Romantic Status Research Articles

"All You Need Is Love" a Social Network Approach to Understanding Attachment Networks in Adulthood.

This study examined five dimensions of attachment network structure in a large sample of adults (n = 930, 57% female) between 24 to 80 years of age. We employed a newly validated diagrammatic measure, the web-based hierarchical mapping technique (WHMT), to measure the attachment strength to participants' five closest relationships and the physical distance to and between network members. Our first aim was to replicate existing research on the composition of adult attachment networks, exploring variations in network patterns by age, romantic status, and parental status. Our second aim was to explore four new network dimensions, including physical distance to network members, hierarchical patterns, centrality, and density. The results replicated previous work on network composition, highlighting the pivotal role of romantic partners as primary attachment figures through adulthood. The analysis of the new network dimensions revealed a clear divide between adults in romantic relationships and those who are not. Compared to the single adults, the adults in romantic relationships were more hierarchical in their attachment preferences, reported lower emotional connection to friends and parents, and lived farther from their network, which was also more geographically dispersed. In other words, romantically involved adults put more of their attachment eggs in one basket. The results also showed that the older adults tended to live further away from their attachment network and had a more geographically dispersed network compared to the younger adults.

Correlates of Spirituality among African American and Black Caribbean Emerging Adults.

Spirituality is a significant cultural strength and resource for Black emerging adults. Numerous studies show that increasing numbers of emerging adults tend to identify themselves as being spiritual but not religious. However, no studies to date have identified the demographic correlates of spirituality for Black emerging adults from different ethnic groups (i.e., African American vs. Black Caribbean). Data from the National Survey of American Life was used to identify the demographic correlates of 2 indicators of spirituality (e.g., self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality) for 802 African American and 428 Black Caribbean emerging adults using linear regression. For African Americans, being a woman predicted both greater self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality. However, among Black Caribbeans men rated spirituality higher in importance than women. African Americans who reported higher educational attainment tended to report higher levels of self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality. Romantic status for Black Caribbeans, whether they had no romantic involvement or a current romantic partner, was associated with lower self-ratings of spirituality. Unmarried cohabitating individuals in both ethnic groups tended to report lower levels of self-related spirituality. Unemployment for Black Caribbeans was associated with lower subjective spirituality. Findings are of interest to those who serve and work with Black emerging adults.

Attachment networks in young adults.

This study investigated attachment networks in a sample of Italian young adults. Attachment networks were defined in terms of attachment functions, attachment strength, the presence of a primary figure, and full-blown attachments. Participants were 405 young adults, and we studied the effects of the demographic variables of gender, romantic status (whether single, involved in a romantic relationship for less or more than 24 months) and employment (whether university students or workers) on the structure of attachment networks. Participants were asked to answer the WHO-TO questionnaire, and derived indexes were analyzed using mixed ANOVAs, linear and logistic regression techniques. Results indicated that while friends still had great importance in the network, partners were acquiring increasing relevance; at the same time, parents, and particularly mothers, remained central figures, particularly for the secure base function. Regarding the demographic variables, we observed that women reported stronger bonds with their mothers than men did, while the importance of friends was higher for men than for women. Additionally, our study supports previous findings underlining the importance of romantic partners in this phase of life, with participants involved in romantic relationships for longer than 24 months showing a fully developed attachment bond with their partners. Finally, for workers, the transfer of functions from the family-of-origin to external figures seemed to be fostered. In conclusion, young Italian young adults go through a phase of intensive restructuring of attachment bond networks, particularly in relation to the consolidation of romantic relationships and work commitments.

Investigating the relationship between profile factors and locus of control of selected college students in Camarines Norte, Philippines

Numerous studies have revealed that locus of control is among the significant factors that contributed to the mental health challenges faced by individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the theory on locus of control, it is the degree to which a person feels he has control over events of his life, which can be internal or external. Filipinos have been known to adhere to a fatalistic attitude, which can be construed as a form of external locus of control. This study sought to discover the proportion of those who possess internal or external locus of control and the profile factors that could influence this. 226 college students from various public and private colleges in Camarines Norte, Philippines volunteered to take part in this study. The Locus of Control instrument based on Rotter was used to assess the locus of control of the respondents. When grouped according to sex, parental status and romantic status, majority of the respondents possess internal locus of control. However, percentage-wise, there are more males who have internal locus of control than females, there are more respondents without romantic involvement who possess internal locus of control than those with romantic involvement and those with only one surviving parent possess the most internal locus of control followed by those with parents who are living together and lastly by those whose parents are separated. Overall, 137 respondents or 60.62% possess internal locus of control and 89 or 39.38% have external locus of control. Chi square computations between locus of control and sex, parental status and romantic status yielded no significant relationships between these variables.

Sexual Satisfaction and Mental Health in Prison Inmates

The main goal of this study was to investigate the association between sexual satisfaction and mental health, and the combined effect of two previously found, statistically significant moderators: partner status and sexual abstinence. In-person interviews were conducted with 223 participants (49.327% males and 50.673% females). The effect of sexual satisfaction on mental health and the interactions of sexual satisfaction × partner status, sexual satisfaction × sexual abstinence, and sexual satisfaction × partner status × sexual abstinence were examined using simple moderation and moderated moderation tests after controlling for a set of sociodemographic, penitentiary, and interpersonal variables. Results revealed a direct relationship between sexual satisfaction and mental health only for the sexually abstinent group. Partner status was not significant as a moderator. It seems that the lack of sexual relationships is more powerful as a moderator than the lack of a romantic relationship. Additionally, the sexually abstinent group showed lower levels of sexual satisfaction in those with a partner outside or inside prison, and lower mental health independently of the current romantic status, than sexually active inmates. These findings point to the importance of sexual satisfaction to mental health in sexual situations of extreme disadvantage.

A Primary Care Intervention to Prevent Repeat Pregnancy Among Teen Mothers

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a patient-centered medical home intervention for teen parent families in reducing rates of unintended repeat pregnancy in the first 2 years postpartum. A prospective quasi-experimental evaluation was conducted with 98 African American, low-income, teen mother (aged <20 years) participants who received either the intervention or standard pediatric primary care. All participants completed structured interviews at baseline (child aged 2 months) and at follow-ups 12 and 24 months later. Data were collected from 2011 to 2015. Participants reported number of pregnancies, contraception used at last intercourse, depressive symptoms, and romantic status of the relationship with the baby's father. Analyses were conducted from 2015 to 2017. Logistic regression showed that mothers in the intervention group were half as likely as mothers who received standard pediatric primary care to have a repeat pregnancy within 2 years (OR=0.55, p=0.16). The main effect of the intervention on lower rates of repeat pregnancy was mediated by higher rates of contraceptive use. Depression was associated with higher odds of repeat pregnancy, but did not appear to mediate the intervention effect. This comprehensive and integrated model of care for teen parents may be an effective method to prevent rapid repeat pregnancies in this vulnerable population.

The Emerging Adulthood Years: Finding One’s Way in Career and Intimate Love Relationships

ABSTRACTThis study examines career and intimate love pathways in 100 Israeli emerging adults (fifty-four men) who were followed from age twenty-two to twenty-nine. In a semistructured interview at the age of twenty-nine, participants were asked about current work and educational status and changes in recent years. They were also asked to reflect on the meaning of the processes they followed. Following the completion of the career interview, participants were asked to talk about their current romantic status, their past romantic experiences, difficulties in relationships and past separations, and how they coped with these. Analyses of interviews yielded four distinctive career pursuit pathways and four intimate love pathways that varied on the continuum of stability–variability, and were associated with different levels of concurrent well-being. Analysis of the interviews showed that changes that young people make along the way do not necessarily indicate confusion, but might represent their efforts to find their own paths toward settling down. Personality measures, such as self-criticism, dependency and efficacy, measured seven years earlier, predicted pathway affiliation at age twenty-nine. In addition, parental support was found to serve as a protective or risk factor associated with adaptive pursuit of career and intimate love goals. By employing this mixed-method approach, the findings demonstrate the diverse development of career and intimate love pathways during emerging adulthood, and indicate the importance of personality and parental support in the process of development during the transition to adulthood.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION DURING ADOLESCENCE

This study examines associations between different aspects of romantic involvement and psychosocial adaptation during adolescence. 901 students (432 boys, 469 girls) aged 12 to 17 years, who have been involved in at least one romantic relationship, answered questionnaires aimed at measuring ten parameters of romantic involvement (interest, age at the time of the first romance, average age of the partners, number of romantic relationships, number of broken hearts, average duration of relationship, duration of a recent, more significant relationship, time spent each week out of the school in this relationship, current romantic status, sexually active or not) and four indices of psychosocial adjustment (performance at school, body image, self-esteem, behavioural problems).

Parental Divorce and Emerging Adults’ Subjective Well-Being: The Role of “Carrying Messages”

Parental divorce is assumed to negatively affect diverse aspects of emerging adults’ functioning. The aims of this study were to analyze the effects of parental divorce and to identify divorce-related factors that may have an impact on the well-being of emerging adults from divorced families. Participants were 964 Spanish emerging adults (45 % women). One hundred and twenty-five of them were from divorced families. They completed an anonymous survey that included measures of subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, positive and negative affect), romantic status, length of the current relationship, age at onset of the divorce, parental remarriage and the experience of “carrying messages” between their divorced parents. Preliminary results revealed small differences in satisfaction with life and no differences in positive affect between emerging adults from divorced and non-divorced families. However, emerging adults from divorced families showed significantly higher levels of negative affect. Negative affect was not related to gender, romantic status or parental remarriage, but it was related to parental demands to carry messages. Children, who were older when their parents divorced, and females were more likely to have been asked to carry messages and showed the highest levels of negative affect. In fact, controlling for gender and age at onset of the divorce, carrying messages was the main predictor of negative affect for the emerging adults in this sample. The implications of these findings for work with divorced families and their children are discussed.

Let's talk openly about sex: Sexual communication, self-esteem and efficacy as correlates of sexual well-being

Drawing from theories of sexual development, the aim of this study was investigate whether sexual well-being was more positive when youth reported more frequent and better quality sex-related communication, and greater sexual subjectivity (sexual body esteem and pleasure self-efficacy). Sexual well-being was measured with reference to partnered behaviour, including safe-sex behavioural competence, sexual assertiveness, and emotional reactions. Young adults (N = 209; 61% female) aged 17–21 completed questionnaires. While also considering age, gender, romantic status and coital experience in regression analyses, participants higher in competence reported more frequent communication with mothers in high school, and current higher quality communication with mothers and friends. Participants reported more positive emotions related to sex when they had better quality communication with their friends. Associations of sexual subjectivity with greater sexual well-being were found, and small indirect effects were found between retrospectively reported communication frequency and sexual well-being via pleasure self-efficacy.

Romantic relationship status and alcohol use and problems across the first year of college.

We examined the associations between romantic relationship status and alcohol use and problems in a large sample of first-year college students. Participants (n = 2,056) came from a longitudinal study of college students who answered questions about relationship status (single, in an exclusive relationship, or dating several people), alcohol use, and alcohol problems at two time points across their first year. After we controlled for a number of covariates (parental alcohol problems, high school conduct problems, peer deviance, and extraversion), we found that dating several people was associated with higher alcohol use and problems, compared with being single or being in an exclusive relationship, at the follow-up assessment only, with modest effect sizes. Being in an exclusive relationship was not associated with lower alcohol use or problems compared with being single. Relationship dissolution was associated with a modest longitudinal increase in alcohol problems. It is important to consider alternative relationship statuses (e.g., dating several people) for understanding the association of romantic status with alcohol use and problems in college-aged samples. Involvement in an exclusive romantic relationship (vs. being single) in this age group is not associated with the behavioral health benefits documented in older-adult samples. College students dating several people may be at risk for high levels of alcohol use or problems and may benefit from targeted interventions. Those who have recently experienced a breakup also may be at risk for increases in alcohol problems, although the clinical relevance of this finding should be tempered by the small observed effect size.

Drive for Muscularity: Um Estudo Exploratório no Exército Brasileiro

Drive for muscularity refere-se ao desejo de alcançar o corpo muscular ideal e ao grau de preocupação a respeito da musculatura. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar os traços de drive for muscularity em homens militares brasileiros. Dados de uma amostra não-probabilística de 652 homens foram analisados. Os resultados mostraram associações entre as variáveis de drive for muscularity e os hábitos de prática de atividade física, satisfação com a vida e com o corpo e ansiedade físico-social. Diferenças nos traços de drive for muscularity foram achados em relação ao status de relacionamento amoroso, segurança financeira e tempo de carreira no exército. Concluiu-se que o acompanhamento de drive for muscularity na formação do militar deveria fazer parte das rotinas de cuidados psicossociais.

Intimacy, identity and status: Measuring dating goals in late adolescence and emerging adulthood

Individuals’ goals can direct their own social behavior and development. We extended and validated a social dating goals measure (SDGS-R) to assess identity, intimacy and status goals, and compared goals by age, gender, sexual orientation and romantic status. Participants were 121 adolescents and 249 emerging adults (age M = 20.6). The expected 3-factor structure of the SDGS-R was found and confirmed (18 items). Identity, intimacy and status goals had small correlations with each other and analyses validated the meaning and uniqueness of each goal. Participants reported more identity and intimacy goals than status goals. Intimacy goals were more prominent among older compared to teenage participants and those with a partner rather than without one. Females reported more identity dating goals than males. There was no difference in the goals of same-sex and other-sex attracted youth. The availability of the SDGS-R will allow further study of romantic development and relationship functioning.

Patterns and Predictors of Involvement Among Fathers of Children Born to Adolescent Mothers

Father involvement may be an important support for children born to adolescent mothers. This study examines patterns and predictors of father involvement, as reported by adolescent mothers, from their child's infancy through toddlerhood. Data were collected from urban, primarily African American, adolescent mothers (N = 138) in four interviews, over a 24-month period. The percentage of fathers categorized as “highly involved” decreased significantly from baseline to 12-month follow-up and was stable through 24 months. The romantic status of the mother–father relationship was the strongest predictor of whether father involvement was consistently high, consistently low, or decreased over time.

A Prospective Study of Young Females’ Sexual Subjectivity: Associations with Age, Sexual Behavior, and Dating

Sexual self-perceptions are important aspects of sexuality, which can undergo significant change during adolescence and early adulthood. The purpose of this study was to describe these changes among girls (N=251; ages 16-25) over one year, and to examine associations of sexual self-perceptions (sexual subjectivity) with age, sexual behavior, and romantic status. Sexual body-esteem, perceptions of entitlement to desire and pleasure, sexual efficacy, and sexual self-reflection were investigated as elements of sexual subjectivity. All sexual subjectivity elements were higher among girls who had more sexual experience and/or had steady romantic partners during the study. Perception of entitlement to desire and pleasure increased over time, whereas sexual body-esteem showed the most stability and had minimal associations with sexual or romantic experiences. The greatest increases in sexual subjectivity were found among girls who began the study with the least sociosexual experience and self-reflection also increased for girls who had first coitus after the start of the study. Overall, girls who had sexual intercourse the earliest (before age 16) had the highest sexual subjectivity, but sexual subjectivity increased the most among girls without coital experience or who had more recent first coitus.

Mapping young adults’ use of fathers for attachment support: implications on romantic relationship experiences

A mixed methods approach was used to examine how young adults (n = 1012) perceive fathers as targets for attachment support. Participants ranked the level of attachment support received and sought from fathers, mothers, best friends, and romantic partners, and provided relationship‐specific information on additional indices of social support including commitment, intimacy, companionship, advice, and romantic relationship experiences. Findings indicated that approximately 10% of the young adults considered fathers a principal source of attachment support. Compared to the majority of young adults who did not rank fathers as a primary attachment figure, those who did were more likely to be male, younger than 20, not romantically involved, and less sexually active. A series of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher levels of sexual activity and closeness to romantic partners predicted lower use of fathers as attachment figures, albeit the links were specific to gender and romantic status groups. Qualitative interviews to assess father–daughter communication patterns were conducted in a follow‐up study with 10 participants who previously indicated fathers as an unusually high or low source of attachment support. High paternal support was indicated by the capacity for resolving disagreements through open dialog and mutual respect, although this outcome was rarely sought or achieved within father–daughter dyads.

The Parthenon and the Erechtheion: the architectural formation of place, politics and myth

I came to the study of the Parthenon and the Erechtheion from outside the areas of archaeology and art history. My interest in the two buildings is in their architecture and more specifically in the contribution this makes to their cultural meaning. However, the most compelling argument of archaeologists and art historians supports my intentions: both the sculptures and the building were integral components of a single whole. I will extend this argument by indicating that the architecture of the two temples, their art, their cults and the entire scheme of which they were part, belonged to a greater whole. I will suggest that they were all responsible, all tightly interwoven in the construction and expression of the religious, political and cultural narrative and content. To modern eyes, Greek temples retain either the status of a remote but timeless past subject to historical, stylistic and proportional analysis, or the romantic status of antiquity and ruins. In what follows I have used existing evidence and sources neither to reinforce these positions, nor to solve problems that archaeology and related disciplines have been more successfully addressing. I have used them to look at the two buildings through the prism of knowledge from diverse fields of inquiry, and so to locate them within a social, historical and ideological context. In this way, I hope I can break their silence and salvage them from the mere formalism of stylistic inspection, or from decay and solitude in the romantic imagination.

Sex and Relationship Variables as Predictors of Sexual Attraction in Cross-Sex Platonic Friendships between Young Heterosexual Adults

This study examined factors associated with sexual attraction in close, platonic, cross-sex friendships. Male (n = 83) and female (n = 103) heterosexual undergraduates were surveyed about their relationships with their closest current platonic cross-sex friend. Results suggest that sexual attraction is often present in cross-sex friendships, common to both sexes, and is more frequently evidenced by males. Regression analysis revealed that the variables of sex, loving, previous romantic involvement and the interaction of loving and (bio-logical) sex all accounted for significant amounts of variance in predicting sexual attraction, while liking, relationship duration and current romantic status did not. Loving accounted for the most variance in predicting sexual attraction.

Challenges confronting cross-sex friendships: “Much ado about nothing?”

This research was an investigation into four challenges purported to confront cross-sex friends. One hundred and thirty eight individuals (females = 86, males = 52) completed two surveys designed to explore the extent to which the “sexual,” “emotional bond,” “audience,” and “equality” challenges were present in their cross-sex friendships. Over 98% of the participants were heterosexual, 99% were Caucasian, and approximately 5% were Hispanic. Data gathered from the first survey were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance, with gender, type of friendship, and romantic status as the independent variables, and three of the four challenges as the dependent variables. The first survey also included open-ended questions designed to explore the nature and existence of the challenges. The second survey was in a diary format. Respondents kept a frequency count for three weeks of discussions they had with their cross-sex friend concerning the challenges, and thoughts that they had as individuals concerning those challenges. Results from both surveys indicate that though the challenges exist and have powerful effects on a small percentage of individuals in cross-sex friendships, for the majority of participants the challenges are not perceived as salient.