Intimate Heterosexual Relationships Research Articles

Genetic variations as predictors of dispositional and dyadic empathy—a couple study

Biological drivers of empathy have been explored in an interdisciplinary manner for decades. Research that merges the psychological and genetic perspectives of empathy has recently gained interest, and more complex designs and analyses are needed. Empathy is a multidimensional construct that might be regarded both dispositionally (as a personality trait) and contextually (experienced and/or expressed in a particular relationship/situation). This study analyzed genetic variations associated with genes encoding oxytocin, arginine vasopressin, and receptors that regulate their secretion as predictors of the empathic dimensions of emotional (empathic concern and personal distress) and cognitive (perspective taking) dyadic factors of partners in heterosexual intimate relationships. Machine learning methods to capture both linear and nonlinear relationships between SNPs, RS1 and RS2 repeat polymorphisms and dimensions of empathy in couples were employed. A total of 442 individuals (221 couples) participated in this study. Empathy was measured by the Polish version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples. The MassARRAY® 4 instrument, which combines mass spectrometry with endpoint PCR, was used for genotyping all 14 genetic variations. Microsatellite fragment analysis was performed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results confirmed the significance of certain genetic alterations linked to oxytocin, vasopressin, serotonin and estrogen for dispositional and dyadic empathy (mainly rs1884051, rs6311, RS1, rs4686302, and rs1042778) in couples. The effects were stronger for the prediction of emotional and dyadic empathy than for perspective taking. Separate analyses for women and men indicated different predictive effects of genes for empathy (for example, effects of rs53576 were indicated only in women), which are also experienced and expressed in couples. Different dimensions of empathy should be included when the genetic predictors of empathy are examined.

Ken's best friend: masculinities in Barbie

Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023) has predominantly been labelled either as anti-man propaganda or as a paragon for women's empowerment. I suggest that such positions miss a crucial point: Barbie is not anti-man; it is pro-man and is not necessarily a revolutionary film for women, at least not as much as it is for men. This is because Barbie espouses non-hegemonic masculinity through cultural critiques that are rare to see in popular media, especially with the immense commercial success that the film has had . I postulate that Barbie can be utilised as a blueprint for men through its representation of queered masculinity and intimate heterosexual male homosocial relationships. The film portrays heterosexual deviance that can be used as an alternative thinking of how masculinity can be performed sans patriarchy and hegemony. This subversive representation is paramount, and the ramifications of such an analysis can hopefully result in future media representations of non-hegemonic masculinity and can also lend to the effort in normalising the existence of men's emotions and mental health struggles, and in underlining discussions of what it means to be man enough; or better yet, what it means to be Kenough.

Characteristics of adult male victims in intimate heterosexual relationships from domestic violence police narratives

Background settingDomestic violence (DV) perpetrated against male victims has received little attention in the literature, since men are generally the perpetrators rather than victims of DV. This study examines the characteristics of adult male victims and female Persons of Interest (POIs) suspected and/or charged with perpetrating a DV offence in an intimate relationship.MethodsWe analyzed the results from a text mining study on half a million (492,393) police-attended DV events from 2005 to 2016 in New South Wales (Australia). 7.3% (13,896) events involving an adult male victim and a female POI in an intimate relationship were included.ResultsOver three-quarters (77.5%; 10,775) of DV events had at least one abuse type recorded, with the most common being “unspecified assault” (57.3%), followed by verbal abuse (34.1%), and punching (29.1%). Half of events (51.2%; 7,128) had an injury recorded by the police, with “cut/abrasion(s)” the most common (41.6%), followed by “red mark/sign” (25.4%), and “bruising” (15.8%). A total of 2,196 (15.8%) DV events had a mention of a mental illness for the POIs and 570 (4.1%) for the victims. Mood disorders had the most mentions for both POIs (37.0%) and victims (32.8%). Among victims, anxiety related disorders saw the largest increase (14.0%) in mentions from 2005 to 2016, followed by depression (8.0%).ConclusionOur findings represent population level data insights from DV events involving an adult male victim in an intimate relationship with a female POI. Our findings align with existing studies suggesting that female POIs are more likely than male POIs to use objects/weapons, employ verbal abuse, and perform minor acts of physical violence. Female POIs had 4 times the number of mental illness mentions than male victims indicating that mental illness could be a risk factor for DV, while the increase in anxiety disorders and depression for male victims corresponds with research that associates mental illnesses and DV victimhood. This study highlights the need for a greater awareness and support for male victims of DV.

Relational gendered dimensions of emotions in heterosexual cisgender Men’s intimate partnerships

Illuminating relational gendered dimensions of emotions in heterosexual cisgender men’s intimate partnerships, this study addresses a significant knowledge gap in masculinities, emotionality and health work. Thematic analyses of individual photovoice interviews with 92 men from diverse locales and ethnocultural backgrounds revealed a trilogy of men’s practices regarding emotions. Emotional restraint was embodied by men withholding rather than freely expressing emotions, wherein participants justified diverse practices as the by-product of not understanding women partners’ emotionality and working to balance emotions in the relationship. In coached emotions men spoke about needing to unlearn suppressing their emotions while relying on women partners’ expertise for becoming more emotionally expressive and available. This included work around reading and accommodating their partner’s emotions. Emotionally orientated men positioned themselves as relationship ready, whereby they were equally or more emotional than their partners. This emotionality was claimed as an asset and strength integral to building contemporary intimate partner relationships. The findings highlight most men as operating across the three themes, revealing how wide-ranging socially constructed emotions are influenced by gender relations and a plurality of masculinities. Also afforded by these results are directions for working with heterosexual cisgender men to advance gender equity in heterosexual intimate partner relationships.

Neo-traditionalist, egalitarian and progressive masculinities in men's heterosexual intimate partner relationships

Shifts in gender roles, identities and relations since the 1980s are continuing to influence masculinities within intimate partner relationships. Forefront in men's contemporary heterosexual relationships have been calls for gender equality and gender equity as a means to promoting the mental health and well-being of partners and their families. Most previous research has focused on a pathologized role of men in relationships (e.g., intimate partner violence). Little is known about how men perceive intimate partner relationships using a strength-based perspective. The current photovoice study addressed the research question, ‘What are the connections between masculinities and men's heterosexual intimate partner relationships?’ to highlight young men's (19-43 years-old) experiences of, and perspectives about their intimate partner relationships. Drawing from individual Zoom interviews with 92 heterosexual, cisgender men from 14 countries, we abductively derived three masculine typologies: 1) neo-traditionalist, 2) egalitarian and 3) progressive. Twenty-two (24%) participants embodied neo-traditionalist masculinities characterized by reliance's on traditional masculine norms that assign domesticities as feminine and prize masculine breadwinner and protector roles. Half of the participants (50%, n = 46) purposefully distanced themselves from traditional masculine norms to engage egalitarian masculinities. These men idealized equal (50-50) contributions and reciprocity wherein counts were often used to evaluate each partner's relative efforts and contributions to the relationship. Progressive masculinities were evident in 26% (n = 24) of participants who focused on fairness and social justice, checking their own privilege to justly operate within the relationship, and more broadly in society. The three typologies are grounded in men's heterosexual intimate partner gender relations, and advance masculinity frameworks to guide future health-research, policy and practice. In addition, there are opportunities for men's mental health promotion by prompting readers' reflexivity to thoughtfully consider what they idealize, and where they map in relation to the masculine typologies featured in the current article.

At the Crossroads of Marriage: Experiences of Young Urban Middle-Class Women Negotiating Family and Sexuality Within Heterosexual Intimate Relationships in North India

This paper critically examines the experiences of women in heterosexual intimate relationships. It aims to understand how women negotiate social structures of family, marriage choice, and community through intimate relationships. Young women are challenging gendered power relations, traditional family structures, and marriage norms in their everyday lives. By this, women challenge the old structures of patriarchy, caste system, and control of their sexuality. A qualitative research design using in-depth interviews with 12 working women in the age group of 25–30 years who were in intimate relationships was conducted. The study was based in Delhi and done over two months in 2019. Women were selected through snowball sampling. Narrative analysis has been used to evaluate women’s experiences in intimate relationships. The narratives show the struggles and negotiations that women do for love and how these struggles are becoming a way of challenging various structures like patriarchy, caste, class, and religion. Women choose their life partners or arrange for their love marriage. Still, the choice of the partner and the idea of marriage are influenced by the broader patriarchal, caste, and class structures. The women in this study have been able to move beyond the traditional norm of arranged marriage but have still not taken the leap of choice free of the broader institutions of caste, class, and family. The paper concludes by emphasising that although women choose their heterosexual partners for marriage, their choices are still influenced by their caste, class, and patriarchal structures.

Subtle or covert abuse within intimate partner relationships: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of the review is to understand how academic literature on domestic violence has described or defined subtle, non-physical abuse in intimate heterosexual or same-sex relationships. Academic literature frequently refers to subtle or covert abuse in intimate relationships; however, this kind of abuse, while recognized by therapists who work with victims, has not yet been researched. Without understanding how clients experiencing subtle abuse present in therapy, therapists may misunderstand the cause of their distress and do more harm than good. This scoping review aims to understand how the current literature describes or defines subtle or covert abuse to inform future research to enable therapists to recognize subtle abuse in their clients. Academic work that describes or defines subtle or covert abuse in intimate partner relationships based on primary research or discussion papers published in English will be considered for inclusion. Work will be excluded if it only describes physical or overt non-physical abuse. MeSH terms and keywords relating to domestic violence literature found in preliminary searches were used to design the initial search strategies. Search terms based on these were chosen in discussion with a librarian. The following databases will be searched: PsycINFO (EBSCO), MEDLINE Complete (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycArticles (EBSCO), and Scopus. Searches will be conducted for studies published between 1950 and 2021.

Does Power at Home Protect Women from Violence? A Comparative Analysis between Urban and Rural Colombian Women

ABSTRACT Using a sample of 38,718 Colombian women in intimate heterosexual relationships, this study analyzes the prevalence and characteristics of intimate partner violence against rural women in Colombia. The author first contrasts their experiences with those faced by women living in urban areas, and second, the author analyzes those families in which women either have the power to make decisions or share that power with their male partners. The analysis includes discussion of the effects of cultural beliefs such as acceptance of abusive parenting, gender expectations, and attitudes favorable toward violence against women and toward male dominance over their female partners’ social lives and economic security. Demographic indicators such as age, education, wealth, and employment are also analyzed. The analysis was conducted by combining the rationales behind the power control theory (PCT) and the status inconsistency theory (SIT). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted for the statistical analysis. The results indicate that women living in rural areas versus those in urban settings face specific cultural and economic challenges, and that older, educated, and wealthy women could make decisions more freely than their poor, younger, and less educated counterparts. Regardless of the place of residency, women are abused by their male partners even when they are powerful enough to make decisions alone, as is the case in the matriarchal-type family. In fact, that abuse may be a response to the perception of an “inconsistency” in their gendered behavior.

Silent Controllers: Unconscious Emotional Abuse in “The Revolt of ‘Mother’ ”

Violence against women in intimate heterosexual relationships taking different shapes and forms is a highly injurious symptom of structured social inequality. Emotional abuse is one that feminist scholars are indeed committed to eliminating. Mary Freeman also exposes this tricky problem in her classic short story “The Revolt of ‘Mother’” in a latent way. Through analysing the manifestation and reaction to the unconscious emotional abuse underlying the father’s aphasia, this paper finds it an undeniable form of androcentrism. Furthermore, we can tell, as the paper reviews the incomplete revolt based on the text and context as well as the reason behind the silence, the gender reversal within the story. This paper, therefore, ascertains Freeman’s attempt to transcend the binary opposition.

Marriage migration from below: The assessing of ‘genuineness’ among binational couples in Australia

AbstractThis article focuses on the Australian partner visa application process, as experienced by African‐Australian couples in intimate heterosexual relationships. In Australia, similar to other Anglo‐European countries, the visa application process is an increasingly complex procedure. In order to avoid sham marriages that are entered into for the sole purpose of obtaining residency, it heavily scrutinises couples’ relationships and motives for marriage migration. This article explores marriage migration ‘from below’, by looking at how the Australian Government utilises the idea of ‘genuineness’ in order to establish the sincere character of binational relationships, and in turn, how this bureaucratic focus affects couples and their intimate relationships. I argue that the visa application process is distrusting of binational couples, which produces various outcomes: it obstructs intimacy and romance as experienced by couples; rather than fostering equality as desired by the Government, it generates a dependency among couples whereby female sponsoring spouses are ascribed more power than their foreign partners; and the non‐transparent and lengthy procedure, as a form of structural violence against binational couples, affects couples’ ontological security.

Women's informal surveillance of alcohol consumption in intimate heterosexual relationships during the early parenting period

Alcohol consumption may play an important part in intimate heterosexual relationships, including regulating partners' emotional well-being and sustaining relational bonds. Quantitative studies consistently indicate that women play a prominent role in the informal surveillance of their partners' drinking. This paper aims to contribute to the evidence-base by examining possible meanings and reasons underpinning the surveillance of drinking in the early parenting period. In doing so, we draw from the results of a study conducted in Yorkshire (UK), exploring accounts of alcohol drinking practices in women up to three years after giving birth. This is a phase of family readjustment, in which childcare is at its most time- and labour-intensive. Free Association Narrative Interviews (FANI) were conducted between 2017 and 2018 with 21 working mothers from different backgrounds, each interviewed twice about daily routines and drinking practices. Narrative and thematic content analysis cast light on the gendered aspects of surveillance of alcohol consumption. Participants described seeking to exert informal surveillance over their partners' drinking and to set boundaries around what was considered an acceptable level of consumption. Their accounts reflected how traditional gender performances and expectations were relationally constructed through drinking practices. Women's attempts at surveillance were generally articulated in non-confrontational language. However, in the interviews, women expressed disappointment and unhappiness that partners' drinking activities were associated with an unequal distribution of domestic responsibilities. Through informal surveillance of drinking, we argue, women performed actions of health-risk management within the family. Most importantly, informal surveillance appeared to be a strategy which sought to negotiate a fairer allocation of household labour, and greater equity between the partners. Findings demonstrates how inequalities in power play out and permeate intimate relationships, re-affirming women's traditional role in the regulation of drinking. Drinking practices, we conclude, provide valuable insights into how gender operates in the sphere of intimacy.

Who is the Stalker and Who is the Victim? The Influence of Gender Ideologies in the Perception of Stalker/Victim Pairs: A Cross-Sectional Study

A naive representation of stalking tends to relate stalking to intimate heterosexual relationships. This representation, strengthened by statistical reports, risks interfering with people’s willingness to agree that stalking may involve stalking pairs other than the most common ‘male-against-female’ type. The current study aimed to investigate the role of benevolent and hostile sexist beliefs in how people believe a stalking pair is composed. To this aim, participants from the Italian populace were asked to evaluate how likely three stalking pairs (other than the male-against-female pair) are to occur in everyday life. A total of 226 Italian adults (females = 50%; mean age = 43.6; SD = 16.64) answered questions on how common three stalking pairs (female offender/male victim, female offender/female victim, and male offender/male victim) are and completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. The results confirm that the perception of same-sex stalking pairs is driven in part by an individual’s endorsement of sexist attitudes. Specifically, benevolent sexism towards both genders leads people to agree that same-sex stalking pairs are likely to occur while hostile sexism towards women is associated with the denial of masculine stalking pairs. Moreover, the results highlight no gender-based defensive attribution in considering more or less probable nonconventional pairs. The findings show that benevolent and hostile sexist ideologies are factors that may orient understanding of stalking in the general public in opposite directions. The negative role of hostility towards women should be taken into account in prevention campaigns.

‘Everyone knows someone in an unhealthy relationship’: young people’s talk about intimate heterosexual relationships in England

ABSTRACT Research suggests that intimate relationship violence and coercive control are prevalent in young people’s relationships. Furthermore, young people often fail to recognise such behaviour as abuse. While such findings indicate the normalisation of controlling and coercive behaviours amongst young people, there is little focus on how these behaviours are normalised. This paper presents findings from a study exploring young people’s experiences and expectations of intimate relationships. Focus groups were conducted with young people (aged 13 to 18 years) in schools in the West Midlands, England. Young people talked of navigating precarious and competitive heterosexual relationships. Their expectations and negotiations of these relationships often upheld and reinforced gender double standards around dating practices. Young people’s discussion also highlighted how they came to accept and rationalise controlling and coercive behaviours as ‘love’, ‘care’ and ‘protection’, legitimising these practices as reasonable. Heteronormativity remains a dominant discourse shaping young people’s experiences and expectations of relationships with coercion and control being defining features of this discourse. Supporting young people to critically examine constructs of heterosexuality and gender norms should be a key component of England’s forthcoming statutory Relationship and Sex Education.

The Influence of Ideological Variables in the Denial of Violence Against Women: The Role of Sexism and Social Dominance Orientation in the Spanish Context.

Violence against women in heterosexual intimate relationships is a major social problem with serious physical and psychological consequences for the victims. There is a line of research that seeks to analyze how ideological variables and contextual variables influence the way in which this type of violence is perceived. This study analyzed the relationship between hostile sexism, benevolent sexism and social dominance in the acceptance of the myths about violence against women in intimate relationships. A total of 215 Spanish university students (125 women and 90 men) participated in the research. The results indicate that hostile sexism and social dominance orientation act as factors that influence the acceptance of such myths in men. Benevolent sexism did not act in this way. The data reconfirm the importance of hostile sexism and social dominance orientation in the perception of violence against women, in this case, that which is committed by their partners (or ex-partners) in the area of intimate relationships.

Masculinity, Male Sexual Virility, and Use of Aphrodisiacs in Ghana

Indigenous peoples’ knowledge of and expertise in herbal remedies is not new. Although studies have emphasized use of herbal medicine in Africa, it remains unclear how gender impacts the uptake of herbal remedies as aphrodisiac-therapeutic types. Using qualitative data from urban Ghana, this article examines how cultural expectations of male sexuality in intimate heterosexual relationships influence the marketing and patronage of local aphrodisiacs, that is, herbal bitters in the West African context. Analysis reveals links with how men talk about notions of manhood and experiences of herbal bitters, including issues related to insecurities about hegemonic masculine ideals and women’s power. Although dominant masculinity has been associated with practices that allow men’s control over women, it also functions to harm men’s sexuality. Harm reduction requires behavioral modification and sexual and reproductive health and rights education program via media advocacy. A call to scale-up research, policy development, and implementation in regard to the production, advertisements, and patronage of local aphrodisiacs especially in countries in Africa where the phenomenon has risen to problematic levels is sine qua non to this approach.

A dyadic approach to understanding safer sex behavior in intimate heterosexual relationships.

This study applied a dyadic approach to condom-use research. Partners from 124 heterosexual couples independently completed a questionnaire assessing condom-related attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to use condoms. Results demonstrate the superiority of a dyadic approach to understanding couples' condom-use intentions and behavior over traditional, individual-level approaches. The addition of partner effects to the model, via the actor-partner interdependence model, resulted in an increase in the variance accounted for in condom-use intentions and this dyadic model showed better fit compared to the individual-level model. The results suggest that consideration of relationship partners plays an important role in the prediction of safer sex intentions.

Walk the Line: How Successful Are Efforts to Maintain Monogamy in Intimate Relationships?

Monogamy, typically defined as sexual and romantic exclusivity to one partner, is a near-universal expectation in committed intimate relationships in Western societies. Attractive alternative partners are a common threat to monogamous relationships. However, little is known about how individuals strive to protect their relationships from tempting alternatives, particularly those embedded in one’s social network. The current exploratory study was guided by the Investment Model, which states that satisfaction, investments, and perceived alternatives to a relationship predict commitment, which in turn predicts relationship longevity. The study aimed to identify relationship and extradyadic attraction characteristics associated with monogamy maintenance efforts, specifically relationship commitment, as predicted by the Investment Model. The efficacy of monogamy maintenance efforts was assessed via sexual and emotional infidelity measures at a 2-month follow-up. U.S. adults in heterosexual intimate relationships (N = 287; 50.2% male; M age = 34.5 years; M relationship length = 87 months) were recruited online to complete the survey study. Through structural equation modelling, the Investment Model structure was replicated, and relationship commitment predicted use of relationship-enhancing efforts as well as self-monitoring/derogation efforts. Individuals who experienced reciprocated attraction used significantly more avoidance and self-monitoring/derogation efforts than did those who experienced unreciprocated attraction. Ultimately, monogamy maintenance efforts did not significantly predict success in maintaining monogamy at follow-up. These findings have important research, educational, and clinical implications relating to relationship longevity.

The maintenance of gender inequality in South African tertiary educated heterosexual couples

ABSTRACT Gender equality has been found to benefit individual and couple well-being. However, much of what is known about the uptake of gender equality ideas in intimate heterosexual relationships is based on individual data from tertiary educated groups in the global North. South African research has also relied on individual data, but has predominantly utilized low socio-economic status samples. Locally, research is therefore needed that employs dyadic data, and specifically targets higher socio-economic and tertiary educated couples who are more likely to have been exposed to and adopt gender equality ideas. Subsequently, using a feminist social constructionist framework, we explored gender constructions by interviewing 14 heterosexual university student couples about gender ideas and practices in their relationships. We used an inductive thematic analysis method to analyze the dyadic interview data. We found that the couples were aware and supportive of gender equality, and portrayed themselves as having transcended gender inequality. However, we identified restrictive traditional gender constructions which were unseen, or deemed chosen or harmless by the participants. We conclude that more needs to be done to create awareness of, and challenge these unproblematised gender ideas amongst higher socio-economic groups that may believe that they have transcended gender inequality in relationships.

Understanding and Addressing Women's Use of Force in Intimate Relationships: A Retrospective.

This article surveys an evolving understanding of women's use of force in their intimate heterosexual relationships. It explores the common characteristics of women who use force and, using an intersectional lens, considers the experiences of women in marginalized communities. It also examines how the legal response to intimate partner violence has affected this population. In addition, the development of and best practices in community-based gender-responsive programming for women's use of force in their intimate heterosexual relationships are overviewed. In conclusion, this work identifies challenges that still exist in effectively responding to women's use of force.

Harms from a partner’s drinking: an international study on adverse effects and reduced quality of life for women

ABSTRACT Background: Partners of heavy drinking individuals can be detrimentally affected as a result of their partner’s drinking. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the proportion of heterosexual intimate partner relationships with a heavy drinking male that resulted in reported alcohol-related harm and to investigate the impact of this on well-being in 9 countries. Methods: This study used survey data from the Gender and Alcohol’s Harm to Others (GENAHTO) Project on Alcohol’s Harm to Others in 9 countries (10,613 female respondents, 7,091 with intimate live-in partners). Respondents were asked if their partners drinking had negatively affected them as well as questions on depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with life. Results: The proportion of partnered respondents that reported having a harmful heavy drinking partner varied across countries, from 4% in Nigeria and the US to 33% in Vietnam. The most consistent correlate of experiencing harm was being oneself a heavy episodic drinker, most likely as a proxy measure for the acceptability of alcohol consumption in social circles. Women with a harmful heavy drinking partner reported significantly lower mean satisfaction with life than those with a partner that did not drink heavily. Conclusions: Harms to women from heavy drinking intimate partners appear across a range of subgroups and impact on a wide range of women, at least demographically speaking. Women living with a heavy drinking spouse experience higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms and lower satisfaction with life.