bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Postmodern Uses of Sex
Authors: Bauman Zygmunt
Published: March 2007

Of sex, eroticism and love, the first is natural and limited in its forms, while the other two are cultural products infinite in their expressions and applications. The history of eroticism is, essentially, a history of changing border conflicts and shifting alliances between the three members of the triad. The postmodern novelty is emancipation of eroticism from both sexual reproduction and love - and setting it free to perform a variety of new tasks. A crucial one among these is the renegotiation of social relations inside the family and in public space, as well as new forms of identity building.
Citysex
Authors: Bech Henning
Published: March 2007

Discussions focusing on the relation between city and sexuality are rare in social and cultural studies. In this article I argue that the modern city is inherently and inevitably sexualized, and that modern sexuality is largely an urban one. The characteristics of this sexuality are described and discussed in the light of urban life world theory (Simmel, Wirth, Kracauer, Benjamin etc.), sexual constructionist theory, feminist analyses, gay studies and pornography. The particular quality of `sexuality' in urban sexualization is identified along Heideggerian lines as a fundamental ` Gestimmtheit' (`being tuned') of modern being-in-the-world, that is of being-in-the-city. In conclusion, some implications of the intimate relation between city and sexuality are discussed. Thus, theories of everyday life and life world, as well as prevailing idioms of modernist and postmodernist cultural critique, are problematized. Throughout the article, the style and methods of the exposition comment on the problematics concerning the representation of sexuality; and trends towards a `discoursification' of sexuality are criticized.
The Lesson of Fire
Authors: Maciel Maria Esther
Published: March 2007

This article investigates the concepts of love and eroticism of the Mexican poet and critic Octavio Paz, in his book The Double Flame. The purpose is to show how the author, in his treatment of the intersections between love, eroticism and sexuality in Western cultural life during several centuries, by way of an interdisciplinary and analogical method, makes as well a poetic manifesto in defence of sensitivity against the process of the commercialization of desire in the contemporary world and proposes an erotic re-education of society at this century's end through the rehabilitation of the idea of love.
Culture, Historicity and Power Reflections on Some Themes in the Work of Alain Touraine
Authors: Arnason Johann
Published: March 2007

Touraine's critique of the sociological tradition has gradually come to focus on the very notion of society and the basic assumptions associated with it: the interpretation of social life as organized around central principles that are embodied in institutions and internalized by individuals, the tendency to subsume social structure and social change under the same determinants, and the rejection or minimization of the distinction between state and society. In the light of this critique, his earlier attempts to construct a systematic theory seem premature. In particular, the key notion of historicity was overshadowed by the more restrictive concept of the “self-production of society” and the model of a “historical system of action”. But on the other hand, the open questions and unresolved problems of the earlier work underline the need for a further radicalization of the critique of the dominant image of society. This would lead to a conceptualization of social life in terms of interrelations and tensions between structures of culture and structures of power, both of which transcend the social field. A more Weberian perspective would thus replace the residual Durkheimianism of Touraine's earlier writings.
Response to Dick Pels
Authors: Braidotti Rosi
Published: March 2007

In response to Dick Pels's critical remarks, this article attempts to contextualize, historically and conceptually, some of the main points of poststructuralist philosophies of subjectivity. Special emphasis is placed on outlining and defending the political relevance of the `linguistic turn', especially of the kind of interventions upon language which poststructuralism and deconstruction are so often criticized for. Throughout this article, ample cross-reference is made to feminist theory and epistemology.
Should Parents or Children Pay?
Authors: Wright Martin
Published: March 2007

In the wake of the Toxteth disturbances, the then Home Secretary stated that parents should be made responsible for their childrens' actions. The CJ Act seeks to achieve this by making parents more responsible for juveniles' financial penalties. But is this simplistic and potentially counter-productive?
The Court Welfare Officer's Role: Taking It Seriously?
Authors: Pugsley Judith , Wilkinson Martin
Published: March 2007

The authors argue that divorce court welfare workers cannot adopt a free-floating, non-judgmental stance in conciliation, but must ultimately retain their statutory responsibilities for child welfare and protection, and be prepared to make recommendations in contested cases.
Probation Revisited: Plus Ca Change
Authors: Pottinger John
Published: March 2007

After twenty-four years away from practice, the author recently exchanged jobs for a year with a County Durham probation officer and offers his impressions of a role and environment not so transformed from the 'good old days'.
Using a Risk of Custody' Scale
Authors: Bale David
Published: March 2007

At a time when increasingly the focus of probation work is upon high tariff offenders and a premium is set on genuine diversion from custody, there is much attraction in using new assessment techniques to identify high risk offenders and to predict more precisely what is 'an alternative to custody'. Bale explains his attempt to refine a risk scale and suggests eight ways of putting it to work.
Failing To Grasp The Nettle: UK Drug Policy
Authors: Buchanan Julian , Young Lee
Published: March 2007

In April 1998, the Government published the White Paper 'Tackling Drugs To Build A Better Britain', which announced a new ten year strategy for tackling drug misuse. Julian Buchanan and Lee Young argue that, while it has some commendable features, the Paper perpetuates an outdated approach to drugs policy by failing to recognise the rapidly changing patterns of drug use in the United Kingdom.
Studies on touch and movement: their role in spatial skills and braille
Authors: Millar Susanna
Published: March 2007

This article describes studies that have been conducted over a number of years on the information that is conveyed through touch and movement. The implications of the findings for the spatial skills of blind children and for braille reading have been a central concern of the work.
The hand and finger strength of Visually impaired boys and girls
Authors: Fullwood Deborah
Published: March 2007

Sixty two boys and girls with a visual impairment were tested for hand and finger strength. Comparison with sighted subjects shows this visually impaired sample frequently to be significantly weaker, and gives some support for a more specific positive relationship between the degree of vision and the degree o f hand and finger strength. Neither the age o f onset of the visual impairment, the incidence o f prematurity, nor the type of school attended had any notable effect on the hand and finger strength of the subjects in this sample.
Reading schemes for partially sighted beginning readers
Authors: Davies Janice
Published: March 2007

There are many books and articles on the subject of young children learning to read, but little has been written that offers guidance in the choice of a reading scheme for partially sighted children. This paper has been produced after observing partially sighted children who are in mainstream education and use the same texts as their fully sighted peers. It is based on research made for a BPhil(Ed.) dissertation at the University of Birmingham. The writer believes that each primary school should provide a reading scheme which specifically meets the needs of partially sighted children as this would be appropriate for all beginning readers, whether partially sighted or not.
Multi-handicapped people and service development
Authors: Harries Diana
Published: March 2007

The new philosophy o f care in the community for multi-handicapped people is at risk o f closing down opportunities for sensory impaired adults unless services are planned and implemented to take account of their distinctive needs The key issues facing service managers relate to the hitherto unrecognised high demand of this group which will increase significantly between now and the end of the century. This article examines some of these issues, and the development of services to fulfil the needs of service users who are sensory impaired and of the staff who work with them.
For once the blind came first: the history of the Kurzweil 1970-1990
Authors: Hazan Ray , Hunt Anita
Published: March 2007

First invented for the blind and now used also by the sighted, Kurzweil machines have developed rapidly in the last two decades. This article traces the successive phases of this development from the original concept to the most recent applications.
A Roamer in space
Authors: Gay Penny
Published: March 2007

"For well-developed orientation and mobility skills, education should begin early" (Hart, 1980). The following article, an extract from a project undertaken at the RNIB National Mobility Centre, Birmingham, considers the Roamer as a useful means of helping visually impaired children's early understanding o f space.
Residual vision and integration
Authors: Desai Sanjiv , Desai Rajiv , Desai N.C. , Sharma Ranjana , Sharma Renu
Published: March 2007

Visual acuity in 52 children at a residential school for the blind in Jodhpur was assessed, and of these children 50% were found to have some residual vision. The improvements resulting from the use of low vision aids suggest that prior to admission to residential schools for the blind the option of low vision therapy and rehabilitation must be exercised in all cases. Only those in whom visual function does not improve, or improves but does not provide adequate mobility and positive benefits in visual ability, should be institutionalised.
Can the RNIB Needs Survey turn the tide for people with visual impairment or will more be said than done?
Authors: Jobbins Mary
Published: March 2007

This article looks at the significance of the RNIB Needs Survey (1991) for social services depart ments and in particular at some of the implications for meeting the needs of consumers who are blind and partially sighted. It considers the inadequacies of the present position and the lack of satisfactory services for many blind and partially sighted people, both registered and non- registered. The facts collected in the survey provide an opportunity for taking steps to bring about essential changes, both in the assessment of needs and in service delivery.
A very special challenge
Authors: Reynolds Jane
Published: March 2007

People with sensory impairment in addition to their learning disabilities (mental handicap) have all too frequently been ignored by service planners. Many of these people still live in long-stay hospitals; and there is a very real risk that unless more attention is focused on their very special ised needs, they will continue to receive inappropriate services. The following article is an edited version of a talk given at a conference organised by CHANGE (The Council for People with Learning and Sensory Disabilities) at Church House, Westminster, 2 December 1991. It outlines the issues facing policy makers and service providers and the need to direct attention to an often neglected client group.
Future developments in computer-aided teaching of visually impaired children
Authors: Douglas Graeme , Gamble Alan
Published: March 2007

Teaching establishments of visually impaired children were sent questionnaires (spring 1994) to establish the presence of computers and associated peripherals. The following article considers the results of this research in terms of the types of computers used in different teaching contexts - special schools for the visually impaired, units attached to mainstream schools, and the peripatetic teaching service.
A tactile version of the Speed of Information Processing Test for the Blind - a revision and improvement
Authors: Hull Tim , Mason Heather
Published: March 2007

This article describes the second phase of the development of the Tactile Speed of Information Processing project, involving designing and standardising a new set of pre-braille items for the youngest age group (five to eight years of age), in an attempt to extend the usefulness of the test to children of these ages. A good measure of success is reported, with the new items being successful and usable for children aged from seven years, but still very difficult for five and six year olds. This outcome, and our experience of the project, are discussed in terms of some of the difficulties in testing young children with a visual impairment.
In the Balance: Making Financial Information Accessible
Authors: Thompson Leanne , Reeves Chris , Masters Kate
Published: March 2007

Evaluation of financial document design formed the central part of a recent research project by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). The study, entitled The Presentation of Financial Information for Visually Impaired People, investigated financial information design in four alternative formats: large print; Braille; audio cassette; and computer disk. The results have raised some interesting implications for designers of financial documentation. Several design feature preferences were drawn from the research which are being recommended as general guidelines for financial information design. These results are outlined within a discussion of the importance of this type of research not only for visually impaired people themselves but also for financial institutions as a result of impending legal requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995). Future research on this topic by the RNIB is discussed, as are some thoughts on incorporating creativity with accessible design.
Job Satisfaction amongst Visually Impaired People in Germany: Results of a Study
Authors: Keller A. , Schretzmann B. , Stegie R.
Published: March 2007

Eighty German working men and women were questioned on their attitudes to their work and how it's importance related to that of other aspects of life. They were generally satisfied with their work situation; some with an above average rating; but many were worried about their promotion prospects and opportunities for training. Without exception they considered work to be as important or more important for visually impaired people than sighted peers and they rated work at least as important as other aspects of their lives.
Helpful, Supportive and Sensitive: Measuring the Evaluation of Enacted Social Support in Personal Relationships
Authors: Goldsmith Daena J. , McDermott Virginia M. , Alexander Stewart C.
Published: March 2007

Several recent studies have sought to identify characteristics of better and worse attempts at support provision; however, there has been little explicit theoretical attention to the ways in which recipients evaluate enacted support. We developed a multidimensional scale to measure these evaluations. Study 1 asked 122 adults to interpret the meaning of three adjectives (helpful, supportive, sensitive) used in previous research. Although the meanings of these terms overlap, respondents associated helpful with problem-solving utility, supportive with relational assurance, and sensitivity with emotional awareness. Study 2 asked 396 students to rate a recalled conversation on 30 semantic-differential-type scales derived from Study 1. These ratings provided a basis for selecting 12 items to form valid and reliable scales of problem-solving utility, relational assurance, and emotional awareness. Study 3 provides independent validation of factor structure, scale reliability and validity, and conceptual distinctiveness. We discuss a variety of research questions for which this multidimensional scale may be a useful tool.
When Words Hurt: The Effects of Perceived Intentionality on Interpersonal Relationships
Authors: Vangelisti Anita L. , Young Stacy L.
Published: March 2007

Why is it that some hurtful messages have a greater impact on relationships than others? Theorists suggest that the way people interpret another individual's negative behavior can influence how close or distant they feel from that person, as well as the emotions they experience. The first study reported in this article was conducted to examine how judgments of intent affect individuals' tendency to distance themselves from someone who hurt them and how such judgments impact people's experience of hurt. Results indicated that people who judged something an individual said to them as intentionally hurtful felt the comment had more of a distancing effect on their relationship with the individual than did those who perceived the message as unintentionally hurtful. Furthermore, those who viewed the comment as intentionally hurtful tended to be less satisfied with the relationship they had with the person who hurt them and felt less close to the person than did those who saw it as unintentional. The findings also revealed that people's perceptions of messages they saw as unintentionally hurtful varied in theoretically important ways. To follow-up on the notion that there are qualities of messages viewed as unintentionally hurtful that contribute to relational distancing and hurt feelings, a second study was conducted. Findings indicated that the perception of messages as part of an ongoing pattern of hurtful communication - as relatively frequent and as part of a general tendency to hurt others was associated with relational distancing. Also, people's tendency to feel disregarded by the individual who hurt them was linked with relational distancing and hurt feelings.
Cross-Sex Friends Who were Once Romantic Partners: Are they Platonic Friends Now?
Authors: Schneider Carl S. , Kenny David A.
Published: March 2007

Relatively little is known about the relationships between exromantic partners. For example, is it possible for them to have a platonic friendship? The present study addresses this question by surveying both males and females who report having a cross-sex friend who was once a romantic partner and a cross-sex friend with whom there was never any romantic involvement. Both types of friendship are compared using rules of friendship, costs and benefits of friendship, romantic desires, and overall quality of the relationship. The results indicate a significant difference in the feelings towards each type of friend with more positive qualities associated with the platonic friend and more negative qualities, in addition to more romantic desires, associated with the ex-romantic partner friend. It is suggested that the relationship between ex- romantic partners is qualitatively different from a platonic cross-sex friendship.
Does Men's Positivity Moderate or Mediate the Effects of their Abuse on Women's Relationship Quality?
Authors: Marshall Linda L. , Weston Rebecca , Honeycutt Todd C.
Published: March 2007

Taylor's (1991) mobilization-minimization theory of coping with stress provides one perspective to understand counterintuitive findings from research on abuse of women (e.g., many abused women love their partner and report relational satisfaction). Extension of her theory led to the hypothesis that men's affection and caring behavior mediates the effects of their abuse on women's evaluative relational judgments (relational well-being, satisfaction, happiness, and commitment). Using an abused subsample from a larger study of low-income, ethnically diverse women, we tested whether men's positivity (caring behavior, relational satisfaction, and happiness) moderates their abuse (threats and acts of violence and sexual aggression) as suggested by Lloyd (1996) or functions as a mediator. The results of structural equation modeling with 717 African-American, Euro-American, and Mexican-American women indicated that Men's Positivity did not moderate the effects of Men's Abuse on Relational Quality. Partial and complete mediation provided similar fits, with the full mediation model accepted as the most parsimonious. This held for women who had sustained severe, potentially life-threatening violence. Neither ethnicity nor relational type (dating, cohabiting, married) functioned as moderators. Thus, when women are abused they apparently give more weight to their perceptions of the positive aspects of their partner when evaluating the quality of their relationship. Limitations of the study as well as implications for therapy and future research are discussed.
Identity Concerns Following a Severe Relational Transgression: The Role of Discovery Method for the Relational Outcomes of Infidelity
Authors: Afifi Walid A. , Falato Wendy L. , Weiner Judith L.
Published: March 2007

Extant evidence suggests that dating infidelity is a relatively common occurrence. Yet, despite infidelity's status as an unacceptable relational behavior and a prototypical relational transgression, there seems to be considerable variance in its relational impact. In this investigation, we use an identity management framework to argue that the method of infidelity discovery plays an important role in predicting subsequent relational outcomes. One-hundred fifteen college students who had experienced infidelity in a dating relationship completed measures assessing the method of discovery and the infidelity's impact on the relationship. The results generally support the utility of an identity management framework, but also suggest several potentially fruitful avenues for future investigations.
Hiv, Aids, and Close Relationships
Authors: Harvey John H. , Wenzel Amy
Published: March 2007

We comment on articles included in this special issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationshipsthat considers HIV, AIDS, and personal relationships and link them to general themes in the literature on close relationships. Relationship maintenance and enhancement are defined and applied to the articles that examined the romantic relationships ofindividuals with HIV and/or AIDS. The impact of coping strategies and social support is discussed, especially as they relate to the health status of individuals with HIV or AIDS. The effect of HIV status on children is considered. Finally, methodological issues and clinical implications of this series of articles are discussed. We conclude that close relationships may serve as both sources of support and stress for individuals living with HIV and/or AIDS. We also view these relationships as forming an important basis of some of the meaning that individuals with HIV and/or AIDS find in their lives as they struggle with these illnesses.
Distance Regulation in Personal Relationships: The Development of a Conceptual Model and a Test of Representational Validity
Authors: Hess Jon A.
Published: March 2007

Distance is a basic quality of all personal relationships, but little attempt has been made to develop a classification scheme for means of distance regulation that is parsimonious, conceptually structured, and representationally valid. This study reports the development of a model designed to meet those criteria. A classification scheme for distancing tactics was created by coding the narrative accounts of 185 respondents and comparing that scheme with 114 respondents' perceived structure of the tactics. These two data sets showed considerable similarity, and, as a result, a classification scheme was derived with three basic distancing strategies: avoidance, disengagement, and cognitive dissociation.
The Development and Maintenance of Friendship
Authors: Hays Robert B.
Published: March 2007

A behavioural examination of friendship development is presented. First, the construction of the Friend Observation Checklist (FOC), a self-report behaviour checklist for assessing friendship behavioural exchange, is described. Second, a twelve-week longitudinal study of friendship development is reported. Seventy male and female college students, who were just beginning their first term of school, used the FOC to track the behaviours occurring in newly developing friendships. A three-month follow-up was also conducted. Dyads which successfully developed into close friendships showed different behavioural and attitudinal trends from dyads which did not become close friends. Both the dyads' breadth of interaction and the intimacy level of their interaction were positively correlated with ratings of friendship intensity. As the friendships progressed, the intimacy level of dyadic interaction accounted for an increasing percentage of the variance in friendship ratings, beyond that accounted for by sheer quantity of interaction. Dyadic behaviour patterns at the end of the fall school term were good predictors of friendship status three months later. The results were interpreted as supporting Altman E Taylor's social penetration theory, and confirming the value of a behavioural focus in studying friendship.
Do Men and Women Love Differently?
Authors: Hendrick Clyde , Hendrick Susan , Foote Franklin H. , Slapion-Foote Michelle J.
Published: March 2007

This study focused on sex differences in attitudes towards love, within the context of assessing Lee's (1973) theory of love styles, using an instrument adapted from Lasswell & Lasswell (1976). Approximately 800 students at the University of Miami completed a 54-item love attitudes scale as part of a larger attitudes study. The love scale was designed to measure six love styles proposed by Lee: eros, ludus, storge, mania, pragma and agape. Analysis of variance of the item responses showed that males differed significantly from females on 29 of the 54 items. Males tended to be more erotic and ludic in their love attitudes. Females were more pragmatic, storgic and manic in their love attitudes. These results suggested strong sex differences in love attitudes. Results from factor analysis and cluster analysis provided partial support for Lee's theory. The secondary mixture styles of mania, pragma and agape emerged clearly from both types of analyses. The primary styles of eros, ludus and storge also emerged but often in combination with another style. Eros items tended to distribute thematically across the other styles. Factor structure of the scales was roughly comparable for males and females. Results were promising enough to suggest that further scaling work to measure the love attitude styles is warranted.
The Rules of Friendship
Authors: Argyle Michael , Henderson Monika
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the findings of four studies on the rules of friendship. Studies I and 11 established the strength of endorsement of 43 friendship rules in British, Italian, Hong Kong and Japanese samples. Study Ill found differences in reported rule-keeping between sustained and lapsed friendships by self and other, and between sustained relationships rated high and low in quality. Study IV examined the role of rule breaking in friendship breakdown, and dissolution of friendship was attributed to the breaking of a number of our endorsed rules. Six rules were endorsed as very important in Study I and distinguished between behaviour in lapsed and current friendships; also relationship breakdown was related to failure to keep to these rules. They dealt mainly with the exchange of rewards and intimacy. Dissolution of friendships was also attributed to the breaking of third party rules.
Relationship Theory: An Historical Development in Psychology Leading to a Teleological Image of Humanity
Authors: Rychlak Joseph F.
Published: March 2007

It is argued that relationship theory is a reflection of modern developments in causal theory, away from Newtonian efficient causation to formal causation in the theories of subatomic physics. Mechanistic psychological explanation has foundered on the fact that there are no underlying efficient causes to be found to account for the ultimate patterning of behaviours into relationships. Psychologists no longer need to `reduce' descriptions of personal relationships to underlying efficient-cause determinants. Theories of personal relationship are fundamentally teleological in assumption and descriptive style. It is shown how the formal-cause conception is a necessary but not sufficient ingredient to telic description. Final causation is required to capture human teleology, and thanks to dialectical reasoning we have a way of accounting for such agential behaviour. The paper closes with a survey of logical learning theory, which is offered in this context as a useful teleological formulation in the description of personal relationships.
Behaviour of Lovers: Measuring the Closeness of Relationships
Authors: Maxwell Gabrielle M.
Published: March 2007

A list of the behavioural criteria of closeness in relationships is derived from a review of the literature. The criteria form the basis for the development of a self-report measure of closeness in relationships. Four studies using the Close Relationships Questionnaire validated the measure and support the contention that similar behaviour is involved in close same-sex friendships, closeness between mothers and their young adult children, and among married couples, both in the early stages of marriage and after 20 years. A scale is also developed to measure marital satisfaction. A high correlation between the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Close Relationships Questionaire demonstrates a strong association between behaviour and satisfaction with the relationship. A model of change in relationships is offered.
Premarital Sexual Pathways and Relationship Development
Authors: Christopher F. Scott , Cate Rodney M.
Published: March 2007

Fifty-four dating couples were interviewed in an investigation of the interrelationship of premarital sexual intimacy and relationship development. Using a cluster analytic procedure, the couples were divided into sexual pathway groups based on the developmental progression of their sexual involvement over four points in time (first date, casually dating, considering becoming a couple, and the `couple' stage of dating). The cluster analysis resulted in four pathway types: (a) `rapid-involvement' couples, (b) `gradual-involvement' couples, (c) `delayed-involvement' couples, and (d) `low-involvement' couples. Comparisons between individuals who followed the different sexual pathways on selected relationship dimensions revealed that couples reportedly experienced significant increases in conflict as they approached orgasmically-oriented sexual activity.
From Divorce to Friendship: A Study of Dialectic Relationship Development
Authors: Masheter Carol , Harris Linda M.
Published: March 2007

This paper illustrates a dialectic perspective of relationship development, using a case study of a divorced couple who have become friends. This perspective suggests that relationships oscillate between opposites (stability/changes, intimacy/detachment), and exhibit unity of opposites (including both stability/change, intimacy/detachment). This contrasts with homeostatically based views which suggest that relationships either move towards and maintain stable levels of intimacy or terminate. Episode analysis of three recounted `scenes' from the couple's relationship traces their development from an intolerable marriage to a compatible post-divorce friendship. Theoretical implications for the study of evolving relationships are discussed.
A Brief Measure of Social Support: Practical and Theoretical Implications
Authors: Sarason Irwin G. , Sarason Barbara R. , Shearin Edward N. , Pierce Gregory R.
Published: March 2007

Two studies leading to the development of a short form of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) are reported. In Study 1 three items selected for high correlations with the total score (SSQ3) were administered to 182 university students together with several personality measures. SSQ3 had acceptable test-retest reliability and correlations with personality variables similar to those of the SSQ. Internal reliability was marginal although acceptable for an instrument with so few items. Study 2 employed three sets of data in developing a six-item instrument (SSQ6). The SSQ6 had high internal reliability and correlated highly with the SSQ and similarly to it with personality variables. The research findings accompanying the development of the short form social support measure suggest that perceived social support in adults may be a reflection of early attachment experience.
The Association between Reasons for Commitment and the Development and Outcome of Marital Relationships
Authors: Surra Catherine A. , Arizzi Peggy , Asmussen Linda A.
Published: March 2007

This study examined the relationship between reasons given for changes in commitment, on the one hand, and the development of commitment and later marital satisfaction, on the other. Forty-one newlywed couples were interviewed to obtain graphs of changes in commitment during courtship and reasons for the changes, which were coded into fourteen categories. Four years later thirty-nine of the original participants completed a marital happiness questionnaire. Reasons involving intrapersonal norms were related to commitments formed rapidly. Reasons that concerned interaction with and attributions about the network were associated with dramatic changes in commitment, accelerated commitments, and lower marital satisfaction. Reasons involving alternative dating partners were connected to moderate changes in commitment; long, rocky courtships; and lower marital satisfaction. The association between dyadic reasons and the development of commitment was weak, although reasons that concerned agreement on stage of involvement, disclosure, and behavioural inter-dependence were related to marital happiness. We discuss two types of commitment processes, event-driven and relationship-driven, and their implications for marital outcomes.
Loneliness: Differences Across Three Age Levels
Authors: Schultz Norman R. , Moore DeWayne
Published: March 2007

The present study examined differences in the loneliness experience with subjects from three age levels (high school students, college undergraduates, retirees). In accordance with social role theory and existing research, we predicted differences across these age periods in level of loneliness and the relation of loneliness to other indices of adjustment, and personal and social competency. Results indicated that the greatest loneliness and strongest loneliness correlates were among high school students, while loneliness was least associated with other variables for retirees. These results are consistent with those suggested by previous cross-study comparisons. The results also support a social role theory interpretation of loneliness that age-related changes in social demands will influence the relation among measures of adjustment, and personal and social competency.
Relational Transitions: An Inquiry into their Structure and Function
Authors: Conville Richard L.
Published: March 2007

Over the years there has been a persistent concern over the nature of relational transitions, the use of case study methods to investigate them, and a phenomenology of relationship partners. In this study, these three concerns were brought together and a structural analysis was performed on two spouses' narrative accounts of their near divorce. The analysis indicated (1) that the two accounts had a common underlying structure involving four types of episodes: Anticipation, Separation, Discovery and Reconciliation; (2) that the structure of the accounts was marked by three types of dialectical oppositions: affect, intimacy and time; and (3) that the period of relational transition was a time for the establishment of new meanings and new rules for relational practice. Further research was suggested on the role of crisis in relational regeneration.
Relationship Quality in Gay and Lesbian Cohabiting Couples: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Kurdek Lawrence A.
Published: March 2007

This study examined changes in relationship quality over a 1-year period in 74 gay and 45 lesbian couples. It also identified predictors of relationship quality over the 1-year period. Relationship quality was operationally defined as relationship satisfaction, love for partner and liking of partner. Generally, greater relationship quality was reported by lesbian couples than by gay couples, and by couples living together 11 or more years than by couples living together less long. Relationship quality decreased over the 1-year period, particularly for gay couples ending the first year of their relationship. For both gay and lesbian couples, positive relationship quality at the 1-year follow-up was significantly related to Time 1 variables from personal, psychological, interpersonal and social/cultural contexts. With controls for Time 1 demographic variables and Time 1 relationship quality, Time 2 positive relationship quality was predicted by other Time 1 variables but only for gay couples. These predictors included satisfaction with social support, high expressiveness and few beliefs that disagreement is destructive to a relationship. The findings are discussed in terms of factors influencing the long-term development of relationship quality in gay and lesbian couples.
The Impact of Attributions in Marriage: An Individual Difference Analysis
Authors: Fincham Frank D. , Bradbury Thomas N.
Published: March 2007

To build upon the well-established association between attributions and satisfaction in marriage, the present study investigates individual difference factors that may (a) affect the nature of attributions that occur in marriage and (b) mediate the impact of attributions on marital satisfaction. Forty-three married couples participated in the study. In addition to obtaining measures of causal attributions and marital satisfaction, four individual differences were assessed, namely perspective taking, dysfunctional relationship beliefs, attributional complexity and self-disclosure. As predicted, unrealistic relationship beliefs and attributional complexity predicted causal attributions. Causal attributions were related to the attributor's marital satisfaction, and wives' attributions were also related to husbands' satisfaction. Wives' self-disclosure was found to mediate the relationship between wives' causal attributions and husbands' satisfaction. However, self-disclosure did not mediate the relationship between causal attributions and one's own satisfaction. The importance of intrapersonal and interpersonal levels of analysis and of individual difference factors in understanding close relationships is emphasized.
A Multidimensional Analysis of the Experience of Loneliness
Authors: Mikulincer Mario , Segal Jacob
Published: March 2007

The current series of studies applies a phenomenological-structural method for the description of verbal reports of loneliness states. In Study 1, lay persons freely described the causes, feelings and responses related to a particular loneliness episode they had experienced. The different subjects' statements were then listed by two judges and were subjected to cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. Subjects in Study 2 received a self-report questionnaire including the feelings listed in Study 1 and their answers were also subjected to multidimensional analysis. Subjects in Study 3 received the clusters of loneliness feelings disclosed in Study 1 and were required to estimate their conjoint probability of occurrence, Findings revealed four subtypes of loneliness and delineated their cognitive, emotional, motivational and behavioral components. In addition, the disclosed structure of loneliness was replicated in the three reported studies. The contribution of the findings to the understanding of the experience of loneliness and to the refinement of earlier theoretical conceptions and disputes was discussed.
Support Seeking in Personal Relationships
Authors: Barbee Anita P. , Gulley Mary R. , Cunningham Michael R.
Published: March 2007

This paper introduces a new model of interactive support seeking and describes a study derived from it. Task vs relationship type of problem and gender of support seeker were examined for their effect on the selection of same-sex vs opposite-sex friends to provide social support. Male and female undergraduates were asked to vividly imagine each of two task and two relationship problems and to indicate for each problem the friend to whom they would prefer to talk. Participants were also asked to anticipate the specific interactive coping behaviors that their same-and opposite-sex friends would offer in response to each problem. We found that both males and females preferred to talk to their same-sex friends rather than their opposite-sex friends about both relationship and task problems. Yet males indicated that they would rather talk about task than relationship issues with their male friends and expected the male friends to use more dismiss behaviors in response to a relationship problem. Females expected their female friends to use more solve and support behaviors in response to relationship than task problems, and for their male friends to use more dismiss and escape behaviors in response to problems. Directions for future research on interactive support seeking are suggested.
Images of Friendship: Literary Depictions through the Ages
Authors: Contarello Alberta , Volpato Chiara
Published: March 2007

The present work aims to study friendship in historical literary texts to examine the basic structure and various modalities of this relationship as depicted through the ages. Five masterpieces of European literature chosen for their availability, relevance and popularity - criteria required in comparative studies - were content analysed and then submitted to cluster and correspondence analyses. The works span a wide period, from the end of the twelfth century to the mid-twentieth century. All of them were written by women. The results highlight both common and diverse aspects of the relationship in the course of time. As regards common aspects the central core of friendship appears to consist of intimacy, respect, mutual help, confrontation. The results of correspondence analyses illustrate factors which tie up with the basic dimensions encountered in cross-cultural research: `affect', `intimacy' and, to a lesser extent, `status'. Major differences over time regard the varying form of the relationship. An important change in friendship occurred in the passage from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century, with conflict increasingly emerging as a possible element. The results are discussed in connection with the literature on personal relationships and the topic of literature as a source of social knowledge is briefly discussed.
Family Interaction, Social Cognition and Children's Subsequent Relations with Peers at Kindergarten
Authors: Pettit Gregory S. , Harrist Amanda W. , Bates John E. , Dodge Kenneth A.
Published: March 2007

This study examined relations among family interaction qualities and children's social cognitions and subsequent social competence with peers. Thirty five-year-old children (fifteen boys) and their families were observed in their homes and the children were administered a social cognitive assessment battery during the summer prior to the children's entry into kindergarten. Interactional episodes were coded in terms of the degree of observed parent-child responsiveness, coerciveness and intrusiveness. Social cognitive measures consisted of self-efficacy and outcome expectations regarding aggressive and competent responding to hypothetical conflicts. Children's subsequent relations with peers in kindergarten were evaluated on the basis of teacher ratings. Social competence with peers was predicted by responsive family interactions and lower self-efficacy scores for both aggressive and competent responding. Aggression with peers was predicted by coercive and intrusive family interactions and higher self-efficacy scores for aggressive responding. Regression analyses suggested that the social cognitive patterns mediated the relation between family interaction and children's social behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the role of family interaction patterns in the social transmission of interpersonal style.
Relationship Maintenance versus Relationship Change: A Dialectical Dilemma
Authors: Montgomery Barbara M.
Published: March 2007

The dialectical assumption that change is at the heart of social processes contradicts the emphasis on stability and consistency that exists in most conceptualizations of relationship maintenance. After an elaborated description of the major tenets of dialectical thinking, this article explores ways of transcending this contradiction, thereby advancing a reconceptualization of maintenance processes and an expanded agenda for research on the issue.
Family Secrets: Forms, Functions and Correlates
Authors: Vangelisti Anita L.
Published: March 2007

What types of information do families keep secret? What are the functions that family members perceive secrets to serve? Is secrecy associated with family satisfaction? Two studies were conducted to examine such issues. The first study revealed that family secrets fall into three categories: taboos, rule violations and conventional secrets. Functions of secrets involve bonding, evaluation, maintenance, privacy, defense or communication problems. In the second study, the number of secrets that family members perceived their family to hold in comparison to other familieswas inversely correlated with family satisfaction. In addition, individuals' perception that some of their family members held secrets concerning taboo topics from other members was negatively related to satisfaction. Overall, results suggest that the association between secrecy and family satisfaction is influenced by the form, topic and function of the secret.
A Longitudinal Study of Conflict in Early Marriage
Authors: Noller Patricia , Feeney Judith A. , Bonnell Denise , Callan Victor J.
Published: March 2007

Thirty-three couples were assessed in terms of their communication and relationship satisfaction, just before marriage and twice during the first 2 years, using questionnaire and interaction-based methods. There were few changes over time, except that couples lower in relationship satisfaction temporarily decreased their use of negative strategies and increased their use of positive strategies after 1 year. Spouses high in satisfaction after 2 years of marriage were less likely to manipulate the partner, to avoid dealing with conflict, to behave coercively and to engage in destructive patterns such as demand-withdraw. There were moderately strong effects of communication behaviours on concurrent relationship satisfaction. Communication behaviours predicted later satisfaction for wives only. Relationship satisfaction also predicted later communication behaviours for both husbands and wives, indicating a reciprocal relationship between these variables.
Mothers' Attachment with Spouse and Parenting in the First Year
Authors: Scher Anat , Mayseless Ofra
Published: March 2007

This study examines the links between mother-spouse attachment dimensions and early parenting experiences. The sample consisted of 118 mothers who take part in a longitudinal investigation of child development. When their infants were 9 months old, mothers completed an attachment questionnaire and reported on maternal separation anxiety and on their attitudes toward developmental and socialization goals which they set for their child. It was found that the assignment of limited developmental goals was characteristic of mothers who fear being abandoned by their spouse. Contrary to expectations, mothers who fear close and dependent relationships reported higher levels of maternal separation anxiety and tended to stay home and care for their baby. The results are discussed in terms of a differential-modular versus a similarity model of relationships.