Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and explain the underlying factors that contribute to the creation of loyalty within the area of mobile banking, and their relative importance. The study is limited to the Swedish market and members of the millennial generation. To acquire the wanted primary data, this study adopted a survey strategy, where responses from 153 current and former university students were collected. Following the survey, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and ultimately a multiple linear regression analysis to reveal what factors that predicts loyalty. Findings show that Relationship Quality (Commitment/Satisfaction/ Trust) has a positive impact on mobile banking loyalty and is thestrongest determinant. A lower level of Perceived Risk also has a positive impact on mobile banking loyalty. A Net Promotor Score of 1.4 percent indicate low loyalty among millennial mobile banking customers. This study contributes to the bank marketing theory by being one of the first studies that investigate which factors that directly influence loyalty among mobile banking customers. Since millennials is the next working generation it is crucial for banks to understand how loyalty in this generation is created. As the study is focused on Swedish millennials, applicability to the general population is limited.

This study investigates the influence of dominance, kinship and relationship quality on grooming distribution in female Barbary macaques. Data were collected in free-ranging group of Barbary macaques during two four-month periods. The results demonstrate that all tested factors are important for females choice of grooming partners in given group. Moreover, the relative importance of each variable was evaluated. This approach enables to establish which factor plays the most important role in grooming distribution among female Barbary macaques. The relationship quality had the strongest effect on distribution of grooming interactions among females. In other words females groomed more often and for longer time social partners with whom they have better relationship.

Perceived availability or receipt of tangible or instrumental social support has generally been associated with favorable outcomes in kidney transplant recipients, yet there has been insufficient attention in the literature to other social relationship processes beyond support that may contribute to mental and physical health. The overall objective of the current study was to examine whether specific dimensions of relationship quality, such as emotional closeness, sexual relations, support transactions, respect/acceptance, and conflict/negative communication, within the context of a close interpersonal relationship, were associated with psychosocial and medical outcomes in kidney transplant recipients when accounting for the effects of global social support. Participants had received a living or deceased donor kidney transplant and were 6 months - 5 years post-surgery at the time of enrollment in the study. A total of 93 participants completed self-report measures and a semi-structured clinical interview via telephone that assessed each of the aforementioned dimensions with regard to a specified relationship. A subsample of 67 participants were married or involved in a committed dating relationship and responded to interview questions with their partner in mind; the remaining participants selected the person to whom they felt closest over the preceding 6 months (e.g., friend, sibling, parent). Structural equation modeling and linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results suggested that the distinct yet highly correlated dimensions reflected an underlying 'relationship quality' construct. Poorer relationship quality was associated with increased symptoms of depression, decreased feelings of well-being, and worse mental health-related quality of life for both the full sample and the subsample of participants in a romantic relationship. The path between relationship quality and depression remained significant for romantic relationship participants when global social support was included in the model, but global social support was more strongly associated with depression, well-being, and health-related quality of life for all participants. Relationship quality was not associated with adherence or graft function in this sample. However, interesting interaction effects were found, such that high conflict and lack of emotional intimacy were more strongly associated with poorer self-reported adherence in women. In addition, women who reported higher conflict in their relationship also endorsed increased depression, decreased well-being, and worse mental health-related functioning compared to men. These findings are consistent with previous research that has cited the importance of global social support for patients who have received a kidney transplant. The present study also provides novel evidence that other dimensions of relationship quality contribute to outcomes in this population. A comprehensive assessment of recipients' close relationships throughout the transplant process, particularly of conflict and emotional intimacy in women, would allow clinicians to recommend psychosocial interventions that could improve patient outcomes.

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between adult attachment style, humility, and relationship satisfaction in college student couples. Attachment style--given its significant role in predicting how individuals feel, think, and behave in relationships--was expected to be an important predictor of humility, although this possibility has rarely been studied empirically. The current study found that: (a) attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were significant, negative predictors of total humility, (b) attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) was a significant, negative predictor of both intrapersonal and interpersonal humility, (c) a romantic partner's attachment avoidance (but not attachment anxiety) was a significant, negative predictor of a target person's relationship satisfaction, and (d) a romantic partner's perceived level of humility was a significant, positive predictor of a target person's relationship satisfaction.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / International research over the past two decades has advanced knowledge in the study of fathers and the protective role they play in the prevention of adolescent risk behaviours. Studies have often investigated parental relationships and their influence on adolescent risk behaviours but rarely the specific role of the adolescents’ relationships with their fathers or father figures in prevention of risk behaviour.Three main hypotheses were investigated: first, that the theoretically aligned dimensions of relationship quality would be nomogically validated; second, that there would be little significance difference in the dimensions of relationship quality across groupings of father residential status; and third, that the quality of the fatherson relationship is a stronger predictor of risk behaviour than father’s residential status (whether the adolescent lived with the father or not), or whether the “father” is a biological father or not. Three samples of adolescents were included: a fatherresident group (biological fathers reside in the adolescents’ homes) (N = 196); a nonresident group (biological fathers live elsewhere) (N = 72); and a father figure group(no contact with biological father) (N = 58). The school-based sample of 331 participants all resided in a low-income area of Cape Town. Risk behaviours were investigated using the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers(POSIT). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) risk behaviour was assessed on a POSIT sub-scale designed specifically for South Africa, the POSIT HIV/STD Risk Subscale. Paternal relationship quality was measured by the Acceptance subscale of the revised Child Report of Parent Behavior Inventory, the Child-Parent Communication Apprehension Scale for Use with Young Adults, and a measure of paternal quality contact time that was developed for this study. After conducting a factor analysis the Paternal Quality Contact Time Scale was found to have three factors: the father’s availability, activities engaged in together, and the motivation of the son to spend time with his father (including the son’s enjoyment of the time spent). This provides an extension to past conceptualizations of father-son contact which commonly assessed only the amount of time and activities engaged in. The dimensions of paternal relationship quality were found to be strongly associated.Linear regressions showed that father-son communication was the stronger predictor of risk behaviours when compared to father residential status. Paternal communication was a predictive factor for mental health risk, negative family relations, educational under-attainment, aggressive and violent behaviour and HIV/STD risk behaviours for adolescent boys. These findings confirm that fathers play an important protective role with regard to the development of adolescent risk behaviours. They also confirm that paternal relationship quality plays a more significant role, specifically the dimension of communication between them, than whether fathers live with their sons or are biologically related to them. The findings suggest a need to address the issues of building relationships between at-risk youth and their fathers (be they biological fathers or father figures) through community and clinical interventions.

Introduction - Artificial intelligence, defined as “the ability of a system to correctly interpret external data, learn from such data, and use these learnings to achieve specific goals and tasks through flexible adaptation” (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2020, p.17), is an important tool for facilitating interactions between companies and customers. Most companies are planning to utilize AI in some shape or form in the future, yet understanding the impact of AI technologies on marketing strategies involving relationship quality is in need of further research. Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore how AI affects relationship quality. Methodology - This inductive research utilized nine semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used as the data analysis method. The sample consisted of consumers living in Sweden that have interacted with cognitive engagement applications, where a few recalled experiences with voice assistants and social bots, while a clear majority discussed experiences with customer service chatbots.  Findings - The findings of this research relate to AI’s effect on relationship quality as a whole. The three main themes that affect relationship quality were found to be AI characteristics, AI effects and AI encounters. Three propositions for future research are provided. P1: Trust from interactions with cognitive engaging AI is affected by AI system characteristics, AI engagement approach, AI information quality, AI realm, privacy concerns, bias concerns, hedonic usage and perceived human characteristics. P2: Satisfaction from interactions with cognitive engaging AI is affected by, AI system characteristics, AI engagement approach, hedonic usage and perceived human characteristics. P3: Commitment from interactions with cognitive engaging AI is affected by AI system characteristics, AI engagement approach, privacy concerns, AI interaction, hedonic usage and perceived human characteristics. Originality - This research has explored artificial intelligence's effect upon relationship quality as a whole, which has been largely ignored in literature as the only article found, that of Yao, Saad and Chong (2021), focused on the technology rather than its use in marketing. Keywords - Artificial Intelligence, Relationship Quality, Trust, Satisfaction, Commitment, Relationship Marketing, AI Interactions

In recent years, the traditional nuclear family, as defined by social role theory with mother at home and father in the workplace, is no longer the norm. Nearly three out of every four women with children under the age of 18 are part of the workforce. Mothers are frequently juggling multiple roles as well as most of the responsibilities that are inherent in these roles. The current project examined diurnal ambulatory blood pressure influences associated with the responsibility of having a greater number of roles. We investigate differences between a self-reported healthy population of 112 married stay-at-home and 112 married employed mothers, all of whom have children under the age of 18 currently living in the home. Using a mixed multilevel model analysis, we found that the perception of equity in the division of childcare responsibilities between mothers and their husbands significantly contributed to lower systolic ambulatory blood pressure. We also found that married couples in relationships containing high positivity and low negativity had lower systolic ambulatory blood pressure than those which contained simultaneously high positivity and negativity. Additionally, there was a crossover interaction between these variables such that effect of relationship quality on both systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure was moderated by the perception of equity in the division of childcare responsibilities between spouses. Lastly, we found that there were no ambulatory blood pressure differences between the employed and SAH mother conditions. These findings have applicable implications regarding dynamics and processes within marital relationships. These results demonstrate important social and relational influences on mothers' cardiovascular health.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The foundation of this study lies in the essential role of employees in the Higher Education Sector, as they are key in the effective functioning of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The effective operations of these institutions, in turn, is vital considering the important role the institutions play with regard to the development and expansion of human capital and skills. Previous research has highlighted the high turnover rates experienced in HEIs, applicable to HEIs in South Africa too. / 2023

Objective This study explores how caregiver relationship quality with family, patient, and patient's health care provider (HCP) is associated with subjective caregiver burden during the early treatment phase for late-stage cancer. Method Burden and relationship quality were assessed in telephone interviews with family caregivers (FCGs) of advanced cancer patients. The five subscales of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment measured burden, while relationships were measured with the Family Relationship Index, the Family Inventory of Needs subscale of met needs, and a scale assessing family discord in cancer communication. Results Multiple linear regression analyses in SPSS (v16) of 420 FCGs showed that higher quality relationship with family was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment, health, scheduling (p<0.001) and finances (p<0.01). Higher quality relationship with patients' HCPs was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment (p< 0.05), health, and finances (p<0.001). More discordant communication in patient relationship was associated with lower financial burden (p<0.05). Relationship quality was not associated with caregiver self-esteem. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that caregiver relationship quality with family and with HCP are important factors in understanding caregiver burden during the early treatment phase of late-stage cancer care.