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Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology

Hey, Siri: How Companionate Ai Usage Affects Social Satisfaction And Personal Intelligence, Ryan E. Moran, Marley Ireland Jan 2026

Hey, Siri: How Companionate Ai Usage Affects Social Satisfaction And Personal Intelligence, Ryan E. Moran, Marley Ireland

Honors Theses and Capstones

Artificial intelligence is a field that is growing and changing faster than humanity can keep up. While part of the population is benefiting from its unmatched diagnostic power, increased productivity in school and in work, and even its surgical and therapeutic contributions, others are filing lawsuits based on claims that an AI chatbot was a key factor in the mental health crisis of someone they loved. Research has found that reliance on these AI-generated conversational agents can lead to social withdrawal, unrealistic relationship expectations, addictive tendencies, and, in the worst cases, increased or encouraged suicidal ideations, especially in vulnerable populations. …


The Relationship Between Oxidative Stress And Partner Opposition In Conflict Resolution, Jenna Thomas May 2025

The Relationship Between Oxidative Stress And Partner Opposition In Conflict Resolution, Jenna Thomas

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the inevitability of conflict in romantic relationships, understanding its biological impact is crucial for developing conflict resolution strategies that promote physical health. While many studies highlight relationship conflict’s negative effects on bodily systems, few examine how specific facets of conflict, such as opposition, impact the body. Partner opposition may contribute to oxidative stress, a biological marker associated with poor physical health, by activating the amygdala. This study investigated the association between partner opposition and oxidative stress in 126 couples expecting their first child. Participants attended a lab session where problem-solving discussions were recorded to assess oppositional behavior and urine …


Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth Navigating Relationships And Sexuality: Recommendations For Affirming Clinical Practice, Hannah Marie Coffey Apr 2025

Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth Navigating Relationships And Sexuality: Recommendations For Affirming Clinical Practice, Hannah Marie Coffey

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Healthy relationship development is critical for adolescents’ social-emotional wellbeing, and shifting social expectations and identity development in adolescence can be challenging (Kenny et al., 2013; Roach, 2018). This can be particularly complex for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth given the occurrence of identity development alongside navigating safety, access to affirming spaces, and limited availability of queer-inclusive education (Levitt and Ippolito, 2014; Xing et al., 2015). The positive psychosocial impacts of comprehensive sex education and the relevance of discussing relationships in therapy with adolescents situate mental health providers well to address some of the gaps in knowledge and access to …


Shall I: Do The Motivations For Breakup Sex Differ Across Different Scenarios?, T. Joel Wade, Zoe Macuto Jan 2025

Shall I: Do The Motivations For Breakup Sex Differ Across Different Scenarios?, T. Joel Wade, Zoe Macuto

Faculty Journal Articles

This research investigated endorsement of the 4 motivators (relationship maintenance, ambivalence, hedonism, miscellaneous) for engaging in breakup sex across three relationship breakup scenarios, i.e., a breakup occurred due to: general reasons, infidelity, and being in a long distance relationship using an online questionnaire with a primarily White, primarily heterosexual sample (n = 304, Mage = 20.67). Results indicated that women are more likely than men to engage in breakup sex for relationship maintenance reasons when the breakup is due to general reasons, and for a long distance breakup scenario, non-heterosexuals engage in breakup sex for relationship maintenance reasons, and overall …


Romantic Resilience: Fractal Conflict Dynamics And Network Flexibility Predict Dating Satisfaction And Commitment, David Pincus Jul 2024

Romantic Resilience: Fractal Conflict Dynamics And Network Flexibility Predict Dating Satisfaction And Commitment, David Pincus

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Previous research has demonstrated that interpersonal dynamics are fractal, and that conflict is a key control parameter that drives fractal complexity. The present study aimed to extend this line of research to examine the putative fractal structure of conflict dynamics over time, and the role that this self-organizing fractal structure may play in the resilience of romantic relationships. An experience sampling methodology was used to assess levels of conflict, satisfaction, and commitment in the dating relationships of undergraduate students, three times per day for 30 days. Hypothesis 1 was supported, with conflict ratings over time generally conforming to an inverse …


Attachment 101: How Early Bonds Affect Our Adult Lives, Megan Elizabeth Apfelberg Jan 2024

Attachment 101: How Early Bonds Affect Our Adult Lives, Megan Elizabeth Apfelberg

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This class explores the four main attachment styles–secure, avoidant, resistant (ambivalent) and disorganized–and how they impact our adult relationships. The lesson will utilize mini-lectures to explain the four attachment styles and provide frameworks for improving relationships based on attachment. Through interactive discussions and a case study activity, students will build skills to assess their own attachment styles and strategies to improve their relationships.


The Impact Of Couple Minority Stress And Perceived Relationship Equity On Relationship Satisfaction Of Women In Same-Gender Relationships, Rebekah Malott May 2023

The Impact Of Couple Minority Stress And Perceived Relationship Equity On Relationship Satisfaction Of Women In Same-Gender Relationships, Rebekah Malott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses (H1: relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived relationship equity and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships. H2: Relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived minority stressors and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships). Participants who met the demographic profile and consented to the study were asked to complete five questionnaires: relationship equity (Kurdek, 1998), couple minority stress (Neilands et al., 2019), relationship satisfaction (Funk & Rogge, 2007), potential relationship dissolution, and demographics. The results showed that relationships satisfaction was a partial mediator between …


Understanding Disordered Eating Attitudes And Patterns In University Students And The Relationship To Campus Dining Services, Benjamin A. Bartling Mar 2023

Understanding Disordered Eating Attitudes And Patterns In University Students And The Relationship To Campus Dining Services, Benjamin A. Bartling

Honors Thesis

University students are particularly vulnerable to disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. This study seeks to expand upon the knowledge base of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in university students by employing a netnography as a precursor to the main study to establish the following research questions: What is the relationship between the perceived quality of campus dining services and disordered eating attitudes in university students? What is the relationship between the perceived availability of campus dining services and disordered eating attitudes in university students? And, lastly, how does prior experience with campus dining services affect university students eating patterns and …


You Don’T Know Me, But I Love You: Parasocial Relationships And Their Impacts, Joy Weru Jan 2023

You Don’T Know Me, But I Love You: Parasocial Relationships And Their Impacts, Joy Weru

Emerging Writers

From alphabet and numerical melodies to High School Musical songs. From platforms like Facebook and MySpace to TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Today’s younger generations have grown up on technology and social media, but like numerous things in life, there is a good and a bad to this constant consumption of social media and exposure of each other. Social media has and continues to offer a space for people to connect with their friends and loved ones when distance tries to pull them apart, but it can also drive a wedge between people online and in real life. Social …


Falling In Love With Your Best Friend: Do We Select Friends In The Same Way We Select Romantic Partners?, Audrey Akins, Jada Rolston, Mykayla Spurlin, Farris Turner Dec 2022

Falling In Love With Your Best Friend: Do We Select Friends In The Same Way We Select Romantic Partners?, Audrey Akins, Jada Rolston, Mykayla Spurlin, Farris Turner

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Friends and romantic partners are some of the most important relationships in a person’s life, but sometimes the line between the two becomes unclear. Prior to 1986, opposite-sex friendships were inherently viewed as romantic, so opposite-sex friendships that are truly platonic in nature have become a “historically recent phenomenon” (Reeder, 2000; Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012). Previous research has examined what variables play a role in how people choose romantic partners and “friends of the opposite sex”, or FOS (Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012; Szymkow & Frankowska, 2022). This study proposes a change in term to FAS: “friends of the attracted sex” …


K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv Dec 2022

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …


An Object For Sexual Pleasure: Does Viewing Sexualized Media Predict Increases In Self And Partner Objectification Impacting Feelings Of Sexual And Romantic Closeness?, Kaitlyn Ligman Oct 2022

An Object For Sexual Pleasure: Does Viewing Sexualized Media Predict Increases In Self And Partner Objectification Impacting Feelings Of Sexual And Romantic Closeness?, Kaitlyn Ligman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to sexually objectifying media has been linked to the objectification of the self and of one’s romantic partner (e.g., partner-objectification); yet the implications of this for romantic relationships have remained relatively unexamined. There is, however, reason to suspect that exposure to sexually objectifying media and engaging in objectification may have implications for romantic couples. When a woman frequently monitors her appearance this may undermine her ability to sexually connect with her partner and when a man views his partner as an object for sexual pleasure it may impede his ability to develop intimate feelings of relational closeness to his …


The Association Between Adolescent Dating Violence And Internalizing Symptoms: Insecure Attachment As A Moderator, Jasmine Blake May 2022

The Association Between Adolescent Dating Violence And Internalizing Symptoms: Insecure Attachment As A Moderator, Jasmine Blake

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines whether insecure attachment styles moderate the relationship between adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was hypothesized that an insecure attachment style would strengthen the existing relation between ADV victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was also hypothesized that this association would be stronger for girls than boys. One hundred and fifty-two adolescents participated in this study (M age = 15.61 years, SD = 1.086, 74.3% girls) and were asked to complete a survey that assessed ADV victimization, internalizing symptoms, and attachment style. Bivariate correlations did not reveal a significant associations between ADV victimization and …


Increasing Social Awareness Skills In Kindergarten Students, Chloe Dennis May 2022

Increasing Social Awareness Skills In Kindergarten Students, Chloe Dennis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social awareness is a key component of social-emotional learning and is often underrepresented in kindergarten curriculum. Students who struggle with social awareness are at a greater risk for antisocial behaviors, low academic performance, diminished self-efficacy, low motivation, and low adaptability. Jean Piagets’ cognitive-developmental theory places kindergarten-age students in the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, children are egocentric, exhibit centrated thought, and struggle to use perspective and empathic skills. Kindness, problem-solving, and maintaining positive relationships are all rooted in social awareness and require students to move away from egocentric thinking. I designed a three-part lesson on acts of kindness …


Relationship Changes Of African Americans With Nontraditional Spiritual Practices, Della Sanders Jan 2022

Relationship Changes Of African Americans With Nontraditional Spiritual Practices, Della Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored the subject of belongingness for decades. However, there is limited research on how belongingness may change for African Americans who transitioned from traditional Christianity to other spiritual practices. In this study, the relationship changes (in terms of family, friends, significant others, and former church relationships) of African Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious (SBNR) after leaving traditional Christianity were explored. The theoretical framework of the social connectedness theory was used to explore the need for belongingness to avoid social isolation and loneliness within a social network. Six African American Generation Xers, four women and two …


The Art Of Breaking Up: Ending Romantic Relationships, Emma Salzwedel Sep 2021

The Art Of Breaking Up: Ending Romantic Relationships, Emma Salzwedel

Honors Thesis

This thesis reviews research on the most difficult aspect of dating: the breakup. The process of ending a romantic relationship follows a particular pattern which begins when problems begin to arise in the partnership and ends when both individuals have accepted the breakup and received closure. Using various peer-reviewed studies, the literature review deliberates the common predictors of a breakup, common methods of breaking up (and how each is perceived by the other person), common reactions to the breakup based on gender, and finally, the aftermath of the breakup. It is determined that personal and individual relationship factors ultimately decide …


Virtual Worlds: Social Interactions Among Online Gamers Through Voice Chat, Omar Bradley Ictech Ii May 2021

Virtual Worlds: Social Interactions Among Online Gamers Through Voice Chat, Omar Bradley Ictech Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Online gaming scholarship has rarely focused on the micro sociological aspects of virtual worlds as much of the research on online games is undertaken by psychologists and scholars in other fields. When a sociological lens is employed in analyzing social interactions that occur in virtual worlds, new understandings of social phenomena in virtual worlds can come to light. My research draws upon multiple sociological theories to make sense of data collect via in-depth interviews and participant observations in an attempt to understand how voice chat influences relationship formation and maintenance, gender relations among online gamers, and how online gamers use …


Traditional Sexual Script And Double Standard Adherence: Predictors Of Heterosexually Identified Women’S And Men’S Previous Engagement In Consensual Non-Monogamy, Nina Dours, Amy Moors, Amanda N. Gesselman, Justin R. Garcia May 2021

Traditional Sexual Script And Double Standard Adherence: Predictors Of Heterosexually Identified Women’S And Men’S Previous Engagement In Consensual Non-Monogamy, Nina Dours, Amy Moors, Amanda N. Gesselman, Justin R. Garcia

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

With respect to consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships (e.g., open relationships, polyamory), a consistent gender difference emerges: heterosexual men report greater desire and engagement in CNM than heterosexual women (Haupert et al., 2017; Moors et al., 2015). This gender difference raises the question: Why do women and men differ in their CNM behaviors? In the present study, we suggest that this may be due to women’s stronger adherence to the traditional sexual script, which is rooted in gendered dating norms, punishes women who engage in non-committed sexual behaviors, and glorifies monogamy (Fritz & Kitzinger, 2001). We examined how heterosexual men’s and …


The Effect Of Mortality Salience On Compromising Mate Selection Standards In Homosexual And Heterosexual Individuals, Sydney Rohmann Jan 2021

The Effect Of Mortality Salience On Compromising Mate Selection Standards In Homosexual And Heterosexual Individuals, Sydney Rohmann

Masters Theses

Terror management theory (TMT), proposed by Greenberg, Pyszcynski, and Solomon (1986), suggests that humans cope with terror resulting from the knowledge of their own mortality. The need for coping mechanisms arises when individuals are reminded of their own inevitable death; that is, when they experience mortality salience (MS). Hirschberger, Florian, and Mikulincer (2002) found that when primed with death reminders, heterosexual individuals tend to compromise their ideal mate selection to form close relationships. There has also been extensive research on the differences between homosexual and heterosexual mating preferences. This study examined the effect mortality salience has on an individuals’ mate …


Romantic Relational Aggression Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Study Of Attachment Style, Romantic Jealousy, Mate Value, And Relationship Investment, Skylar Hicks Aug 2020

Romantic Relational Aggression Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Study Of Attachment Style, Romantic Jealousy, Mate Value, And Relationship Investment, Skylar Hicks

Dissertations

Most of the research on intimate partner violence has concentrated on overt physical and verbal aggression, and less is known about relational aggression in the framework of romantic relationships. Relational aggression is more prevalent in college students’ romantic relationships compared to physical aggression and may be a risk factor for intimate partner violence. Additionally, a number of adverse correlates have been associated with romantic relational aggression, suggesting that it is worthy of study independent of its association with intimate partner violence. The present study explored the relationships among adult attachment, romantic jealousy, mate value, relationship investment, and romantic relational aggression …


Text Messaging Between School Counselors And Students: An Exploratory Study, Nicholas R. Gilly Apr 2020

Text Messaging Between School Counselors And Students: An Exploratory Study, Nicholas R. Gilly

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory case study examines the impact of text messaging on mentoring relationships when used as an outreach between school counselors and high school students, where established relationships are lacking. An SMS gateway was used to mediate communication between school counselors (N=2) and students (N=5) over a three-month timeframe. The SMS gateway converted email, sent from counselors, to text messages, which were received on mobile devices of students and allowed students to respond back to counselors. Findings indicate that the use of text messaging may ease scheduling of face-to-face meetings between counselors and students, but evidence does not support any …


Pilgrimage: True Belonging: Exploring The Human Desire To Belong Through Dance And Storytelling, Lincoln K. Belford Apr 2020

Pilgrimage: True Belonging: Exploring The Human Desire To Belong Through Dance And Storytelling, Lincoln K. Belford

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The human sense of belonging morphs and changes as we mature and gain life experience. The relationships we make, or choose not to, affect the way we perceive ourselves, which directly correlates to our understanding of how we belong to the universe as a whole. Perception of self and belonging are inextricably connected, therefore by focusing on belonging to ourselves rather than to the world around us, we experience self-acceptance, allowing us to forge deeper, more meaningful connections with those we choose. True belonging is an active practice that takes effort, and involves reflection and critical evaluation of self. A …


Sadomasochism: Appropriate, Inappropriate, Or Somewhere In Between?, Kayleigh N. Sabo Feb 2020

Sadomasochism: Appropriate, Inappropriate, Or Somewhere In Between?, Kayleigh N. Sabo

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Sadomasochism—sexual pleasure derived from giving and/or receiving pain and humiliation that includes elements of dominance and submission—is a controversial topic in the realms of relationships and psychology alike. A major question that is asked in regard to sadomasochism is the following: is a sadomasochistic relationship an appropriate one? The goal of this paper is to attempt to answer this question by reviewing a variety of information about sadomasochism. Specifically, this paper reviews what actually constitutes an inappropriate relationship. A more detailed explanation of sadomasochism is given, along with a look at the changing views of sadomasochism. Last, some evidence indicative …


Meat-Eating Justification And Relationship Closeness With Vegetarian Family, Friends, And Romantic Partners, Amy Vandehei Jan 2020

Meat-Eating Justification And Relationship Closeness With Vegetarian Family, Friends, And Romantic Partners, Amy Vandehei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Omnivores often respond negatively when friends, family members, or romantic partners disclose adoption of a vegetarian/vegan diet. Examining the beliefs behind these negative responses could result in improved relationships between omnivores and vegetarians. This study examined whether the beliefs omnivores hold to justify meat-eating are related to relationship closeness. The theory of planned behavior provided a foundation with which to examine the attitudes omnivores have about meat consumption. A survey was used with 190 omnivores with existing friend, family member, or romantic partner relationships who had become vegetarian/vegan. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which meat-eating …


Partner Commitment In Close Relationships Mitigates Social-Class Differences In Subjective Well-Being, Jacinth J. X. Tan, Michael W. Kraus, Emily A. Impett, Dacher Keltner Jan 2020

Partner Commitment In Close Relationships Mitigates Social-Class Differences In Subjective Well-Being, Jacinth J. X. Tan, Michael W. Kraus, Emily A. Impett, Dacher Keltner

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The present exploratory research examined the possibility that commitment in close relationships among lower class individuals, despite greater strains on those relationships, buffers them from poorer subjective well-being (SWB). In two samples of close relationship dyads, we found that when partners reported high commitment to the relationship, the typical deficits in relatively lower class individuals’ well-being compared to their upper-class counterparts, assessed as life satisfaction among romantic couples (Study 1) and negative affect linked to depression among ethnically diverse close friendships (Study 2), were mitigated. Conversely, when partners reported low commitment to the relationship, relatively lower class individuals reported poorer …


Steadfast Standards Or Fluctuating Fancies? Stability And Change In People’S Mate Criteria Over 27 Months, Carrie A. Bredow, Nicole Hames May 2019

Steadfast Standards Or Fluctuating Fancies? Stability And Change In People’S Mate Criteria Over 27 Months, Carrie A. Bredow, Nicole Hames

Faculty Publications

Although research on mate preferences has been built on the assumption that the criteria people report at one point in time should predict their future partnering behavior, little is known about the temporal stability of people’s standards. Using survey data collected at four time points from 285 originally unmarried individuals, this study examined the rank-order, meanlevel, individual-level and ipsative stability of people’s mate criteria over 27 months. Overall, reported standards exhibited moderate to high baseline stability, with rank-order and ipsative estimates comparable to those reported for personality traits. At the same time, mean- and individual-level analyses revealed small, but significant, …


Meeting Point: Partner Dancing As Couple's Therapy, Rami Eckhaus Mar 2019

Meeting Point: Partner Dancing As Couple's Therapy, Rami Eckhaus

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This dissertation research explored the experience of partner dancing as a therapeutic process that reflects upon the dynamics and interactions of couples who are in the process of couple's therapy. The research also aimed to gain insight on the ways in which the experience of partner dancing can support these couples' therapeutic processes. Partner dancing is a dance-form that is based on the interaction between two individuals. Such interaction requires the dancing couples to communicate on many levels that may uncover layers of their relational dynamics. In this research, five couples who were undergoing couple's therapy were asked to participate …


Interpersonal Processes And Consequences Of "Technoference" In Romantic Couples, Julia Leah Briskin Jan 2019

Interpersonal Processes And Consequences Of "Technoference" In Romantic Couples, Julia Leah Briskin

Wayne State University Dissertations

Smartphone use during in-person interactions with romantic partners (“technoference”) has become commonplace, and research has begun to investigate the negative effects of technoference on romantic relationships. However, little research has explored the mechanisms by which technoference influences romantic relationships, and the specific interpersonal processes that are disrupted by technoference must be identified and tested. The present dissertation aims to integrate the interpersonal process model (Reis & Shaver, 1988) with Williams’ model of ostracism (Williams, 1997) to provide a theoretical framework for understanding how technoference uniquely influences romantic relationships. Using a combination of correlational, experimental, and daily diary methodology, four studies …


Perceptions Of Online Cheating: Impact Of Age, Gender, And Sexual Preference, Rosanna Helen Kallay Jan 2019

Perceptions Of Online Cheating: Impact Of Age, Gender, And Sexual Preference, Rosanna Helen Kallay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current quantitative study examined perceptions of online infidelity using ANCOVA calculations to determine if significant differences existed between variables of gender, age, orientation. The study considered the applicability of sexual strategy theory (SST) in today's culture and whether it remains relevant in current to today's relationships. SST and previous research suggested a clear trend in differences in perceptions of infidelity based on gender and age, with more mixed results in differences based on sexuality. This study expanded previous research by surveying 148 younger and older demographics, as well as men and women who are in opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. …


The People We Like: Do Introversion-Extroversion And Commitment Affect Evaluation Of Potential Partners?, Naquan Ross Aug 2018

The People We Like: Do Introversion-Extroversion And Commitment Affect Evaluation Of Potential Partners?, Naquan Ross

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The present study assessed whether similarity of a hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion, along with partner preference for long-term or short-term relationships, might vary according to participants’ own Introversion-Extroversion. MANOVA results suggest three important points. First, ratings by extrovert participants showed higher levels of romantic interest for extroverted, rather than introverted, hypothetical partners; introvert participants’ ratings did not differ between introvert and extrovert partners on this dimension. Second, the similarity of the participant and the hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion appeared to influence interpersonal interest, romantic interest, and commitment potential. Last, the partner’s commitment level may drive participants’ non-platonic interest and potential …