Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Affective states and how people see their partner’s responsiveness are important for understanding relationship quality, but these processes are not well studied in non-Western settings. Drawing on the affect-as-information framework and theories of perceived partner responsiveness, this study tested whether responsiveness helps explain the link between daily affect and marital satisfaction. Data came from 203 heterosexual married couples in Sikkim, India. Using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model with mediation, we examined positive and negative affect as simultaneous predictors of perceived partner responsiveness and marital satisfaction. Positive affect was linked to greater marital satisfaction through one’s own perception of partner responsiveness. Negative affect also showed an asymmetrical pattern, with only one partner’s negative affect predicting lower marital satisfaction for both spouses, partly through reduced responsiveness. Partner-mediated indirect effects were minimal. These findings highlight the role of everyday affect and perceived responsiveness in shaping marital satisfaction in cultural contexts that are less often studied.

The main aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of partner-specific insecure attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) in the relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and self-objectification in a dyadic context. Data were collected from 139 heterosexual romantic partners (18–59 years old) with a mean relationship duration of 72 months. Dyadic analysis was conducted through the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model framework. Among women, those who perceived their partners as more responsive tended to feel less anxious and less avoidant in their attachment to their partners, and women who felt more anxious in their attachment reported higher levels of self-objectification. Among men, those who perceived their partners as more responsive tended to feel less avoidant to their partners. A partner effect was observed in women, where their perceived partner responsiveness predicted lower attachment anxiety in their male partners. In addition, the association between women’s perceived partner responsiveness and self-objectification was mediated by their attachment anxiety. The findings highlight the potentially critical role of core romantic relationship dynamics, i.e., perceived partner responsiveness and partner-specific attachment, on self-objectification. Thus, the current preliminary findings could be noteworthy in contributing to the growing literature on self-objectification in romantic relationships.

Relational aggression refers to behaviors intended to harm a target’s social relationships either in response to a threat (reactive form) or with an ulterior motive (proactive form). The use of relational aggression is associated with internalizing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints, as well as externalizing problems including conduct disorder symptoms, attention problems and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms (Murray-Close et al., 2016). Considering these consequences, the factors that may explain the use of relational aggression need to be explored. By adopting a macro-systemic perspective, this paper addresses the role that sexism may play in the use of relational aggression by young adults. Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study of social adaptation during the transition into adulthood (571 participants aged 17–22 years; 49.3 % women), this paper focused on the association between relational aggression and sexism in young adults, and on the moderating role of gender in this association. Results showed a positive association between hostile sexism and proactive as well as reactive relational aggression. However, benevolent sexism was associated with neither form of relational aggression. Gender only moderated the association between hostile sexism and reactive relational aggression, which was stronger for men than for women. These results allow for a more complex analysis of relational aggression and show the relevance of variables related to the broader social context, such as sexism, for understanding young adults’ aggressive behaviors.

The transition to college represents a pivotal developmental moment, particularly for young adult women navigating increased independence and emotional complexity. During this period, mother-daughter relationships often serve as vital sources of support and connection. Drawing from Zoom conversations with 126 mother-daughter dyads, this thematic analysis explores the everyday and strategic ways technology facilitates or complicates their relationship maintenance. Findings revealed that dyads relied on both active and passive mediated maintenance strategies, including everyday talk, social presence, location tracking, and social media viewership. Although video chat was valued for its emotional richness, text messaging allowed for ongoing contact and flexibility. Participants also identified barriers, such as app incompatibility, difficulty conveying tone, and time constraints. Importantly, many dyads attributed their sustained closeness to a combination of technological affordances and the natural evolution of their relationship during emerging adulthood.

Research shows peer networks are crucial in early adolescence, but few studies have examined their structural heterogeneity, links with personality, and mental health implications. This study identified latent profiles of peer network structures among Chinese adolescents and examined their associations with personality and mental health. Data were collected from 340 junior high school students (50% female) across four waves. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed using a set of network indicators: indegree, outdegree, centrality, density, and reciprocity. Three distinct profiles emerged in early adolescence: restricted networks (50%; low across indicators), clique-like networks (12.5%; low indegree/outdegree, high density/reciprocity), and extensive networks (37.5%; high indegree/outdegree, low density and moderate reciprocity). Adolescents in extensive networks reported the highest levels of perceived social support and the lowest levels of depressive symptoms contemporaneously, whereas those in clique-like networks showed no similar benefit. Specific personality traits were found to predict profile membership. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of adolescent peer networks and provide a framework for understanding social influences in early adolescence, with implications for mental health interventions.

Having too many online dating options has been theorized to hamper relational pursuit by making people choosier and ponder their options. However, daters do not make a choice just by comparing the value of their mates – they also consider how they will be evaluated by these mates and adapt behaviors accordingly. Therefore, being exposed to a larger option set may instead enhance relational pursuit outcomes by facilitating a compatible match and altering perception of one’s own value in the market. We examined these possibilities in two preregistered experiments (N_S1 = 193; N_S2 = 342) where people chose a match from thirty-one (high-option) or six profiles (low-option) to go on a date with. High-option participants reported greater relational pursuit with their choice than low-option participants; match compatibility or similarity mediated this effect. The effect of option quantity appears less certain than once considered and warrants future investigation from diverse theoretical perspectives.

摘要 

关于在线约会中选项过多的问题, 既有理论认为, 过多的潜在对象会使人变得更加挑剔并反复权衡选择, 从而阻碍关系追求。然而, 约会者在做出选择时, 并非仅仅比较潜在伴侣本身的价值, 还会考虑自己将如何被这些伴侣评价, 并据此调整自身行为。因此, 接触到更大的选择集合, 反而可能通过促进更为契合的匹配, 并改变个体对自身在约会市场中价值的认知, 来提升关系追求的结果。我们通过两项预注册实验检验了上述可能性 (N_S1 = 193; N_S2 = 342) 。在实验中, 被试需要从三十一份 (高选项条件) 或六份 (低选项条件) 的个人资料中选择一位约会对象。结果显示, 与低选项条件相比, 高选项条件的被试在其所选择对象上报告了更强的关系追求意愿; 匹配契合度或相似性在其中发挥了中介作用。总体而言, 选项数量对关系追求的影响并不像以往认为的那样确定, 这一问题有必要在未来研究中从多元的理论视角加以进一步探讨。

The quality of a close relationship is characterized, in part, by the degree of positive regard each person has for the other. However, although two people may like their respective partners just as much as one another, they may nevertheless differ in how durable and influential those feelings are. We integrate the rich literature on attitude strength into research on partner attitudes in romantic relationships. Strong attitudes are defined as those resisting change and having influence over people’s thoughts and behaviors. Attitude certainty has emerged as an especially reliable predictor of strength. We therefore examine how much people’s certainty in their attitudes toward their partner moderates those attitudes’ correspondence with relational and personal variables. Data from an online survey show that people report greater relationship satisfaction when they hold more positive attitudes toward their partner, and this correlation is significantly magnified when those attitudes are held with greater certainty. Moreover, this interaction on relationship satisfaction carries further implications for assessments of participants’ subjective well-being and mental health. Together, these data highlight the importance of considering the metacognitive aspects of relationship partners’ thoughts and feelings about one another.

In daily social interactions, joint decision making is not just about the outcomes we reach but also about how partners experience reaching those decisions together. Across three studies, we examine how perceived co-creation - the subjective sense of building understanding together, rather than simply agreeing - shapes interpersonal relationships. Compared to low co-creation and pre-existing agreement, high co-creation consistently enhanced trust, rapport, and willingness to collaborate, whether participants envisioned, remembered, or directly engaged in a joint decision. In Study 3, high co-creation dyads were nearly twice as likely to leave the laboratory together, suggesting effects that extend beyond self-report to observable behavior. Mediation analyses revealed that generalized shared reality - the sense that partners see the world similarly across domains - partially explained these relational benefits. These findings highlight the relational importance of how agreement is formed: the process of building shared understanding together may be as valuable as the agreement itself.

Persistent feelings of loneliness can have serious consequences for psychological and physical health. Yet, to date, it remains unclear who is most vulnerable to entering the self-reinforcing loop of loneliness through which loneliness can become persistent. This preregistered study aimed to predict who becomes and stays lonely after social loss events by investigating data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS). We identified 640 individuals (M _age = 39.5 years, SD _age = 17.7, 57.8% females) who experienced a social loss event and reported longitudinal data on emotional and social loneliness. We applied Latent Growth Mixture Modeling (LGMM) to uncover different trajectories of the two loneliness dimensions and identified groups with distinct loneliness trajectories (e.g., low stable, high stable, recovery). Notably, we identified one group that experienced a long-lasting increase in emotional loneliness and therefore seems to be most vulnerable entering the self-reinforcing loop. The probability of belonging to this group was predicted by pre-event age and anxiety levels. Overall, this study highlights the importance of examining loneliness trajectories in a more nuanced way in order to detect individuals with vulnerable trajectories.

The study aimed to develop and validate the Perceived Social Position among Peers Questionnaire (PSPPQ), a brief instrument designed to assess how young people perceive prestige-based social position within peer groups, defined as peer-conferred influence grounded in respect and competence. Unlike existing measures, the PSPPQ focuses on specific, everyday social situations rather than abstract or emotionally charged concepts. It consists of six items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Two independent samples of Polish primary school students aged 9 to 15 participated in the validation process: Study 1 included 399 students (53.9% girls), and Study 2 included 1,623 students (54.6% girls). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a unidimensional structure, invariant across gender and grade levels. The scale demonstrated high reliability and measurement precision. Convergent validity was supported through significant positive correlations with peer popularity (self-rated and peer-nominated), likability, peer educational support, interpersonal competence, social self-efficacy, and perceived peer inclusion. Negative correlations were observed with loneliness, victimization, and academic anxiety. Together, the findings suggest that the PSPPQ is a psychometrically sound and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing perceived prestige-based social position within peer groups in late childhood and early adolescence, with potential applications in both research and educational practice.

Social disconnection represents a growing public health concern. While Behavioral Activation (BA), an evidence-based intervention that reduces behavioral withdrawal by increasing engagement in meaningful activities, demonstrates efficacy for depression, its potential for enhancing social connection remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize current evidence for BA’s impact on social connection and develop a conceptual framework explaining potential mechanisms among individuals across all ages. Following PRISMA guidelines, electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and PubMed Central) were searched for studies published between January 2015 and June 2024 that met the following inclusion: (1) randomized controlled trial or pre-post studies that used BA as a standalone or core intervention component; and (2) reported social connection (functional, structural, and quality-related measures) as a primary or secondary outcome. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed quality of the studies. Narrative synthesis was used to synthesize the data. Eight studies met inclusion. BA delivered via telehealth with coaching support produced the strongest and sustained effects. BA improved functional dimensions of social connection (loneliness, perceived support) consistently. One study in residential care settings showed null effects, suggesting environmental/contextual moderators may be important. BA shows promise as an intervention for social disconnection, particularly for reducing loneliness and enhancing perceived support. The conceptual framework proposed in this review has identified five potential mechanisms: increased social reinforcement, environmental enrichment, value-based social actions, reduced avoidance, and enhanced social self-efficacy. BA’s adaptability suggests potential for scalable implementation. However, limited structural and quality outcome assessment and measurement heterogeneity limit definitive conclusions. Future research should employ comprehensive social connection measures, test proposed mechanisms, and optimize BA protocols specifically for social connection.