Quality Of Personal Relationships Research Articles

Gender, Masculinity, and the Perception of Vegetarians and Vegans: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

AbstractResearch shows that women and men have different attitudes toward food and eating habits, which may stem from societal gender roles. In most societies, eating meat is associated with masculinity, and choosing healthy and smaller meals is perceived as feminine. These stereotypes may affect eating behaviors, which may have an impact on health and well-being as well as on the environment and economy. We conducted two studies that focused on the perceptions and experiences of vegans and vegetarians (veg*ns) using a gender lens. The first study (N = 1048) used a quantitative design to investigate the association of a vegan/ vegetarian diet with gender stereotypes and the quality of personal relationships. The second study used a qualitative design with six 6-person focus groups (N = 36) to examine the experience of vegetarians with stereotypes associated with their diet and the possible links to gender roles. Results suggest that men following a vegan diet are not perceived as masculine, and vegans/ vegetarians themselves experience gender stereotypes related to diminished masculinity. Our research confirms that the interplay of diet, the role of meat in society, and gender stereotypes have consequences both for the social perception of people who follow a vegan/ vegetarian diet and for the experiences of the vegan/ vegetarian community.

Social connectedness and cognitive decline

Social connectedness and cognitive decline

Mental health and satisfaction with partners: a longitudinal analysis in the UK

BackgroundCurrent UK health policy stresses treating health as an asset to underpin and promote a more inclusive and productive society. The quality of personal relationships is essential for overall quality of life. The social determinants of health (SDH) literature shows that poor mental health and well-being are linked to weaker personal and social connections for individuals, families, and society. The causal impact that mental health has on satisfaction with partners is less understood but requires investigation.MethodsThe causal relationship between mental health and satisfaction with partners is examined drawing on the United Kingdom’s British Household Panel Survey from 1991 to 2008. A total sample of 9,024 individuals in dyadic couples comprising 42,464 observations was analysed using fixed-effects and instrumental variable fixed-effects panel data estimation.ResultsLower mental health is associated with a lower satisfaction with partners. However, some causal evidence of lower mental health reducing satisfaction with partners is present for males.DiscussionFor females, relationship satisfaction is more likely to influence mental health. For males there is a potential ‘vicious circle’ between satisfaction with partners and mental health.ConclusionsInvestment in mental health provision can improve satisfaction with partners which in turn will further enhance health and well-being.

Who Matters For The Subjective Perceptions Toward Gerontechnology?

The present study aims to investigate how personal relationship satisfaction moderate the associations between types of social support providers and the subjective perceptions toward gerontechnology among Korean older adults. Data were collected by an online survey in February 2021. The sample was 256 older Koreans who have a partner and children (N=109 older adults with low personal relationship satisfaction, N=147 older adults with high personal relationship satisfaction, Age: 66-88, M=69.91, SD=4.19). The dependent variables for the subjective perceptions toward gerontechnology were attitude toward using gerontechnology and anxiety for gerontechnology. Independent variables were four types of social support providers (spouse, children, siblings/relatives, and friends/neighbor). Personal relationship satisfaction was a binary moderator, dividing the sample into low and high personal relationship satisfaction groups. We applied multigroup structural equation modeling. The results showed associations between social support providers and subjective perceptions toward gerontechnology differed by the quality of personal relationships. In detail, receiving support from spouses was associated with the lower level of anxiety of using gerontechnology among older adults in the low personal relationship satisfaction group. Moreover, receiving support from spouses was associated with a higher level of attitude toward using gerontechnology in the high personal relationship group. Receiving social support from other providers were not significant in both groups. The findings imply that the partner living with was salience for positive perception toward gerontechnology. Furthermore, support from spouses may differently work on the subjective perception toward gerontechnology by the quality of personal relationships.

Increased emotional eating during COVID-19 associated with lockdown, psychological and social distress

Due to the spread of COVID 2019, the Italian government imposed a lockdown on the national territory. Initially, citizens were required to stay at home and not to mix with others outside of their household (Phase 1); eventually, some of these restrictions were lifted (Phase 2). To investigate the impact of lockdown on emotional and binge eating, an online survey was conducted to compare measures of self-reported physical (BMI), psychological (Alexithymia), affective (anxiety, stress, and depression) and social (income, workload) state during Phase 1 and Phase 2. Data from 365 Italian residents showed that increased emotional eating was predicted by higher depression, anxiety, quality of personal relationships, and quality of life, while the increase of bingeing was predicted by higher stress. Moreover, we showed that higher alexithymia scores were associated by increased emotional eating and higher BMI scores were associated with both increased emotional eating and binge eating. Finally, we found that from Phase 1 to Phase 2 binge and emotional eating decreased. These data provide evidence of the negative effects of isolation and lockdown on emotional wellbeing, and, relatedly, on eating behaviour.

THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF LIVING KIDNEY DONATION AMONG ASIAN KIDNEY DONORS IN SINGAPORE

Introduction: Living kidney donation in Singapore has proven to show excellent clinical outcomes. Despite outstanding results, the psychosocial outcomes of being a Living Kidney Donor (LKD) remain unknown. Thus, this study was performed to examine the longitudinal changes in psychosocial conditions of LKDs before and after living kidney donation. This study hypothesises that the psychosocial conditions before and after living kidney donation is not significantly different. Methodology: This study examined a cohort of 20 LKDs at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), who completed self-reported questionnaires at several time points of the study – before donation, six weeks, six months and 12 months after donation. Comprehensive survey instruments such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Body Image State Scale (BISS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a custom questionnaire were used to assess the LKD’s motivation to donation, perceptions on the quality of personal relationships with others and pain levels of LKDs. Results: At six weeks-post-donation, SF-36 scores for role-physical domain were lower as compared to pre-donation (47.5±42.84 vs. 83.75± 32.72;p=0.0058), but scores for emotional (78.4±8.84 vs. 71.6±11.08;p=0.0059) and pain (74.12±17.06 vs. 86.88±74.12±17.06;p=0.0100) domains were higher as compared to pre-donation. Scores on the BAI, BISS and RSES showed no significant differences at six weeks-post donation. When surveyed at six months-post-donation, all scores on SF-36 domains were comparable to baseline scores, except the social domain where LKDs scored higher (96.05±9.37 vs. 88.12±19.23;p=0.0439). BAI scores were also significantly lower at six months-post-donation compared to baseline (1.05±1.08 vs. 3.11±3.58;p=0.0132). At 12 months-post-donation, scores from all survey instruments were similar to those obtained at baseline. In the custom questionnaire, majority of LKDs had positive attitudes towards living kidney donation, which remained constant throughout the study. Moreover, at 12 months-post-donation, at least 80% of LKDs did not express any decline in their mental or physical health, or reduction in recreational or social activities, but instead had 35% increase in concerns over their physical health. Conclusion: Despite experiencing a decline in perceived physical functioning, LKDs faced improved emotional and pain regulation by six months-post-donation and increased levels of social functioning. By 12 months-post-donation, there were no significant differences in psychosocial condition from the time before donation. LKDs remain positive about living kidney donation and did not perceive any negative mental, physical or social impact. This study concludes that the psychosocial well-being of LKDs in SGH is preserved, but further studies are required to examine issues such as post-donation anxiety.

Features of multicultural competence of young people with different types of ethnic identity

The article analyzes the multicultural competence of an individual based on his ethnic socialization. The authors note that multicultural competence determines the life orientation of an individual, the ability to orientate in various spheres of life, and determines the quality of personal relationships in a multicultural society and also presupposes the formation of a personality capable of high-quality, effective life activity in a multicultural society, motivated to understand, differentiate and take into account the differences of ethnic groups. In the course of the empirical research, the ethnic composition of the respondents’ families, self-identification of students with ethnic groups, the attitude of respondents to their ethnic groups / affiliations, the type of ethnic identity, its dominant components and multicultural competence of the individual were investigated. The study revealed significant differences in the parameters of ethnic identity and multicultural competence of mono-ethnic, bi-ethnic, zero, marginal groups, and their specificity and features were described.

Emotion, Social Relationships, and Physical Health: Concepts, Methods, and Evidence for an Integrative Perspective.

Emotional characteristics and processes are robust predictors of the development and course of major medical illnesses and premature mortality, as are a variety of indicators of the presence and quality of personal relationships. Despite clear evidence of close interconnection between these two domains of risk and protection, affective characteristics and relationships have largely been studied separately as influences on health. After a recent conference on integrative perspectives on emotions, relationships and health co-sponsored by the American Psychosomatic Society and the Society for Affective Science, the present review builds on prior calls for integration, related theory, and current research to outline what is known about the interconnection of these domains as it specifically relates to their overlapping influences on health. Areas of interest include the following: their interconnected roles over the course of development, which may inform current efforts to understand the influence of early life events on adult health; the parallel positive and negative factors in both domains that could have distinct influences on health; the role of emotion regulation in relationship contexts; and measurement, design, and analysis approaches to capture the dyadic and dynamic aspects of these interconnected influences on health. We conclude with a discussion of an emerging research agenda that includes the following: common biological foundations of affective and relationship processes, the cultural embeddedness of affective and relationship processes, the potential contribution of affective-relational processes to health disparities, and implications for intervention research.

Mind-mindedness in parents of looked-after children.

The studies reported here aimed to test the proposal that mind-mindedness is a quality of personal relationships by assessing mind-mindedness in caregiver-child dyads in which the relationship has not spanned the child's life or in which the relationship has been judged dysfunctional. Studies 1 and 2 investigated differences in mind-mindedness between adoptive parents (ns = 89, 36) and biological parents from the general population (ns = 54, 114). Both studies found lower mind-mindedness in adoptive compared with biological parents. The results of Study 2 showed that this group difference was independent of parental mental health and could not fully be explained in terms of children's behavioral difficulties. Study 3 investigated differences in mind-mindedness in foster carers (n = 122), parents whose children had been the subject of a child protection plan (n = 172), and a community sample of biological parents (n = 128). The level of mind-mindedness in foster carers and parents who were involved with child protection services was identical and lower than that in the community sample; children's behavioral difficulties could not account for the difference between the 2 groups of biological parents. In all 3 studies, nonbiological carers' tendency to describe their children with reference to preadoption or placement experiences was negatively related to mind-mindedness. These findings are in line with mind-mindedness being a relational construct. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mr. Takayama: A Case Study of Factors Affecting L2 Acquisition in the EFL Context of Japan

In terms of second language acquisition (L2), those language learning participants who are able to participate in overseas business trips, coupled with formal instruction appear to make the most gains. Conversely, those who do not participate in such events, even when coupled with formal instruction, appear to fossilize or plateau, if they do not recognize some other use for L2. The purpose of this case study was to examine the factors affecting the L2 acquisition of one specific individual (Mr. Takayama) located in Japan, in order to determine how and if the participant’s level of communicative competence could be improved upon. This case study utilized oral classroom work, informal taped interviews and participant observation and drew on the available linguistics literature to present possible implications for instructors working with individuals in similar EFL circumstances. Not surprisingly, for intrinsic motivation and L2 acquisition, a student must be understood as, both part of his/her cultural group as well as individually. An examination of the available literature showed that it was possible to overcome behaviours that limited L2 acquisition. This study also strongly suggested that the quality of personal relationships affected participants’ level of intrinsic motivation.

Best practice myths and trusted advisers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider, from a practitioner’s perspective, two phrases that are often used in the family enterprise field; “best practice” and “trusted adviser”. They are sometimes found together, a trusted adviser being one who has a meaningful relationship with a family and can offer advice based on best practice. The alternative view offered here is that the notion of best practice is flawed, while trust has much more to it than building personal relationships between and adviser and an enterprising family. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a commentary piece from a practitioner with experience of working with enterprising families in different parts of the world. Findings – This commentary paper challenges the notion that there are best practices in family business governance. It suggests that these are being used to bolster a normative approach to advising that emphasises the importance of certain structures and practices in place of effective governance that is developed by enterprising families to suit their needs. It also tries to expand the debate about the so-called trusted adviser by reviewing aspects of trust that have little to do directly with the quality of personal relationship between a family and their adviser. Originality/value – This paper provides an informed practitioner view of issues that are currently being debated in the field of family enterprise knowledge and practice. It will be useful for enterprising families, family business practitioners, academics and researchers.

Social exclusion and people with intellectual disabilities: a rural–urban comparison

Research suggests that social exclusion is a problem both for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and for people living in rural areas. This may give rise to a double disadvantage for people with ID living in rural areas. Conversely, aspects of rural life such as community spirit and social support may protect against social exclusion in this population. This study was designed to compare a number of measures of social exclusion in adults with ID living in rural and urban areas, with the aim of identifying whether a double disadvantage exists. Adults with ID were recruited from a rural and an urban area in Scotland. Participants participated in a face-to-face interview and their medical notes were accessed. Social exclusion was investigated using a number of measures comprising: daytime opportunities and physical access to community facilities (using part of the British Institute of Learning Disabilities questionnaire), recent contact with others and the quality of personal relationships (using a modified Interview Measure of Social Relationships questionnaire) and area deprivation by postcode (using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). The data were analysed using a series of binary logistic regression models that adjusted for variables including age, gender, level of ID, mental illhealth and common physical co-morbidities. A representative sample of adults with ID from rural (n = 39) and urban (n = 633) areas participated. Participants from rural areas were significantly more likely to have any regular daytime opportunity [odds ratio (OR) = 10.8, 95% CI = 2.3-51.5] including employment (OR = 22.1, 95% CI = 5.7-85.5) and attending resource centres (OR = 6.7, 95% CI = 2.6-17.2) than were participants from urban areas. They were also more likely to have been on holiday (OR = 17.8, 95% CI = 4.9-60.1); however, were less likely to use community facilities on a regular basis. Participants from urban and rural areas had a similar number of contacts with other people in a wide range of situations, but the quality of relationships may have been less close in rural areas. Finally, participants lived in significantly less deprived areas when in rural compared with urban areas (Mann-Whitney U = 7826, Z = -3.675, P ≤ 0.001). These results suggest that adults with ID living in rural areas have better opportunities and live in less deprived areas than adults with ID living in urban areas. However, they may not hold such positive or close relationships, and this may be important when considering the subjective experience of social exclusion.

MEASURING QUALITY IN SOCIAL CARE SERVICES: THEORY AND PRACTICE

ABSTRACT**: Measuring and assessing service quality in the social care sector presents distinct challenges. The ‘experience’ good properties of social care, for instance, and the large influence played by subjective judgements about the quality of personal relationships between carer and user and of process-related service characteristics make it difficult to develop indicators of service quality, including those of service impact on final outcomes. Using some of the key features of the ‘Production of Welfare’ approach, the paper discusses recent developments in the UK of the theoretical and practical frameworks used for assessing quality in social care and for understanding the final impact of services on the wellbeing of their recipients. Key current and future challenges to the development of such frameworks include difficulties in disentangling the impact of social care services on final outcomes from the often dominating effects of other, non-service related factors, and the generalization of consumer-directed care models and of the ‘personalization’ of care services. These challenges are discussed in the context of the different possible applications of quality indicators, including their role as supporting the service commissioning process and their use for assessing the performance of service providers.

Understanding the Management of Sports Events Volunteers Through Psychological Contract Theory

This paper juxtaposes the expectations of event managers and sports event volunteers in a case study organisation. These are understood within the theoretical framework of the psychological contract. Results show the distinctive contribution volunteers can make to events but also the distinctive challenges they present to event managers. For event managers, volunteers bring: enthusiasm, a good relationship and empathy with the public, and they provide a cheaper labour force. But a major concern is ensuring their reliability. For volunteers, important expectations include: flexibility of engagement, the quality of personal relationships, recognition for their contribution, and a clear communication of what they are expected to do. The juxtaposition of event manager and volunteer perspectives illustrates the need for a different approach to managing volunteers in comparison to paid employees. This reflects both volunteers’ expectations and the recognition that they have greater autonomy; not being tied to a contract by financial rewards or a related career progression. More generally the results illustrate the use of the theoretical framework provided by the psychological contract but that in using this it is valuable to compare the perspectives of managers and volunteers, using a qualitative approach to understand this social relationship.

Development and validation of a measure of interpersonal strengths: The Inventory of Interpersonal Strengths.

An Inventory of Interpersonal Strengths (IIS) was developed and validated in a series of large college student samples. Based on interpersonal theory and associated methods, the IIS was designed to assess positive characteristics representing the full range of interpersonal domains, including those generally thought to have negative qualities (e.g., introversion, coldness, submissiveness). The 8 subscales (octants) of the 64-item IIS demonstrated good circumplex features and reliability. Tests comparing Big 5 interpersonal factors, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), Battery of Interpersonal Capabilities (BIC), and other interpersonal measures demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity and shared interpersonal structure. The IIS accounted for significant additional variance in life satisfaction and quality of personal relationships beyond the IIP and the BIC.

Pilot study to determine improvements in subjective penile morphology and personal relationships following a Nesbit plication procedure for men with congenital penile curvature

To determine whether the surgical straightening of congenital penile curvature can improve intromission comfort, penile features, personal relationships and psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED). Fifty-four patients (mean age 24 years, range 20-31 years) whose congenital penile deviation due to physiological curvature was>or=25 degrees, as measured on a graph, and who were experiencing penetration discomfort were assessed specifically for the present study. Of these, 14 patients suffered from psychogenic ED. The assessment included a case history, an objective examination, a pharmacologically-induced erection with prostaglandin E1 10-20 g, a graph taken during erection, a basal and dynamic Duplex ultrasonograph, penile length measurement, nocturnal penile tumescence recording, hormonal profiles and a psychological interview to evaluate the quality of their personal relationships according to Hinde's parameters (contents, number, features, frequency, ability to perceive limits of mutuality, subjective perception of the other person[s], and reliability). All patients underwent the Nesbit procedure. The initial assessment was repeated at 3 and 12 months after surgery. Data analyses were carried out using the z test. Subjective judgement of cosmetic penile features and vaginal intromission comfort improved significantly after surgery whereas the quality of personal relationships and ED did not. The surgical straightening of congenital penile curvature improved intromission comfort and penile features, but it failed to improve interpersonal relationships or psychogenic ED.

A longitudinal study of the effects of free testosterone and other psychosocial variables upon sexual function during the natural traverse of menopause

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if the change of free testosterone level during the natural traverse of menopause is associated with change in sexual function. Other psychosocial variables, which may also contribute to change in sexual function are studied, including participant’s job satisfaction, satisfaction with financial resources, confidence in abililty to manage symptoms, number of stressful life events, amount of exercise, body image, and quality of personal relationships.Design: Questionnaires distributed to women durig an overnight screening visit for participation in a 5 year study of energy metabolism and body compostion. The same questionnaires were mailed to participants at the end of five years. Free Testosterone levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study.Materials and Methods: Following IRB approval, 57 pre-menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 55 completed a questionnaire. Pre-menopausal status was defined as having an FSH level of 30 or lower, three consecutive cycles in 3 months preceeding baseline visit, absence of surgically induced menopause, and no hormone replacement therapy. Free Testosteron Immunoassay Kits (DSL) were used for quantitative measurement of testosterone in serum. The psychological questionnaire consisted of three parts. The first portion included psychosocial information such as level of education, number and ages of children, marital status, financial and career satisfaction, and life events scale (adapted from Holmes and Rahe, 1967). The second portion consisted of 18 questions focusing on sexual satisfaction and designed by J. Gerber. The third portion pertained to symptoms of menopause and confidence in ability to manage symptoms.Results: 34 women completed the second phase of questions, but only 27 completed both questionnaires and provide blood for measurement of free testosterone. Over the five year interval the free testosterone levels decreased from 3.41 +-2.00 (+-SD) to 2.88 +-1.78 (P=0.021). Analysis of variance suggest that the frequency of exercise is the only variable that is significantly associated with sexual satisfaction. Sexual satisfaction appears to increase with increasing freequency of exercise, both at baseline (p=0.34) and in the 5th year of the study (p=0.036). Sexual satisfaction was not assoicated with free testosterone levels in either phase (p=0.315).Conclusion: Exercize improves sexual satisfaction in post menopausal women. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if the change of free testosterone level during the natural traverse of menopause is associated with change in sexual function. Other psychosocial variables, which may also contribute to change in sexual function are studied, including participant’s job satisfaction, satisfaction with financial resources, confidence in abililty to manage symptoms, number of stressful life events, amount of exercise, body image, and quality of personal relationships. Design: Questionnaires distributed to women durig an overnight screening visit for participation in a 5 year study of energy metabolism and body compostion. The same questionnaires were mailed to participants at the end of five years. Free Testosterone levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Materials and Methods: Following IRB approval, 57 pre-menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 55 completed a questionnaire. Pre-menopausal status was defined as having an FSH level of 30 or lower, three consecutive cycles in 3 months preceeding baseline visit, absence of surgically induced menopause, and no hormone replacement therapy. Free Testosteron Immunoassay Kits (DSL) were used for quantitative measurement of testosterone in serum. The psychological questionnaire consisted of three parts. The first portion included psychosocial information such as level of education, number and ages of children, marital status, financial and career satisfaction, and life events scale (adapted from Holmes and Rahe, 1967). The second portion consisted of 18 questions focusing on sexual satisfaction and designed by J. Gerber. The third portion pertained to symptoms of menopause and confidence in ability to manage symptoms. Results: 34 women completed the second phase of questions, but only 27 completed both questionnaires and provide blood for measurement of free testosterone. Over the five year interval the free testosterone levels decreased from 3.41 +-2.00 (+-SD) to 2.88 +-1.78 (P=0.021). Analysis of variance suggest that the frequency of exercise is the only variable that is significantly associated with sexual satisfaction. Sexual satisfaction appears to increase with increasing freequency of exercise, both at baseline (p=0.34) and in the 5th year of the study (p=0.036). Sexual satisfaction was not assoicated with free testosterone levels in either phase (p=0.315). Conclusion: Exercize improves sexual satisfaction in post menopausal women.

Implications of attachment style for patterns of health and illness.

There is substantial evidence that health status and health outcomes are related to the availability and quality of personal relationships. The proposition that attachment relationships in childhood and adolescence have health-related implications fits within this research tradition, and has guided recent attempts to develop models linking attachment style with emotional regulation, coping mechanisms, and illness behaviours. The present paper discusses these theoretical models, together with relevant empirical findings. It is argued that measures of attachment security are related to symptom-reporting, health-care utilization, and restriction of normal activities, and that these links can be explained, in part, by individual differences in emotional and behavioural responses to stress. It is further noted that researchers have proposed physiological and biochemical pathways which may explain some of the effects of attachment style on physical health. The quality of parent-child attachment also predicts family responses to children's illness, as reflected in parents' visitation rates and in family participation in studies of health and illness. The implications of the findings for research and for practice in the health professions are briefly discussed.

Opportunismus in langfristigen Geschäftsbeziehungen

Opportunistic behaviour of an exchange partner is widely recognised as a potential problem in buyer-supplier relationships. One party has an incentive to act opportunistically if there is an asymmetric relationship of dependence. According to transaction cost economics vertical integration is a possibility to face this problem. But some authors suggest that there are other ways to control the problem of opportunism, e.g. investments in the quality of personal relationships or offsetting investments. We describe these possibilities and the circumstances in which they may be superior. To prove our theory, we conducted an empirical study. The findings show that detailed contractual safeguards should be best when the supplier can observe the behaviour of the buyer, or in cases in which the buyer is of great importance in the future. Good relationship quality has an advantage if the buyer is acting in a high competitive environment.

Effects of resettlement on people with learning disabilities.

This article describes a small-scale study of the quality of life for people with learning disabilities after moving from a large group home with institutional features to community settings. The Life Experiences Checklist was chosen to provide objective measures of their quality of life before and after the move, and a semi-structured questionnaire was used to gain a more personal view of their life satisfaction. The results showed that the overall quality of life for the service users improved following resettlement. In particular, the home environment, leisure facilities, freedom and opportunities for service users had all increased significantly. Participants also reported having more choices and were more likely to take part in leisure and household activities. However, the range and quality of personal relationships experienced by the service users showed slight but not significant changes. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research, and the importance of quality evaluation is considered.