bims-chumac 2021-04-25 papers

bims-chumac

Biomed News

on Context effects on human mate choice

Issue of 2021–04–25
eight papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society

Love in the Gay World: Negotiating Intimate Relationships in Lima´s Middle-Class Gay Scene.
"Time Slows Down Whenever You Are Around" for Women but Not for Men.
Curvilinear Sexism and Its Links to Men's Perceived Mate Value.
Examining Variations in Participation and Outcomes of Consensual and Nonconsensual Extradyadic Behavior among Ashley Madison Users.
Clear-Cut Terms and Culture-Sensitive Characteristics of Distinctive Casual Sexual Relationships in Portuguese Emerging Adults.
"I Want to Be Alone, but I Don't Want to Be Lonely": Uncertainty Management Regarding Social Situations among College Students with Social Anxiety Disorder.
Prior On-Off Relationship Instability and Distress in the Separation and Divorce Transition.
Past is present: Pathways between childhood sexual abuse and relationship satisfaction.

J Homosex. 2021 Apr 05. 1-22

Love in the Gay World: Negotiating Intimate Relationships in Lima´s Middle-Class Gay Scene.

Diego Garcia-Rabines.

  This article explores how young gay men who are involve in Lima's middle-class gay scene made sense of their intimate relationships regarding discourses about sexuality, intimacy, and love. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 14 such men, I found that diverse and seemingly conflicting discursive configurations coexisted and intertwined within aspects of their relationships such as monogamy, sex-role positioning, and interpretations of sexual intimacy. Although participants mostly endorsed "modern" categories, more attuned with global messages of gender equality and egalitarianism, they also combined them with discourses that were more "traditional"-gendered and related to romantic love. Participants negotiated these tensions through a pattern of reflexive and unreflexive (dis)identifications, which were embedded in structural socioeconomic conditions. These findings acknowledge the complexities of Latin American middle-class gay sexualities and challenge rigid models of same-sex desire, as well as arguments about the exceptionally reflexive qualities of "modern" gay identities.

Keywords:  Gay relationships; Peru; gay scene; intimacy; reflexivity; romantic love; young gay men

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1905383
Front Psychol. 2021 ;12 641729

"Time Slows Down Whenever You Are Around" for Women but Not for Men.

Joana Arantes, Margarida Pinho, John Wearden, Pedro Barbas Albuquerque.

  What happens when we unexpectedly see an attractive potential partner? Previous studies in laboratory settings suggest that the visualization of attractive and unattractive photographs influences the perception of time. The major aim of this research is to study time perception and attraction in a realistic social scenario, by investigating if changes in subjective time measured during a speed dating are associated with attraction. The duration of the dates was variable and participants had to estimate the time that passed. Among other measures, participants also rated the potential partners in terms of their physical attractiveness before and after the dates and reported if they would like to exchange contact with them. Results showed that, in a real speed dating situation, when there is a perception of the partner as being physically more attractive, women tend to overestimate the duration of that meeting, whereas men tend to underestimate its duration. Such changes may reflect evolutionary adaptations which make the human cognitive system more responsive in situations related to reproductive fitness.

Keywords:  attraction; physical attractiveness; speed dating; time perception; timing

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641729
Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021 Apr 23. 1461672211009726

Curvilinear Sexism and Its Links to Men's Perceived Mate Value.

Jennifer K Bosson, Gregory J Rousis, Roxanne N Felig.

  We tested the novel hypothesis that men lower in status-linked variables-that is, subjective social status and perceived mate value-are relatively disinclined to offset their high hostile sexism with high benevolent sexism. Findings revealed that mate value, but not social status, moderates the hostile-benevolent sexism link among men: Whereas men high in perceived mate value endorse hostile and benevolent sexism linearly across the attitude range, men low in mate value show curvilinear sexism, characterized by declining benevolence as hostility increases above the midpoint. Study 1 (N = 15,205) establishes the curvilinear sexism effect and shows that it is stronger among men than women. Studies 2 (N = 328) and 3 (N = 471) show that the curve is stronger among men low versus high in perceived mate value, and especially if they lack a serious relationship partner (Study 3). Discussion considers the relevance of these findings for understanding misogyny.

Keywords:  ambivalent sexism; benevolent sexism; hostile sexism; mate value; social status

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211009726
J Sex Res. 2021 Apr 19. 1-11

Examining Variations in Participation and Outcomes of Consensual and Nonconsensual Extradyadic Behavior among Ashley Madison Users.

Ashley E Thompson, Delaney Wilder, Danica Kulibert.

Despite the abundance of studies investigating individual differences associated with extradyadic behavior (EB), nearly all have adopted retrospective measures in which the data is likely plagued by recall biases. In addition, few studies have explored individual differences or outcomes associated with EB between those with consenting and nonconsenting primary partners. Thus, the current study investigated the extent to which Ashley Madison users participated in a wide range of EBs, whether age, gender, and sexual identity predicted participation, and the extent to which outcomes were impacted by partner consent. The results from 1460 adults (962 men, 498 women) revealed that users reported engaging in three categories of behaviors: sexual/explicit, technology/online, and emotional/affectionate behaviors and that women and those older in age reported participating in EBs more frequently than men and those younger in age. Finally, 16.9% of the sample had a primary partner that consented to their Ashley Madison use and those with consenting partners reported greater perceived improvement in their primary relationship than did those with nonconsenting partners. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing the multitude of behaviors that Ashley Madison users participate in and whether consent was obtained. Implications for educators and practitioners are discussed.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.1908509
Sex Cult. 2021 Apr 10. 1-24

Clear-Cut Terms and Culture-Sensitive Characteristics of Distinctive Casual Sexual Relationships in Portuguese Emerging Adults.

Maria-João Alvarez, Cícero R Pereira, Cristina A Godinho, Rita Luz.

  Casual sexual relationships (CSR) are increasingly common but limited empirical research has addressed their terminology and distinctive characteristics. This study sought to identify the most clear-cut terms and to consider how culture-sensitive characteristics distinguish casual sexual relationships among Portuguese emerging adults (N = 262, 18-29 years old). We combined two qualitative studies - one by association and another by free recall - to ascertain the clarity of the terms, plus a quantitative study to further characterize and differentiate them. Participants were asked to match descriptions of CSRs with the respective terms by which they are known (Study 1). The same was investigated using an evocation task requesting that participants produce the terms by which the described CSRs are known (Study 2). Binary logistic regressions were performed to analyze the associations between encounters and labels chosen, taking the effect of gender and age into account. In the third study, participants rated the degree to which eight characteristics were present in the types of CSR, a simultaneous task that led to greater understanding of their descriptive and differentiating characteristics. Multivariate analysis of variance was used, with gender and age as covariates. We conclude that two types of CSR - friends with benefits and one-night stand - and, to a lesser extent, making out, are understood and associated with consensual labels, also found by free-recall. These CSRs proved to be distinct, as they are understood as more different than similar in a set of psychoemotional, behavioral, and sexual characteristics.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12119-021-09859-0.

Keywords:  Casual sexual relationships; Distinctiveness; Emerging adults; Labels

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09859-0
Health Commun. 2021 Apr 17. 1-12

"I Want to Be Alone, but I Don't Want to Be Lonely": Uncertainty Management Regarding Social Situations among College Students with Social Anxiety Disorder.

Steffie S Y Kim, Mingxuan Liu, Aili Qiao, Lynn C Miller.

Individuals with social anxiety disorder (iSAD) experience adverse outcomes in daily life due to the disorder (e.g., lower educational and work achievement compared to their healthy counterparts). They are prone to social isolation, even though they desire intimate interpersonal relationships. Yet, little research on iSAD is devoted to understanding in detail a) when they interpret social situations as social-anxiety-provoking, b) how this interpretation motivates their assessments of their efficacy and likely interaction outcomes, and c) how they choose specific information-seeking strategies in uncertain social situations. Leveraging the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) and the emotional systems (ES) model, we explored the lived experiences of iSAD. We conducted in-depth interviews (N = 27) and analyzed them using thematic analysis. iSAD perceived discrepancies in a) mutual goals, b) common ground, and c) self-image as social-anxiety-provoking. These interpretations motivated their assessments of a) socializing benefits, b) communication competency, and c) interactant partner's amiability, which led to a mix of information-seeking decisions in social situations. Practical and theoretical implications for future research are discussed.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1912890
Fam Process. 2021 Apr 23.

Prior On-Off Relationship Instability and Distress in the Separation and Divorce Transition.

James Kale Monk, Jeremy B Kanter, Matthew A Ogan.

  Divorce is considered distressing for many individuals (Sbarra et al., Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2015, 24, 109); however, individuals in poor-quality relationships may experience certain benefits of leaving an unstable union (Amato & Hohmann-Marriott, Journal of Marriage and Family, 2007, 69, 621). On-off relationship cycling, or the breakup and reconciliation of a relationship, is a salient indicator of poor relationship quality and a common form of relationship instability (Dailey et al., Personal Relationships, 2009, 16, 23) that is associated with distress (Monk et al., Family Relations, 2018, 67, 523). In line with divorce-stress-adjustment and relational turbulence theory perspectives, we hypothesized that those whose relationships were characterized by on-off instability would experience less distress during the separation and divorce process. Given gender inequality in marriage (e.g., Dempsey, Journal of Sociology, 2002, 38, 91; Monin & Clark, Sex Roles, 2011, 65, 320), we also hypothesized that this association would be more pronounced for women. Using data from 98 divorced or separating couples, we found that relationship cycling prior to the separation and divorce process was associated with fewer distress symptoms for women. Conversely, a history of relationship cycling was associated with more distress symptoms for men. Our study provides support and extends prior investigations illustrating that, for some, those in unions characterized by more turmoil, may experience relief following a termination.

Keywords:  Distress; Divorce; Relationship Cycling; Relationship instability; Separation; Transitions; ciclo relacional; distrés; divorcio; inestabilidad relacional; separación; transiciones; 关系循环; 关系稳定性; 分离; 痛苦; 离婚; 过渡

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12653
J Marital Fam Ther. 2021 Apr 23.

Past is present: Pathways between childhood sexual abuse and relationship satisfaction.

Gina G Barker, Fred Volk, Janine S Hazel, Rebecca A Reinhardt.

  Research on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has consistently demonstrated the damaging effects of these experiences, not only on survivors' development, but also on the nature and quality of their adult relationships, particularly romantic ones. Yet, research to date has not demonstrated a strong direct effect of CSA on relationship satisfaction. This study examined the pathways from CSA to relationship satisfaction via sexual shame and romantic partner attachment. Data collected through surveys from 732 adults were analyzed using a serial mediation model. As expected, the direct association between CSA and relationship satisfaction was statistically significant but rather weak. Results demonstrated that sexual shame, combined with either romantic partner attachment avoidance or romantic partner attachment anxiety, reduces relationship satisfaction. Specifically, three possible pathways mediated by sexual shame were identified. Implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations for clinical interventions with CSA survivors that address sexual shame and romantic partner attachment are provided.

Keywords:  attachment; child sexual abuse; mediation model; relationship satisfaction; sexual shame

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12522