<p>During adolescence, both boys and girls confront a period of heightened risk for dissatisfaction with weight and shape and engagement in unhealthy appearance-related behaviors. For many adolescents, this risk coincides with involvement in a range of romantic partnerships. Although a considerable body of empirical work has investigated same-gender peer influences on weight- and shape-related attitudes and behaviors, very little research has examined the role of romantic partners in this socialization process. Derived from social norms and social rewards theories of influence, this study examined several distinct modes through which romantic partners may influence changes in gender-specific behaviors and attitudes over a 6-month period. Participants included 214 (56% female) male and female adolescents ages 16-17 who reported having a romantic partner (of varying seriousness and relationship length) at Time 1. Results from multiple group (by gender) longitudinal path analyses revealed that both boys and girls experienced weight-related influence from a romantic partner. The seriousness and length of a romantic partner relationship moderated some, but not all, influence effects. Findings suggest that romantic relationships are important contexts for changes in adolescents' appearance-related health. Future research should examine romantic partners as contributors to both health-risk and health-promoting behaviors and attitudes.</p> / Dissertation

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We explored how individuals high in narcissism maintained positive self-evaluations when faced with threats from romantic partners, and the role of attentiveness to attractive alternatives in self-evaluation maintenance. Participants and their romantic partners completed surveys measuring narcissism, closeness, attention to alternative partners, and IQ tests. They were given false feedback concerning their performance on the IQ tasks in relation to their partners, then asked to take additional surveys measuring closeness change. Ultimately, there was no significant connection between narcissism and reduction of closeness following a threat. Attention to alternative partners did not act as a mediator between narcissism and closeness reduction. Couples-level analyses yielded that couples with higher narcissism reported lower closeness. There was also a significant narcissism by condition interaction, with highly narcissistic couples in the non-threat condition reporting lower closeness scores than highly narcissistic couples who were in the threat condition. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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Sverige toppar listan över singelhushåll i Europa samtidigt som dejtingsajterna blomstrar. Syftet var att undersöka vilka egenskaper som män och kvinnor tyckte var viktiga i val av en potentiell romantisk partner utifrån Sexuell Economics Theory (SET) och positiv psykologi. Deltagarna (50 män, 50 kvinnor) i åldern 21 – 65 från hela Sverige, skattade hur viktiga 30 egenskaper var. Både män och kvinnor ansåg att egenskaper med aspekter från den positiva psykologin var viktigare än de kopplade till sexuella resurser och ekonomiska och omsorgsresurser. I linje med SET värderade män sexuella resurser högre än kvinnorna. Både män och kvinnor ansåg att ärlig, snäll, ville dela livet med dig, varm och omtänksam ochhumor varde viktigaste egenskaperna hos en potentiell romantisk partner.Studien har bidragit med en bättre förståelse kring vad som är viktigt när en livspartner sökes. Vidare forskning förslås undersöka flera egenskaper kopplade till positiv psykologi i jämställda länder.

The decision of romantic partners to share or keep a secret involves each partner’s perception of the other’s trustworthiness. Indeed, trust may influence how romantic partners enact secrecy in their relationship. This study investigated the willingness of individuals to keep secrets from their partner, the number of secrets that people keep from their partner, individuals’ reports of their reasons for discussing their expectations regarding secrets, and the association between each of these characteristics and partners’ trust. First, the literature regarding secrecy and people’s willingness to keep secrets from a relational partner is investigated. People’s willingness to keep secrets from a relational partner should differ based on their trust in the partner. Secret holders are more likely to disclose to a confidant when they perceive that confidant to be trustworthy (Kelly & McKillop, 1996) and, conversely may not disclose to a confidant who lacks trustworthiness (Wheeless & Grotz, 1977). In light of these findings, it was expected that individuals’ willingness to keep secrets would be negatively related to the degree to which they trusted their partner. In a similar vein, the association between trust and the frequency of discussing expectations regarding secrecy was explored. The literature suggests two possibilities for the association between trust and the frequency of discussing expectations regarding secrecy. The first is that individuals who trust their partner enough may decide to discuss how secrets should be managed, because dyadic trust is associated with increased intimacy of disclosure (Larzelere & Huston, 1980). The second possibility is that people may choose to discuss their expectations of how they should manage secrets, not because of trust, but because a lack of trustworthiness. Research questions explored the associations between the frequency of discussing expectations regarding secrecy and partners’ willingness to keep secrets, the number of secrets they keep, and their trust. Finally, the reasons why individuals might or might not discuss their expectations regarding secrets with their partner, and what these discussions might consist of were explored. / text

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Evolutionary models of adolescent and young adult risk-taking posit that risk-taking increases during this period of the life span as a strategic way for males, in particular, to show dominance, increase perceptions of attractiveness by the opposite-sex, and maximize their chances of acquiring a romantic partner (and ultimately produce offspring). Consistent with this perspective, existing research demonstrates that attractive females increase risk-taking in single males, in part by enhancing males’ sensitivity to rewards and diminishing their ability to inhibit impulsive behavior. By contrast, romantically committed males engage in less risk taking than their single counterparts, although the mechanisms underlying the effect of romantic partners/partnerships on male risk-taking are less clear. In the present study, I employed a behavioral paradigm that has been used in prior studies of peer influence to examine how romantic partners affect decision-making processes and risk-taking behavior in young heterosexual males (18 to 24 years old). I also explored whether there are particular individual and relationship characteristics that moderate the effect of romantic partners on males’ decision-making. This study was conducted using a sample of 134 romantically involved males (mean age=20.2, SD=1.65; 64% White) who were randomly assigned to participate in one of three experimental conditions: alone, in the presence of an attractive female confederate, or in the presence of their romantic partner. Across conditions, I compared males’ behavioral performance on five outcome measures: risk taking (using the Stoplight Task), preference for immediate rewards (using a Delay Discounting Task), reward learning and cost avoidance (using a modified version of the Iowa Gambling Task), and inhibitory control over both neutral and emotionally charged stimuli (using cognitive and emotional versions of the Stroop Task). I found that the presence of romantic partners diminishes risk taking in males, but that romantic partners do not have a significant impact on males’ sensitivity to rewards (neither immediate nor long-term), sensitivity to loss (i.e., cost avoidance), or their ability to inhibit attention to interfering—neutral or emotional—stimuli. However, improvements in cognitive control in the presence of romantic partners were observed among males who report low levels of passionate love. That is, mildly infatuated males exhibited better cognitive control in the presence of their romantic partners relative to mildly infatuated males who were alone. Partner presence had no such effects among males who reported being highly infatuated with their girlfriends. The presence of an attractive female stranger triggered a protective response among romantically involved males—prompting them to take fewer risks (when they are highly committed to their partners), to more quickly avoid decisions that lead to long-term loss (among older males only), and to exhibit better cognitive control (only among males in relatively longer relationships). The presence of an attractive female stranger did not affect males’ sensitivity to rewards. Evidently, the relative impact of an attractive female stranger on males’ risk taking and decision-making is highly dependent on individual and relationship factors, a finding that emphasizes the importance of context when it comes to understanding males’ relative susceptibility to temptation (e.g., other females) and opportunities for potential risk (e.g., infidelity). By contrast, the dampening effect of romantic partners on male risk taking is neither dependent on individual or relationship characteristics nor the result of romantic partners’ influence on reward sensitivity or inhibitory control. However, given the finding that romantic partners enhance cognitive control when feelings of passionate love are relatively low, future research should examine how passionate love and cognitive control interact to predict risk taking. Although I could not identify potential mechanisms to explain why the presence of romantic partners diminishes males’ risk-taking, the current study demonstrates that under specific circumstances—such as when there is high relationship commitment or when the relationship is relatively long—the presence of an attractive female stranger can stimulate romantically involved males to engage regulatory processes that may contribute to their reduced inclination toward risky behavior in that context. This finding is consistent with prior studies and suggests that the presence of tempting stimuli and potential threats to relationship fidelity can trigger males’ deliberate engagement of regulatory processes in effort to maintain their current romantic relationship. In contrast, males’ reduced inclination to engage in risky behavior in the presence of their romantic partners may be automatically activated (without inducing a particular psychological state) regardless of individual and relationship characteristics. / Psychology

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