Almost everyone has some experience of seeing fictional couples in visual entertainment media. A large body of research has investigated the relationship depictions and their effects on how people perceive their own relationships. These studies have clearly shown that relationship representations in movies or TV series have an impact on the way we perceive our own relationships and are regulated by our exposure to them. However, these studies have primarily focused on the romanticised representations found in romantic comedies, or children's movies. These studies have criticised these depictions as problematic and unrealistic. The statistics and selection of popular streaming services, like Netflix and HBO Max, does however reveal that these genres are not the ones that account for the most exposure. Despite this, less research has been done in genres like drama series that account for more exposure–and may render relationships in a more realistic light. The purpose of this study was therefore to describe how adult romantic relationships that subscribe to mono-normative ideals are portrayed in contemporary western drama series. Drawing on a theoretical framework of relationship theories in late modernity by authors like Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, Bauman and Illouz, the study analysed 3 seasons from each of 5 popular drama series. The findings show that relationships are depicted as a constant struggle between increasing relationship stability (through recognition) and decreasing stability through risk mentality, individualization and liquid love. In these shows, relationships are defined through the severity of problems they face, where the forces pulling couples apart simultaneously make out their foundation. The findings suggest that relationships representations in drama series are comparatively more realistic than their romanticised counterpart but no less problematic.

The presence of and/or search for meaning has divergent and salient outcomes for individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Although numerous domains of meaning have been examined, the literature on the meaning of sex is sparse and lacks a quantitative measure. In this study, I aimed to validate a general Meaning of Sex (MOS) Measure that captured the presence of (MOS-P) and search for (MOS-S) the meaning of sex that predicted salient relational and sexual outcomes (i.e., relationship stability and satisfaction and sexual satisfaction). The MOS measure was based off of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) created by Steger and colleagues (2006), which also used the subscales of presence and searching. All participants (N = 856) reported engaging in what they considered to be sexual intercourse and were either single or in a relationship. The two subscales were distinct from one another and had good reliability. The MOS-S had a stronger (and negative) association with relationship stability and sexual satisfaction than the MOS-P. Further analyses revealed that there were significant interactions between the MOS-P and MOS-S. When individuals scored high on the MOS-P, searching for a meaning of sex no longer had a significant association with relationship stability or sexual satisfaction. Creating this measure is meaningful because it provides a more holistic picture of sexuality that has not been addressed in the literature.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2017 / The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of postnatal depression among adolescent mothers. The study was going to achieve this through a comparative approach. Two groups of adolescent mothers were compared. One group’s participants were still in relationships with their partners (child’s biological father), and the other group consisted of single adolescent partners without the child’s biological father, or a romantic partner. The research study was based in the Umhlathuze region, in two local townships, namely, Enseleni and Esikhawini Townships. A total of 100 adolescent mothers from two health care facilities were sampled for the current research study. A quantitative research methodology was adopted, as the study intended to compare nominal variables. A self-selection sampling method was utilised, and a validated tool called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to collect data. Furthermore, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilised for the purposes of data analysis. The study revealed that there was no evidence of an association between partner availability and postnatal depression among adolescent mothers. However, the limitations of the current research study were acknowledged. The study recommends that a more longitudinal study be conducted, with a closer look at the quality of romantic relations among adolescent couples, and their impact on postnatal health of both adolescent mothers and fathers. / National Research Foundation

Although youth aged 12-17 years old constitute a growing segment of Facebook users, the impact social networking websites may have on their psyche has not been well-studied. Additionally, researchers have not investigated peer pressure as a mediator between individuals overall attachment to Facebook and the desire to be involved in a romantic relationship among teens or adults. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the connection between Facebook attachment and perceived peer pressure, specifically with regard to romantic relationships in individuals aged 14-17 years. Impression management theory served as the theoretical framework. A survey design was used to examine whether study variables (Facebook attachment, perceived peer pressure, and romantic relationship desires) were correlated with one another and whether Facebook attachment served as a mediating variable. Participants (N = 42) completed online surveys comprised of three established surveys that measure levels of perceived peer pressure, interest in romantic relationships, and overall Facebook attachment. Data were examined using correlational analysis. No significant correlations were found between any study variables. Because of the lack of statistical significance, no decisive conclusions can be rendered. Recommendations for future research include the use of different recruitment methods and the updating of assent and consent regulations for psychological research involving minors. The study provides a starting point for future researchers to evaluate the role of social media in adolescent development. Implications for positive social change include a greater awareness of the role of social media in the psychological development of young teens.

Scholars historically have separated friendships and romantic relationships into two qualitatively distinct relationship categories. Contemporary research examining passionate friendships, however, has identified qualities within platonic relationships that appear to mimic characteristics typically associated with romantic relationships. Primary critiques of the existing passionate friendship literature include exclusively examining females, including samples that predominately identified as lesbian, bisexual or questioning, and research utilizing solely qualitative designs. The current study used a quantitative design to investigate 375 emerging adults' (18-26 years of age; 149 males, 226 females) friendship experiences. Specifically, four quasi-independent variables (i.e., biological sex, sexual orientation, gender-role orientation, and cross vs. same-sex dyads) were examined as factors associated with passionate friendship. Findings from this study indicated that both males and females experience passionate friendship, and that these experiences are not specific to individuals who identify as non-heterosexual. Additionally, results from this study shed light on the occurrence of passionate friendship experiences observed in both cross- and same-sex dyads. Characteristics of passionate friendships (e.g., levels of attachment, thought preoccupation, intensity of the relationship) were also examined using a newly created measure. Female participants and individuals whose closest friend was described a cross-sex friend scored higher on nearly every continuous scale of the designed measure. Additionally, sexual orientation and gender-role orientation yielded significant results on several of the identified subscales, with sexual-minority individuals and those who claimed androgynous or masculine gender-role orientation obtaining higher scores. Finally, predictability of passionate friendship occurrence was evaluated and indicated that passionate friendships may be predicted based on existing demographics or personality characteristics of an individual.

Although the sensational world of Gothic literature may seem to have little to do with the “dismal science” of economics, readers and critics have long recognized connections between Romantic-era political economic discourse and Gothic novels, from the trope of the haunted castle on contested property to Adam Smith’s metaphor of the spectral “invisible hand.” This study, the first sustained investigation of economics and the Gothic, reads Romantic Gothic literature as an important voice in public debates about the economic ideas that shaped the emerging phenomenon of commercial society. Drawing on Charles Taylor’s notion of the modern social imaginary, it argues that the ways in which Gothic literature interrogated these ideas continues to inform our understanding of the economy and our place within it today. Each chapter focuses on an economic idea, including property, coverture, credit, debt, and consumption, in relation to a selection of representative Gothic texts, from Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764) to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1848). It analyzes these texts—primarily novels, but also short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—in the context of political economic writings by Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and others. Through this analysis, this study argues that economic ideas are foundational to the Gothic, a mode of literature deeply engaged with the political, cultural, social, and economic upheavals that characterize the Romantic Age. / Graduate / 2021-05-14

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Stress has traditionally been conceptualized as an intrapsychic phenomenon with detrimental effects on one's physiological and psychological health when coping resources are perceived to be inadequate (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). However, empirical findings from the past three decades suggest that stressful life events have crossover effects from one person to another, namely from one romantic partner to the other (Bodenmann et al., 2006). Hence, stress experienced in the context of romantic relationships is now better understood as an interpersonal phenomenon with potential negative interpersonal (i.e., relationship satisfaction) and intrapersonal ramifications (i.e., mental health) for both partners (Papp & Witt, 2010; Randall & Bodenmann, 2009; Rusu et al., 2016). Due to the interdependent nature of couple relationships, romantic partners engage in a joint stress management process called dyadic coping in an attempt to restore individual and relational homeostasis, and buffer against these negative consequences (Bodenmann et al., 2006). Emerging research has found that common dyadic coping (CDC), which is a specific form of dyadic coping that occurs when both partners conjointly work together towards mitigating or resolving stressors experienced as a dyad, is the most salient form of dyadic coping for couples facing stressors (Falconier et al., 2015). The romantic attachment framework has provided valuable direction to researchers in their understanding of couples coping with stress as insecure romantic attachment is well-known to interfere with adequate coping (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016). Given that romantic attachment has been found to be a predictor of relationship functioning and protective factor against mental health disorders (Cassidy & Shaver, 2016; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016), researchers have been increasingly focused on studying the mechanisms by which they are related. While few studies have examined dyadic coping within a romantic attachment framework (Alves et al., 2019; Fuenfhausen & Cashwell, 2013; Levesque et al., 2017; Levey, 2003; Meuwly et al., 2012), far fewer have narrowed the focus to the ways in which CDC may explain the development of interpersonal (i.e., relationship satisfaction) and intrapersonal outcomes (i.e., mental health) using dyadic data analyses. The unique nature of CDC therefore necessitates research elucidating its role in these links within and between romantic partners. Therefore, the present thesis expands the existing literature on CDC through a romantic attachment lens in two independent yet complimentary studies. The objective of the first study was to evaluate how CDC mediates the relationship between insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and relationship satisfaction among couples in good health sampled from the community. The objective of the second study was to examine the potential mediational effects of CDC on the association between insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and mental health indicators of depression and anxiety among couples in which one partner has a diagnosis of cardiac illness. The first study was an investigation of the interpersonal process of CDC as a potential mediator of the association between insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and relationship satisfaction. The sample consisted of 187 heterosexual couples (N = 374 individuals) from the community. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was used to assess actor, partner, and direct and indirect effects. Results revealed that the higher men were on attachment avoidance, the less likely they and their partner were to engage in joint coping efforts, which in turn appeared to make men less satisfied with their romantic relationship. However, the degree to which avoidantly attached women felt satisfied with their romantic relationship was solely influenced by their own CDC. Results also showed that the higher men and women were on attachment avoidance, the less they engaged in joint coping efforts, which in turn made them less satisfied with their relationship. Results also revealed that the higher men (but not women), were on attachment anxiety, the less they engaged in CDC, which in turn made men less satisfied with their relationship. Lastly, the higher men were on attachment avoidance (but not women), the less their partner engaged in joint coping efforts, which in turn made men less satisfied with their relationship. In the second study, we examined the potential mediational effects of CDC on the relationship between insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance) and mental health outcomes (i.e., depression and anxiety). The sample consisted of 181 patients and their spouses (N = 362 individuals), where one of the partners had received a cardiac diagnosis. An APIMeM was used to test hypothesized relations. While the hypothesized mediations were not confirmed, our results provide partial support to the tested model since patient and spouse attachment anxiety were significantly related to their own mental health. Results also showed that patient and spouse attachment avoidance were associated both with their own and their partner's CDC.

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