's

Identity Style and Relationship Quality for Pregnant Cohabitating Couples During the Transition to Parenthood

In this study, we tested the association between identity formation and intimacy formation in a diverse sample of pregnant cohabitating couples (N = 127 individuals). Using S. K. Whitbourne's identity process theory, we examined how identity style (balanced, accommodative, assimilative) is associated with various aspects of relationship quality. As hypothesized, a balanced identity style (ability to maintain self-stability while retaining flexibility) is associated with positive relationship quality (higher relational maintenance), whereas an accommodative identity style (reliance on external sources of authority for inner guidance) is associated with negative relationship quality (lower commitment, lower satisfaction, lower love, higher conflict, higher ambivalence). Consistent with E. H. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, individuals high on accommodative identity style report difficulty negotiating many aspects of their romantic relationship, a pattern that may serve to exacerbate the stress typically associated with the transition to parenthood for cohabiting couples.

Family Functioning and the Development of Trust and Intimacy Among Adolescents in Residential Treatment

This study examined relations between family cohesion and adaptability (as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales-III) and the formation of trust and intimacy (assessed with the Measure of Psychosocial Development) among adolescents in residential treatment. Bivariate correlation revealed a significant association between family cohesion and adaptability and psychosocial stages of trust and intimacy. Regression analyses revealed that family cohesion predicted trust, and that trust is significantly influential in the formation of intimacy. Discussion and treatment implications are included.

Case Study of the Formation of Intimacy in 3 -year-olds

Case Study of the Formation of Intimacy in 3 -year-olds

Preliminary Findings on a Brief Self-Disclosure Intervention with Young Adult Dating Couples

Self-disclosure has been viewed as an integral part of intimacy formation and relationship satisfaction. Despite the availability of techniques to increase self-disclosure (e.g., Gottman, 1999), studies exploring the efficacy of these interventions have not been reported in the literature. In this pilot study, 26 college-aged dating couples were recruited to investigate the impact of a self-disclosure intervention described by Gottman (1999) on relationship satisfaction in dating couples over a five-month period. The intervention did not significantly influence relationship satisfaction compared with a control group at any one of three time periods tested; however, males' knowledge of their partners' life predicted females' satisfaction over a five-month time period. These findings suggest that further research is needed for understanding the application of self-disclosure to couples interventions.

Adult Outcomes of Adolescent Conventional and Agentic Orientations:

The impact of early adolescent conventional attitudes and friendships, positive goals, and drug use on age-appropriate developmental behaviors was assessed using the theoretical paradigm of the Erikson developmental stages of identity, intimacy, and generativity. Assessment points at Years 1, 13, and 21 from a longitudinal community study (N = 477) were used. Outcomes examined when the participants were in their 20s and 30s included agency and efficacy, satisfying personal and intimate relationships, life satisfaction, and drug use. Conventional friendships at early adolescence predicted positive relationships with friends, family, and intimate partners. Agentic motivations in adolescence predicted more efficacy and better relationships in Year 13. Healthy identity formation in early adolescence facilitated the development of greater intimacy in young adulthood. Successful intimacy formation in young adulthood encouraged the development of a successful dyadic relationship and predicted greater life satisfaction in later adulthood.

Developmental Status and AIDS Attitudes in Adolescence

We postulated that among adolescents and young adults, the development of consistent and responsible attitudes with respect to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) precautions would follow a pattern similar to that of the development of a sense of identity. Late-adolescent trainee teachers and nurses (N = 262) were administered identity and intimacy measures and a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward and knowledge of AIDS prevention. Attitudes were shown to be conceptually complex, with dimensions expressing the identity statuses of diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement. Few relationships were found between AIDS attitudes and sex, course, measures of identity, or intimacy. However, attitudes toward AIDS precautions and identity status were predictive of future intention to use a condom. Intimacy level was negatively related to such an intention, suggesting that those in steady relationships may not recognize the need for AIDS protection.

Identity and intimacy: An initial investigation of three theoretical models using cross-lag panel correlations

This investigation specified three models regarding the association between identity and intimacy formation and investigated their potential validity using a longitudinal cross-lag panel design. Seventy-one males and 71 females completed identity and intimacy measures on two occasions over a 5-week period. The primary findings are (1) individuals with a clear sense of identity are more likely, 5 weeks later, to have a more advanced sense of intimacy for both sexes when sex-role identification is removed from gender comparisons; (2) sex-role orientation mediates the identity/intimacy association, while for females, a masculine orientation is associated with a pattern similar to that observed for either masculine- or feminine-oriented males; and (3) femininity is associated with a more fused connection between identity and intimacy for females. This report provides an initial investigation studying the identity/intimacy association during late adolescence based on three theoretical perspectives. Theoretical interpretations and conclusions are offered.