scholarly journals Oxytocin and Social Bonds: The Role of Oxytocin in Perceptions of Romantic Partners’ Bonding Behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1763-1772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara B. Algoe ◽  
Laura E. Kurtz ◽  
Karen Grewen

In this research, we tested hypotheses about the role of oxytocin in adult human bonding. Inspired by revisiting the research on pair bonding in microtine voles that fueled psychologists’ interest in the role of oxytocin in social life, we drew on recent theory from affective and relationship science to identify a well-defined bonding context for human romantic relationships. We then paired these behaviors and subjective psychological responses with a measure of naturally circulating oxytocin. In 129 romantically involved adults whose partner expressed gratitude to them in the lab, greater oxytocin over the prior 24 hr was associated with greater perceptions of the expresser’s responsiveness and gratitude, as well as greater experienced love, but not general affective reward. Moreover, in this one-time conversation, higher oxytocin acted like rose-colored glasses, attenuating the effect of a partner’s behaviorally coded expressive behavior on perceptions of the expresser’s responsiveness. These results justify future research on the role of oxytocin in psychological aspects of growth processes.

Author(s):  
Robert L. Duran ◽  
Aimee E. Miller-Ott ◽  
Lynne Kelly

Mobile phones have become a ubiquitous presence in romantic relationships. They are playing an increasingly prevalent role in the initiation, maintenance, and dissolution of romantic relationships. They create issues related to autonomy and connection between romantic partners and have changed what it means to give a partner one's full attention. Additionally, scholars have developed several measurement scales to operationalize key concepts with regard to cell phones use in romantic relationships. This chapter presents the intellectual history and current knowledge pertaining to cell phone use in romantic relationships, discusses the various scales, and proposes directions for future research in this area.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (15) ◽  
pp. 2311-2334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Garthe ◽  
Brandon J. Griffin ◽  
Everett L. Worthington ◽  
Elizabeth A. Goncy ◽  
Terri N. Sullivan ◽  
...  

Theory and research suggest that an individual’s negative interactions with his or her parents or romantic partner are associated with the perpetration of dating abuse. Research is beginning to explore the role of forgivingness within abusive romantic relationships, and these preliminary findings suggest that dispositional forgivingness might mediate the relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse. The current study assessed negative interactions with one’s parents and one’s romantic partner, the frequency of dating abuse perpetration, and dispositional forgivingness of others and oneself among a sample of emerging adults in college ( n = 421). Dispositional forgivingness of others was negatively associated with the perpetration of emotional/verbal dating abuse and threatening behaviors, and it mediated relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse perpetration. Our findings suggest that the tendency to forgive others may explain why some individuals who experience negative interpersonal interactions with parents or romantic partners do not escalate to perpetration of abuse within their romantic relationships. Implications for future research and application are discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1037-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannis Stavrakakis

Psychoanalysis, and especially the work of Jacques Lacan, has not been adequately utilized within organization studies. This paper argues that Lacan's teaching has the potential to enrich discussions within this field and to suggest fruitful orientations for future research. Analysing some of the central concepts and theoretical logics introduced by Lacan (such as lack, desire, the symbolic, enjoyment and fantasy), it explores the desire behind identity construction (agency), the reliance of this desire on processes of subjection to the socio-symbolic order (structure), as well as the limits marking both these domains. It argues that Lacanian theory can illuminate the (negative) dialectic between subject and organized Other and account for obedience and attachment to organized frameworks of social life in two ways: first, by focusing on the symbolic presuppositions of authority and power; and, second, by exploring the role of fantasy and enjoyment in sustaining them and in neutralizing resistance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1873-1891
Author(s):  
Maryam Tajmirriyahi ◽  
William Ickes

Several studies have examined the role of self-esteem in self-disclosure while overlooking a potentially important confounding variable: self-concept clarity. Across three studies, we found an association between self-concept clarity and self-disclosure to one’s romantic partner. This incremental effect held even when the variance attributable to self-esteem was statistically controlled in a multiple regression analysis. Moreover, in two of the three studies, self-esteem was no longer a significant predictor of self-disclosure after controlling for the variance in self-concept clarity. These data suggest that self-concept clarity is an important predictor of self-disclosure—one that is conceptually and empirically distinct from self-esteem. That self-concept clarity tended to supplant self-esteem in the multiple regression models suggests that disclosing the specific aspects of the self that one clearly perceives (one’s attributes, goals, motives, values, etc.) might be more essential to everyday self-disclosure than disclosing only whether one has a globally positive or negative self-view. Future research should explore the causal relationships involved with the aid of experimental studies.


Humility ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 92-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Mosher ◽  
Joshua N. Hook ◽  
Don E. Davis ◽  
Daryl R. Van Tongeren ◽  
Everett L. Worthington

In this chapter, we describe a relational humility model that examines how perceptions of humility impact relationships, and we review research that supports the model. First, we describe the development of a relational humility framework in the field of psychology that addressed many conceptual and methodological issues in studying humility. Second, we describe two key hypotheses that have organized research on relational humility: (a) the social bonds hypothesis and (b) the social oil hypothesis. Third, we review research on relational humility in three key relational contexts: (a) social and romantic relationships, (b) cultural differences, and (c) business contexts. Finally, we discuss limitations in our proposed relational humility model, present areas for future research, and discuss practical applications of relational humility.


2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062110610
Author(s):  
Cansu Yilmaz ◽  
Emre Selcuk ◽  
Gul Gunaydin ◽  
Banu Cingöz-Ulu ◽  
Alpay Filiztekin ◽  
...  

Integrating the suffocation model of marriage with research on residential mobility, the current studies examined for the first time whether long-term romantic relationships are more central for residentially mobile (vs. stable) individuals (total N across three studies = 5,366; age range = 18–95). In Study 1, individuals who moved away from their place of birth (vs. not) were more likely to first confide in their spouse over other network members on important matters. In Study 2, history of frequent residential moves was associated with greater importance ascribed to romantic partners in the attachment hierarchy. In Study 3, the slope of perceived partner responsiveness predicting eudaimonic well-being got steeper as residential mobility increased. By showing the role of residential mobility in romantic relationships, our findings highlight the importance of studying socioecological factors to gain a deeper understanding of how relationship processes unfold.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-77
Author(s):  
Levi R. Baker ◽  
James K. McNulty

In this article, we synthesize existing literatures across numerous domains to introduce a novel model—the Relationship Problem Solving (RePS) model—for understanding the process through which romantic partners influence one another to resolve relationship problems. The first section briefly describes the key constructs and stages of the model. The second section details the interpersonal behaviors that influence various intrapersonal factors (e.g., affect, self-efficacy) that ultimately influence partners’ motivation and ability to progress through the stages of the model. The third section uses the model to generate novel predictions that suggest that the effectiveness of these interpersonal behaviors often depends on contextual factors. Finally, the fourth section discusses the implications of this model for understanding relationship problem solving, highlights the need to consider the role of context in the problem-solving process, and offers numerous specific predictions to be addressed by future research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko L. Visserman ◽  
Francesca Righetti ◽  
Madoka Kumashiro ◽  
Paul A. M. Van Lange

Although romantic partners strive to achieve an optimal balance in fulfilling both personal and relational concerns, they are inevitably challenged by how much time and effort they can dedicate to both concerns. In the present work, we examined the role of self-control in successfully maintaining personal–relational balance through promoting balance and preventing personal and relational imbalance (overdedication to personal or relational concerns, respectively). We conducted two studies among romantic couples (total N = 555), using questionnaires and diary procedures to assess everyday experiences of personal-relational balance and imbalance. Both studies consistently showed that self-control promotes personal–relational balance. Moreover, findings partly supported our hypothesis that self-control prevents personal and relational imbalance (Study 2). Finally, findings also revealed that maintaining personal–relational balance is one of the mechanisms by which self-control can promote personal and relationship well-being. Implications of the present findings and avenues for future research are discussed.


Author(s):  
Joris Van Ouytsel ◽  
Michel Walrave ◽  
Koen Ponnet ◽  
An-Sofie Willems ◽  
Melissa Van Dam

Understanding the role of digital media in adolescents’ romantic relationships is essential to the prevention of digital dating violence. This study focuses on adolescents’ perceptions of the impact of digital media on jealousy, conflict, and control within their romantic relationships. Twelve focus group interviews were conducted, among 55 secondary school students (ngirls = 28; 51% girls) between the ages of 15 and 18 years (Mage = 16.60 years; SD age = 1.21), in the Dutch-speaking community of Belgium. The respondents identified several sources of jealousy within their romantic relationships, such as online pictures of the romantic partner with others and online messaging with others. Adolescents identified several ways in which romantic partners would react when experiencing feelings of jealousy, such as contacting the person they saw as a threat or looking up the other person’s social media profiles. Along with feelings of jealousy, respondents described several monitoring behaviors, such as reading each other’s e-mails or accessing each other’s social media accounts. Adolescents also articulated several ways that they curated their social media to avoid conflict and jealousy within their romantic relationships. For instance, they adapted their social media behavior by avoiding the posting of certain pictures, or by ceasing to comment on certain content of others. The discussion section includes suggestions for future research and implications for practice, such as the need to incorporate information about e-safety into sexual and relational education and the need to have discussions with adolescents, about healthy boundaries for communication within their friendships and romantic relationships.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan C. Karremans ◽  
Melanie P. J. Schellekens ◽  
Gesa Kappen

Research on mindfulness, defined as paying conscious and non-judgmental attention to present-moment experiences, has increased rapidly in the past decade but has focused almost entirely on the benefits of mindfulness for individual well-being. This article considers the role of mindfulness in romantic relationships. Although strong claims have been made about the potentially powerful role of mindfulness in creating better relationships, it is less clear whether, when, and how this may occur. This article integrates the literatures on mindfulness and romantic relationship science, and sketches a theory-driven model and future research agenda to test possible pathways of when and how mindfulness may affect romantic relationship functioning. We review some initial direct and indirect evidence relevant to the proposed model. Finally, we discuss the implications of how studying mindfulness may further our understanding of romantic relationship (dys)functioning, and how mindfulness may be a promising and effective tool in couple interventions.


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