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Following Viviana Zelizer's extensive scholarship on the interweaving of money and intimacy, this paper discusses the often overlooked yet critical role of affect in the production of relational work and in the success of relational packages. Drawing from the results of a grounded‐theory‐driven research study on sugar dating, the motions through which affect seeps through and structures negotiations of payments and emotional attachment are explored. The paper discusses the management of feelings as a component of relational work—so that arrangements neither feel too transactional nor too intimate—as well as the role that affect plays in differentiating sugar dating from illicit sexual transactions. It also contributes to the literature on sugar dating and sex work by critically discussing the limits of the commodification of intimate services and affect under a dominant belief system that rejects the possibility of selling "real" intimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like online dating sites, mobile dating applications are popular technologies for navigating the dating market, whether for seeking romantic relationships or sexual partners. The searching-matching-interacting (SMI) framework describes mate selection in the dating market and how mediated market intermediaries (e.g., dating apps) can aid these functions. We conducted in-depth interviews (N = 37) to explore dating app use during relationship initiation and relationship escalation, examining the SMI framework. For searching and matching, perceptions of affordances such as visibility, searchability, and locatability governed participants' selection and use of apps. Examining the interacting function, our findings provide some of the first empirical support for modality weaving during relationship development. Rather than a simple modality switch from app to face-to-face, participants reported integrating multiple interpersonal and masspersonal channels, including social media, texting, and video. Channel transitions were made based on goals (e.g., relationship escalation, verification, uncertainty reduction) and perceived affordances (e.g., synchronicity, editability, bandwidth, accessibility). Notably, participants' evaluations of the advantages and disadvantages of dating apps revealed several tensions and paradoxes among beliefs and behaviors. These paradoxes indicate why many users may not satisfy interpersonal goals such as hookups or long-term romantic relationships through mobile dating apps. Our findings support the viability of the SMI framework, and we extend its theorizing for studying relationship initiation and relationship development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human matchmaking has existed for millennia and continues to be an important means of relationship initiation. Yet little is known about the matchmaking process or the role of formal intermediaries in mate selection. To begin exploring this topic, a two-part study was conducted using proprietary data from a professional matchmaking company. Study 1 surveyed matchmakers about what makes their services unique and the criteria they use to select partners for their clients. Study 2 used data from couples to understand if matchmakers' preferences align with the characteristics their clients seek in a long-term partner. The results showed that rather than matching according to others' preferences, part of a matchmaker's work is helping their clients discover, and in some cases reassess, what they desire in a mate. These findings provide novel insight into the commercial dating industry at a time when online dating is beginning to automate many of the tasks traditionally associated with human matchmakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts are common in adolescent friendships and romantic relationships. The ways girls in care navigate conflicts in close relationships have implications for their resilience, since their family relationships are compromised. We employed qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the conflicts in the friend and romantic relationships of 37 girls in care. They completed an interview about the conflicts with their best friend and boyfriend and a measure on the positive and negative quality of the friendship and romantic relationship within which the conflicts took place. Thematic analysis indicated the girls experienced more intense and volatile conflicts with their boyfriend than best friend. However, the intensity of these conflicts was mitigated by their positive perceptions in their quantitative reports. Despite conflicts, the girls reported significantly higher levels of positive than negative relationship quality within their romantic relationships and similar levels of negative quality between the two relationships. Findings highlight the girls' struggles with their romantic relationship compared to their friendship and especially their attempts to interpret conflict within a more global assessment of relationship quality. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of the girls' relational patterns, which can be used to inform interventions to support their development of healthy relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the changing Black family and households. The core theme is to understand the uniqueness of those single and living alone in the Black middle class—the "Love Jones Cohort"—and how their intersecting identities of race, class, gender, and singleness inform their lifestyle, shape how they manage life decisions, and their relationship to policy as well as family law and family court. This essay moves beyond the popularized and omnipresent inquiry: "Why are Black women not getting married?" or "Why are there so many single professional Black women?" This line of questioning throws the spotlight squarely on Black women's individual dating practices, while often ignoring structural factors that undergird those decision‐making processes. It implies that because of the individual actions of the Love Jones Cohort, specifically Black women, they are somehow at a deficiency if they are not married and child‐free, rendering them invisible as a family. This article discusses the legal implications of the presence of the Love Jones Cohort. Key points for the family court community: The concept of the family needs to be reframed, culturally and structurally, to include the growing number of persons who remain single and live alone.Living alone and single comes with personal freedoms and risks.Understand how structural factors constrain personal choices so that those single and living alone are not discriminated against in, family law, family court, and other legal matters.Adopt an intersectional lens to understand that singlehood looks differently for some people and is shaped by intersecting and marginalizing identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the article is to present and compare various strategies aimed at encouraging research participants to voice their experiences of racism and discrimination. This is supplemented by the discussion on how scholars can unveil the intersections of multiple systems of oppression reverberating in research participants' narratives, given the challenge of racial asymmetry in research and the politics of interpretation in a race-mute societal context. Based on their study involving young migrants, the authors argue that qualitative research instruments such as individual and focus-group interviews, visual elicitation, co-creative methods, and video interviews enable individuals to frame their experienced reality in complementary ways. Comparing how each method can conceal or disclose racism, the authors warn of treating narrations on racism on face value and plead for carefully analyzing the extent to which individual narrations align with political agendas and normative discourses within the research's contexts. Addressing each research tool's potential and limitations, the authors also show how the researchers' epistemological and political positionalities shape their data collection and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern among young adults and has shown a consistent association with alcohol use. However, previous research has used cross‐sectional and daily diary designs that may fail to pinpoint the effects of alcohol use within several hours of IPV occurring. The present study used novel ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods to investigate the bidirectional effect of alcohol use and IPV victimization among young adults with a history of IPV perpetration. Methods: One hundred and sixty‐eight young adults (age 18–25 years) in a dating relationship who reported IPV perpetration in the past year completed 28 days of randomly prompted EMA surveys (four surveys daily). The effect of alcohol use on IPV victimization and the effect of IPV victimization on alcohol use were examined. Results: The results indicated that alcohol use co‐occurs with psychological and physical IPV victimization. Further, alcohol use significantly increased the odds of physical (OR = 4.94; 95% CI = 2.24–10.87) and sexual (OR = 4.66; 95% CI = 1.64–13.22) IPV victimization, but not psychological IPV victimization, in the subsequent EMA survey. Finally, IPV victimization did not significantly increase the odds of reporting alcohol use in the subsequent EMA survey. Conclusions: Using alcohol is proximally related to IPV victimization among those with a history of IPV perpetration. Intervention efforts would benefit from adapting EMA methods to provide resources the moment they are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though many studies have examined the link between individuals' perceived general similarity to their romantic partners and their own relationship satisfaction, there are not many studies focusing on the impact of perceived general similarity reported by the partner. The present work uncovers the potential mediating roles of one's and the partner's attributional confidence in the effects of one's and the partner's perceived general similarity on relationship satisfaction. To investigate the mechanisms, two studies were conducted at individual and dyadic levels. A total of 395 individuals (51.4% female) aged 17–67 (M = 22.06, SD = 4.68) in unmarried opposite‐gender relationships were recruited in Study 1 and 227 unmarried opposite‐gender couples were employed in Study 2. Across two studies, the indirect effect of perceived general similarity on relationship satisfaction via attributional confidence was significant. In particular, the actor effects of perceived general similarity on relationship satisfaction were mediated by the actor effects of attributional confidence. Moreover, the partner effects of perceived general similarity on relationship satisfaction were mediated by partner attributional confidence (i.e., one's partner's perceived general similarity on one's relationship satisfaction via one's partner's attributional confidence). The present findings shed light on the mechanisms through which perceived general similarity fosters relationship satisfaction among opposite‐gender relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blued is the most popular gay dating app among Chinese sexual minority men. This study explored the textual self-presentation of the profiles on Blued in terms of motivation, appearance focus, and exclusion. A total of 10,000 profiles were randomly selected from a dataset of 197,516 profiles using an interval sampling method. A total of 230 features were developed, and six themes were extracted from 4,881 profiles based on content analysis. The themes were motivation, personal information, partner preference, partner non-preference, sexual preference, and communication preference. Body and age were the most commonly mentioned self-presentations, followed by attractiveness and masculinity. Self-presentations largely focused on the users' photos are prominent on Blued. Exclusion against those who were "overweight," "elderly," "unattractive," and "effeminate" was common. Network analysis was used to analyze and visualize the co-occurrence of these features. Appearance focus and exclusion features were linked with both "hookup" and "no hookup" motivations. Photo-focused communication was linked to the exclusion of others. "No hookup" motivation was associated with more social motivation (e.g., making friends and chatting) and trait-focused communication (e.g., being polite and permanent). "Hookup" motivation was associated with genital presentations (i.e., "big penis" and "like big penis"). Most self-presentation features of sexual preference were sexual role-specific. The results indicate a widespread focus on appearance and exclusion on Blued, which may negatively affect the mental health of Chinese sexual minority men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial preferences are sometimes encountered in the sphere of dating, romance, and sex. Using an experimental design, 100 White American participants and 100 American participants of Color were exposed to a mock dating profile that either contained a disclosure of racial preference (i.e., "White guys/girls only") or did not. Owners of a profile disclosing a racial preference were perceived as more racist, less attractive, and were also rated less positively in a global sense than owners of a profile that did not disclose a preference. Participants were also less willing to connect with them. Additionally, participants who viewed a dating profile disclosing a racial preference reported greater negative affect and lower positive affect than participants who viewed a profile that did not disclose a preference. These effects were largely consistent across both White participants and participants of Color. These findings demonstrate that racial preferences in the intimate sphere are generally responded to unfavorably, both by people for whom rejection is implied by the preferences and by people who are personally unaffected by the preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and hazardous drinking have been linked to lower relationship satisfaction; however, few studies have evaluated these associations over time in a college sample. The current study aimed to examine within-person and between-person longitudinal main and interactive effects of self-reported PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking on relationship satisfaction in a college sample. We further examined whether individual PTSD symptom clusters (i.e., re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, and emotional numbing) uniquely predicted relationship satisfaction. College students in current dating relationships (N = 307; 71% cisgender women) completed online self-report measures assessing relationship satisfaction, PTSD symptoms, and hazardous alcohol use on four occasions across 12 months. Multilevel models revealed that students with more severe PTSD symptoms than average had lower relationship satisfaction (i.e., at the between-person level). Additionally, higher hazardous drinking at the between-person and within-person levels was associated with lower relationship satisfaction. When examining specific PTSD symptom clusters, results indicated only emotional numbing symptoms were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction at the between-person and within-person levels after controlling for other PTSD symptom clusters. Collectively, these results underscore the impact of within- and between-person individual differences in PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking on romantic relationships in college student populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Risky alcohol use is frequent among college students and can be associated with functional outcomes. Bidirectional associations have been shown between alcohol use and the stability of romantic relationships, though little is known about the longitudinal association between risky alcohol use and romantic relationships in college and about college students' perceived stress regarding one's love life. Objectives: The present study aims to explore these relationships both cross-sectionally and at one-year follow-up. Method: Data were drawn, from the French portion of the World Mental Health International College Student Survey initiative (WMH-ICS). First-year college students who completed an online survey (n = 1,624) and a second survey at one-year follow-up (n = 727) were included. Current romantic relationship status and stress regarding one's love life, past-year risky alcohol use, lifetime presence of DSM-5 mental health disorders and sociodemographic correlates were assessed. Results: Risky alcohol use was cross-sectionally associated with dating in multivariate models adjusting for lifetime mental disorders (aOR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.31-2.20), and in particular with unsteady relationships (aOR = 2.87, 95%CI = 2.01-4.10), but was no longer associated with both one year later. Risky alcohol use was, however, not associated with severe perceived stress regarding one's love life in multivariate models adjusting for lifetime mental disorders in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, while it was associated in bivariate models for both analyses. Conclusions: These findings extend our understanding of the association between excessive drinking and romantic relationship patterns among college students underlying the importance of comorbid disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leading theories of the recent history of sexuality have pointed to trends toward detraditionalization and precarity in intimate relations, but also to democratization and innovation. This study grounded in 79 qualitative interviews with men seeking men online considers their experiences in light of these theories. The rise of dating apps has generated sexual fields that have shaped the sexual subjectivities of the current era in multiple ways. The narratives of study participants show much more than the hook-up culture that dating apps are best known for. They speak to experiences of superficiality, unmet expectations, and sometimes bruising intersections with hierarchies defined by age, race, body type, gender expression, and serostatus. Yet at the same time, they show a strong aspiration to sociability, social network building, and reach for a language of affiliation beyond the kin and friendship terms of the larger society. Generational comparisons indicate the shifting sexual subjectivities that dating apps have shaped by constituting virtual sexual fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of media illiteracy on adolescents' and youths' mental growth is underrated in most of the developing countries. Notwithstanding, media influences almost everything in today's life among adolescents and youths. Early sexual debut, time balance between academics and dating issues, and unrealistic expectations from partners continue to cause endless cries among dating adolescents and youths. This study explored the effect of media illiteracy among adolescents and youths on three behaviors; learning engagement in higher education, setting dating or couple goals, and sexual attitudes and behavior. From a total of 1037 (66.2% male and 33.8% female) valid questionnaire responses, the results indicated that adolescents and youths are major victims of media misinformation, obstructing them from accessing the factual truth about intimacy and sexuality. Media illiteracy negatively affects decisions about sexual intimacy and related behaviors. Adolescents' and youths' sexual permissiveness is prejudiced by lack of skills, knowledge, and understanding of how to decipher credible information from social media platforms. Conclusively, media literacy is essential to access and identify authentic information for different purposes, especially for decisions on sexuality and intimacy. Benefits are immense only if an accurate intellectual framework is cultivated to find, understand, evaluate and use information from various media platforms properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sibling Rivalry is a podcast hosted by Bob the Drag Queen and Monet X Change, where the two share their Black queer experiences. Drawing quare studies, this essay closely reads their discourse surrounding being queer and dating interracially. From this, three themes emerged: the imagined realities of interracial queer dating, the stigmatization of interracial dating and media representations of Black love. The two articulate being strongly influenced to have strong Black preferential romantic inclinations in their youth, but race became a more negligent aspect of their romantic relationships after being able to travel and explore the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims at ascertaining the kinds of violence LGBTQ + individuals suffer in relationships formed via dating apps and how this violence arises, as well as the differences in coping based on age, ethnicity, and gender identity. Methods: The data for this qualitative study were collected using 50 face-to-face in-depth interviews with LGBTQ + persons between the ages of 18–55 living in Istanbul. Results: Violence includes physical and sexual assault, hate speech, hate crime and romance fraud. Young people ages 18 to 24, trans women and of different ethnicities encountered more than one type of violence concurrently. Older people ages 42 to 55 more often experienced romance fraud, whereby they had to provide financial support to their partners despite not wanting to stay in the relationship. While coping strategies varied, trans women and LGBTQ + persons having different ethnic origins tended to accept and internalize their situations, primarily due to being marginalized by the healthcare services and law enforcement. Subjects ages 42 to 55 accepted the economic consequences of romance fraud since they felt there was no other way to have the relationship they desired. Conclusions: Age, ethnicity and gender identity were the major factors in the type and severity of violence arising in relationships formed via dating apps. Research shows that dating apps intrinsically do not spawn the violence directed at LGBTQ + people. Rather it is homophobic, transphobic or xenophobic state practices that lead to violence against the LGBTQ + community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous study has found a negative correlation between meeting one's romantic partner in online dating (vs. offline) and marriage quality through a quota sample of the U.S. population. This current study replicates and extends this previous study by analyzing another sample of the U.S. population from the Pew Research Center (N = 2,787). Largely consistent with the previous finding, we found that meeting one's partner in online dating (vs. offline) was marginally related to experiencing less relationship success among people in a marital relationship. However, the difference was not observed among people in a nonmarital romantic relationship. In addition, sharing or discussing one's relationship or dating life (i.e., relationship talks) on social media (RToSM) conditioned the link between meeting venue and relationship success. That is, for marital relationships, meeting in online dating was only linked to less relationship success among people with no RToSM but not among those who had RToSM; for nonmarital relationships, there was a positive link between meeting in online dating and relationship success among those who had RToSM, but this positive link was not observed among those who had no RToSM. We further discuss the implications of our findings on the long-term impact of online dating in marital and nonmarital romantic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incel refers to an online group of young males who feel frustration and despair at being repeatedly neglected on the dating market. Despite gaining notoriety for a number of public attacks, the majority of incel research is comprised of analyses of their forums rather than of individuals themselves. This provides a good contextual overview of the incel community but does not capture the experiences of incels or identify how and why this group responds so strongly to rejection. A total of 38 incel and 107 non-incel males (MAGE = 23.60, SD = 4.90) were recruited through Reddit and two institutional forums to participate in the present online study, completing questionnaires pertaining to their dating app experiences and their mental and relational well-being. Large differences between incels and non-incels were found, with the former reporting greater depressive symptoms, rejection sensitivity, relationship status influence, and insecure attachment. These were all associated with perceived popularity, which incels scored lower on. Incels also adopted more liberal dating app strategies, yet reported fewer matches, conversations, and in-person outcomes. The pattern of results reported sheds new light on the role that dating apps may play in incels' efforts to attract mates and how these frustrations manifest. This is integral both to understanding the broader incel discourse as well as any efforts to develop treatment strategies with self-identified incels who seek counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online dating and dating apps are meant to help sexual minorities find romantic partners, but they have also presented challenges and obstacles. Based on 27 in-depth interviews with lesbian, gay, and bisexual dating app users living in Taiwan, this exploratory study proposes the concept of hyperpersonal failure as a holistic framework for understanding these challenges. This framework specifies four types of failure, each corresponding to one element in the original hyperpersonal communication model: the failure to present oneself (online daters as the sender), the failure to meet conversational expectations (the channel), the failure to develop positive impressions of the targets (online daters as the receiver), and the failure to obtain responses (the feedback). The study also discusses how the affordances of online environments contribute to hyperpersonal failure. Overall, the framework has the potential to shed light on online dating in general, extending beyond the experiences of sexual minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The literature indicates that sexuality education provided in schools/colleges in the United Kingdom (UK) may not be appropriate for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There appears to be a lack of understanding of the subject regarding young people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dual diagnosis (ASD co-occurring with ADHD). Research also suggests that compared to neurotypical peers, young people with ASD tend to receive less support on sexuality from their parents, who often feel that they lack the appropriate skills to help their children with some sex-related issues. Some young people with ASD and ADHD also report lacking an understanding of the social nuances of dating and intimacy, which is crucial for navigating romantic relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study explored sexuality education and romantic relationships in young people based on a semi-structured interview approach to the topic. Thematic Analysis (TA) was employed to analyze the data. Findings Six themes were developed from the participants' narratives: Societal ideology about sexuality; Substandard school-based sexuality education; The role of adults in sexuality education; Pornography, as a very powerful alternative means of sexuality education; Young people and romance—a complicated world to navigate; Experience of abuse in the young neurodivergent population is a serious matter. Findings revealed that many neurodivergent and neurotypical young people received basic sex education in their schools/colleges and homes and encountered challenges navigating romantic relationships. Neurodivergent young people reported experiencing greater challenges related to their understanding of and building romantic relationships than their neurotypical peers. Originality/value To the researchers' knowledge, this is the first exploration of romantic relationships and sexuality education in neurotypical young people as well as three groups of neurodivergent young people (with ASD, ADHD, and ASD co-occurring with ADHD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpersonal touch buffers against stress under challenging conditions, but this effect depends on familiarity. People benefit from receiving touch from their romantic partners, but the results are less consistent in the context of receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. We propose that there may be important gender differences in how people respond to touch from opposite-gender strangers. Specifically, we propose that touch from an opposite-gender stranger may only have stress-buffering effects for men, not women. Stress was induced as participants took part in an emotion recognition task in which they received false failure feedback while being touched by a romantic partner or stranger. We measured subjective and physiological markers of stress (i.e., reduced heart rate variability) throughout the experiment. Neither stranger's nor partner's touch had any effect on subjective or physiological markers of stress for men. Women, however, subjectively experienced a stress-buffering effect of partner and stranger touch, but showed increased physiological markers of stress when receiving touch from an opposite-gender stranger. These results highlight the importance of considering gender when investigating touch as a stress buffer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political orientations are increasingly relevant to romantic relationships. Self-categorization theory suggests that individuals prefer partners with the same political views. However, few studies have identified the factors associated with willingness to date or not to date across the political divide. Using survey data from 416 single participants from Hong Kong, the study found that older, female, and participants who were politically neutral or yellow were less willing to date across the political divide. Furthermore, a greater belief in politics–morality equivalence (i.e. regarding people from the opposite political camp as morally different from themselves) was associated with less willingness to date across the divide; this association was more negative among people with higher communication competence. At the same time, among people with a higher level of communication competence, utopianism (i.e. believing ideal worlds may exist) was positively associated with such willingness. The results demonstrate that communication competence has a paradoxical influence on willingness to date across the political divide, which challenges the assumption that communication can bridge the divide between people who hold different views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic Relationship is an event when you feel hurt, feel disadvantaged, feel uncomfortable, feel insecure, lack of affection, and the victim feels intimidated. The impact can flatten fear and traumu and make it difficult to interact socially. The method used in this study is qualitative with a phenomenological approach by explaining the phenomenon of experience that has been carried out by one of the individuals experienced with real events. The object was obtained by several subjects with data sources coming from interviews and data analysis was carried out by data reduction, presenting data and drawing conclusions. The results of this study are two forms of violence, namely verbal violence and physical violence. Most of the problems obtained are about the bad treatment of their partners. This causes the victim to feel inferior and triggers his mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating apps are now used by the majority of MSM to meet sexual and romantic partners. While research has demonstrated an association between app use and greater number of sex partners and STIs, dating apps also pose an opportunity for intervention. By advocating for new and improved sexual health features on dating apps, Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) aims to increase communication about sexual health on the apps. As a follow-up to our previous paper assessing the uptake of sexual health-related profile options on dating apps through Emory's annual survey of 10,000 MSM in the US, BHOC and Emory partnered to explore the change in uptake over time, again through their annual survey. Among survey participants in 2021, 85% reported using dating apps to meet a partner in the past year, and among this group, 93% reported awareness of sexual health features, up from 77% in 2018 (p < 0.0001). 71% of app users who were aware of features in 2021 reported using one or more sexual health feature, up from 61% in 2018 (p < 0.0001). BHOC will continue to advocate for increased uptake of these features, especially among subgroups with lower levels of uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found that for men, activating a mating motive increases luxury consumption as a way to attract a romantic partner. However, little is known about the role of luxury consumption in women's romantic endeavors. The present research conceptualizes a mate screening motive, which explains how women use luxury consumption to romantically signal to men. Six studies and two follow-ups conducted in controlled and field settings show that the mate screening motive boosts women's consumption of luxury goods as a way to signal their mating standards to men and thereby deter undesirable pursuers. The effect is diminished when mate screening is less necessary such as when external screening tools are available (e.g. screening filters on dating websites), the quality of potential mates is high, and the focus is on selecting a desirable partner rather than deterring undesirable pursuers. The findings have important implications for understanding how consumers use products and brands in romantic relationships and for designing marketing strategies and communication for luxury brands, commercial dating services, and dating apps. Our findings also provide insights for consumers on how to use brands and products as effective communication devices in romantic endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study (N = 370) explored the motivations behind using two popular dating apps, Tinder and Bumble, among 18–30 years old Indian emerging adults. The study found that both apps are very popular, with many users accessing them daily, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when people turned to online dating to connect while social distancing. Six motivations were identified for using Tinder and Bumble: love, ease of communication, distraction, sexual experience, socialising, and trendiness. The research findings suggest that age and gender are important factors in understanding the motivations of emerging adults to use Tinder and Bumble. The study results showed that life position indicators significantly influenced dating behaviours. No significant difference was found between Tinder and Bumble in terms of frequency of usage and the number of dates. However, there were significant differences in the motivations behind using them, with Tinder being seen as a more casual dating app, where users are primarily looking for entertainment and fun, while Bumble is seen as a more serious dating app, where users are looking for meaningful connections and relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to explore the centrality in young women's life of the affective assemblages that took shape in their relationship with digital media during the pandemic, particularly fostered by the use of dating apps. Emotional and affective connection is and has been prevented by the pandemic in the form of physical distancing and the risk of contagion, but also by regulations that in some states, such as Italy, have only recognised legitimate familial relationships to grant permission to mobility (like marriage, birth family). So, what happens when people cannot take care and be sustained by their affective web of relationships? On one hand, this negative situation limited desire, mutual sharing, and pleasure as potential pushes for social change, and on the other hand, it opened up new mediated spaces in which to cultivate different and unexpected effects and relationships. Therefore, the article looks at the role of the affective realm as a political space linked to social change, and explores the use of dating apps by young women during the pandemic as an element of a broader affective assemblage. The article follows a subgroup of young women who used dating apps during the Covid lockdown over the three waves of interviews. The young women are aged 24–30 years and have been encountered as a part of a longitudinal research project on the transition to adulthood in Italy conducted from 2020 to 2022. Specifically, it focuses on those biographies of youth who are not in a stable romantic relationship, and often live alone, and who have therefore experienced unprecedented forms of emotional/affective isolation and have recurred to dating apps for different purposes. The goal here is to analyse the unexpected uses of these apps – not only centred in erotic or romantic purpose – and the online (and sometimes offline) relationships that ensue: for example, making sense of rarefied and solitary time, building relations of care in everyday life. These assemblages – made up of bodies, digital media, and affects – intervene in the current context of normalised crisis and precarity, characterised by a digitally saturated environment, giving the possibility to young people to produce and enjoy spaces for non-normative/linear/straight desire and sharing that go beyond the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) are a prevalent public health concern among adolescents and young adults. Dating apps, which are relatively new technological means to meet sexual partners, are on the rise among this population. However, the scientific literature is mixed regarding the association between the use of dating apps and RSBs, with most studies focusing exclusively on condom use. The present study examined the associations between dating app use and a comprehensive range of RSBs, as well as the moderating role of sexual satisfaction. Self-report questionnaires assessing the level of activity on dating apps, sexual satisfaction, and RSBs were completed by 342 adolescents and young adults. The results revealed significant positive associations between dating app use and a variety of RSBs. Sexual satisfaction was a significant moderator of the link between dating app use and impulsive sexual behaviors. Specifically, dating app use was positively associated with impulsive sexual behaviors at both low and high levels of sexual satisfaction, but more strongly so at low levels of sexual satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of examining a wide variety of RSBs beyond condom use and have meaningful implications for the prevention of RSBs among youth. Dating app use was linked to higher levels of risky sexual behaviors, such as having multiple sexual partners. In addition, low sexual satisfaction played a role in amplifying the link between dating app use and impulsive sexual behaviors. These findings are relevant for the promotion of sexual health among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex, relationships, and substance use often go hand in hand. Despite this, the impact of sex and relationships on recovery are often overlooked in the field of substance use disorder treatment (SUDT). This study aims to explore sex, relationships, and relapse risk for people in recovery and as an overlooked area of importance in SUDT. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews with people currently and/or formerly in prison, together with ethnographic field data from four high security prisons in Norway, collected between July 2021–April 2022. Common sources of anguish around sex after release and recovery included both forming new and maintaining long-term relationships with partners at a different stage in their recovery, dating and initiating sexual relationships with new partners, concerns about sexual performance and fears around attaining sexual pleasure without chemical enhancements. The implications that sex, dating and intimate relationships may have for individual relapse to substance use, can and should play a greater role in both SUD treatment and preparation for release from prison. These problems are exacerbated in carceral settings and should be considered when planning re-entry to the community and in the development of individual relapse prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Given that over 70% of MSM meet sexual partners via dating apps, such apps may be an effective platform for promoting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. We aimed to describe preferences among MSM for PrEP advertisements displayed on dating apps. We conducted individual in-depth interviews with 16 MSM recruited from a mobile sexual health unit in Boston, Massachusetts. Two focus groups were also held: one with mobile unit staff (N = 3) and one with mobile unit users (N = 3). Content analysis was used to identify themes related to advertisement content and integration with app use. Mean participant age was 28 (SD 6.8); 37% identified as White and 63% as Latinx. 21% of interviews were conducted in Spanish. Preferences were organized around four themes: (1) relevant and relatable advertisements, (2) expansion of target audiences to promote access, (3) concise and captivating advertisements, and (4) PrEP advertisements and services as options, not obligations. MSM are supportive of receiving information about PrEP on dating apps, but feel that existing advertisements require modification to better engage viewers. Dating apps may be an underutilized tool for increasing PrEP awareness and knowledge among MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romantic rejections are a hurtful yet common occurrence in online dating. While research in this area is growing, there is a need for a comprehensive and comparative overview to understand these rejection experiences better. This article presents the results of two cross-sectional survey studies that aimed to create a more comprehensive overview of multiple facets of rejections in online dating, particularly the types of rejections used, the (provided) reasons for rejecting, and the painfulness of being rejected. Results of Study 1 (n = 177) show that ghosting was the most often experienced rejection type, even when a considerable number of messages was exchanged before the rejection. Unmatching/blocking and rejections with an explanation occurred less but equally often. Moreover, individuals who experienced rejections with an explanation reported the highest painfulness rates, which raised important questions about the reasons behind such explicit rejections. Study 2 further unpacked the provided rejection reasons, from the rejecter and the rejectee perspective. Five categories were identified among the reasons, such as (lack of) attraction and reasons related to relationship investment. Several interesting discrepancies that emerged between reasons provided by rejecters versus rejectees are discussed. Our work underlines the multifaceted nature of rejection experiences in online dating and sets directions for future research that further explores the relationships between rejection types, reasons, and painfulness in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Intrinsic (i.e., personality traits) and extrinsic mate value (i.e., resources, physical attractiveness) preferences play a crucial role in (online) relationship formation. The role of mate values in dating applications was unclear and was addressed in a multi-method study. A first content analytical study examined the prevalence of mate values (MVs) on Tinder profiles (Study 1) and two subsequent cross-sectional studies explored the relationships between dating app use, various swiping behaviors, sexual satisfaction (Studies 2–3), need satisfaction with matches (Study 3), having a committed relationship versus casual sex motivation for using dating apps and users' gender. The content analysis of 307 Tinder profiles indicated that resources and physical attractiveness were most salient in biographies and pictures, respectively. The first cross-sectional study (nfullsample = 325, ndating app users = 133) revealed no significant relationships between dating app frequency/swiping frequency, intrinsic and extrinsic MV preferences, and sexual satisfaction. The second cross-sectional study (n = 323) showed no significant relationships between picture-based or biography-based swiping, intrinsic and extrinsic MV preferences, and need satisfaction with matches. Gender differences emerged in the presentation of MVs on Tinder (Study 1) and general MV preferences (Study 2–3), but not in the relationships between different types of dating app use/swiping and MV preferences (Study 2–3). A committed relationship and a casual sex motivation played a role in the relationships between different types of swiping behaviors and MV preferences, and between MV preferences, and sexual satisfaction/need satisfaction with matches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have looked at the impact of parental cohabitation changes on adolescents' dating behaviors and relationship quality. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we examined whether mother's cohabitation changes with the child's biological father over the first nine years of life were associated with adolescents' dating behaviors at age 15. Data analysis included ordinal logistic, logistic regression and ordinary least square regression models to test the relationship between maternal-reported cohabitation changes with the biological father and adolescent dating behaviors. Our findings suggest that the type of maternal cohabitation stability, as well as the amount of cohabitation instability, are associated with whether adolescents had ever dated, the number of romantic partners they had, and whether they ever had sex. Cohabitation stability and instability were not associated with adolescents' perceived relationship quality with their current partner. We conclude that researchers and practitioners should consider how the dating behaviors children observe from their parents at a young age can affect their romantic relationships in adolescence. Relationship programs and interventions already in place can be enhanced by focusing specifically on the impact of participants' past experiences with parental break-ups and new partnerships. Highlights: We examined whether mother's cohabitation changes with the child's biological father over the first nine years of life were associated with adolescents' dating behaviors. Nearly one-third of adolescents in our sample had experienced a relationship transition between their mother and biological father. Adolescents who experienced one cohabitation transition between their biological mother and father had an increased likelihood of dating and having sex prior to age 15. Mothers' dating behaviors, such as cohabitation transitions, may negatively affect their children's dating behaviors in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined whether female college students could accurately detect unknown male students' propensity for aggression/intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in romantic relationships after viewing their online dating profile, as well as whether individual differences in women's IPV victimization history or attachment orientation predicted their accuracy. Method: Heterosexual adult males (N = 9, Mage = 23.40), selected from a larger sample of N = 41 males, created de-identifiable dating profiles and reported on their history of aggression and IPV perpetration within relationships. Participants (N = 453 heterosexual adult females, Mage = 21.87) then viewed all 9 dating profiles and rated their perception of each male's level of aggression/IPV perpetration risk (naïve to all other information about the person), as well as reported on their own individual characteristics (attachment, IPV victimization history). Results: Female participants were able to discriminate between males at high/medium/low levels of aggression, but were only able to discriminate between males with high/low levels of IPV perpetration history. Attachment orientation predicted the magnitude of participants' ratings of male aggression: Specifically, females higher in avoidance and lower in anxiety perceived males to be less aggressive. Additionally, participants' attachment orientation was associated with their accuracy of identifying aggression, such that females higher in attachment anxiety and lower in avoidance were found to overestimate males' aggression. Participants' IPV victimization history was unrelated to their ratings of males' aggression/IPV perpetration risk. Conclusion: Attachment, but not IPV perpetration history, impacts females' perceptions of propensity for IPV risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the established need for sexuality and relationship programming for autistic adults, there are extremely limited curricula for this population. This pilot study used an evidence-based sexuality and relationship education program for autistic adolescents (Tackling Teenage Training) as the basis for an adult-focused virtual psychoeducational group. Qualitative feedback, quantitative ratings of the programming, and behavioral surveys from participants were collected. Nine participants completed the program, and corresponding pre and post measures. Highly rated topics, for example gender identity and online dating, were consistent with previous research on what autistic adults want from a sexuality and relationship education program. Future programming should incorporate increased attention to themes and topics highlighted by participants, and should utilize the teaching tools (e.g., role play, peer discussions) identified as useful by the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PEERS® for Young Adults is an evidence-based program aimed at teaching social skills needed to establish and maintain close relationships, including friendship and romantic relationships. The study investigated the effects of the Polish adaptation of the curriculum on the social functioning of adults on the autism spectrum. Fifteen young adults (aged 18–32, M = 23.5) were randomly allocated to an immediate or delayed (control) treatment condition. By self and parent report, individuals who participated in the PEERS® program showed significant improvements in social skills, social cognition, and social knowledge, but limited gains in social engagement. The effects were maintained over six months after the treatment. The intervention was well-accepted and deemed feasible by young adults, their parents, and peers involved in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing evidence that the modern world is more diverse and so is the nature of relationships that present in therapy, there remains paucity of empirical evidence on how cultural differences impact those in intercultural romantic ties. We conducted this comprehensive scoping review with the aim to outline the size and scope of existing research in the field of intercultural love and romantic relationships. We utilised a five-stage scoping review protocol provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual for synthesis of evidence for a scoping review to ensure the rigour, transparency, and replicability of our findings. We reviewed peer-reviewed articles across nine electronic databases as well as "snowballing" the literature from the reference lists. A total of 46 studies were included in this review. We found that the majority of studies approached intercultural relationships from the deficit perspective, focusing on the domains of cultural difference that bring challenges to the relationship. These included culture-rooted differences in parenting standards and gender role expectations, among others. Often, cultural differences were found to bring power impedance into the relationship. Open communication and flexibility were found as important coping strategies. Differences in native language posed challenges to emotional communication between partners. These findings demonstrate that intercultural relationships face an additional layer of challenges and complexities that have to be recognised in therapy. We propose four domains of transmodality relational competencies on the basis of our findings to inform culturally sensitive therapeutic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is characterized by the emergence of romantic interactions. This study aims to explore the psychometric properties of the Scale of Myths of Romantic Love (SMRL) and the gender differences in Spanish adolescents. The sample was representative and consisted of 1,840 third (52.8%) and fourth (47.2%) year students in compulsory secondary education in Castilla-La Mancha. In line with the original validation, the results of the factor analyses show that the SMRL is a mainly uni-dimensional measure when applied to adolescents. The bi-factor analysis yields satisfactory fit indices (in terms of GFI, AGFI, CFI, RMSEA, SRMR; Medrano & Muñoz-Navarro, 2017) and indicates that the general factor is more solid than the specific factors (in terms of ECV, ωh and H h ). Correlations with the Myths Scale toward Love and the Gender Equality Attitudes Scale provide evidence in favor of convergent and discriminant validity. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on the SMRL. In conclusion, this is a suitable instrument to scientifically address romantic myths at the adolescent stage, but also to complement and guide educational interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romantic relationships are affectively complex. Any given interaction consists of both rewarding and aversive features. Recent work has shown that implicit partner evaluations (IPEs)—evaluations spontaneously triggered when one thinks about one's partner—are also affectively complex. Does such complexity in IPEs help individuals navigate rewarding and aversive aspects inherent in interactions? The present work examined the proposition that negative IPEs uniquely forecast aversive daily relationship behaviors, whereas positive IPEs uniquely forecast rewarding daily relationship behaviors. Individuals self-identified as in a heterosexual romantic relationship completed measures to assess their implicit and explicit partner evaluations at two time points, spanning a three-month period, as well as a daily diary component. Time-1 negative IPEs forecasted perceiving and enacting negative behaviors during a 14-day daily diary, which, in turn, predicted deterioration in explicit partner and relationship evaluations 3-months later. The predictive ability of negative IPEs remained even after statistically controlling for positive IPEs and explicit evaluations. Positive IPEs were weak and inconsistent predictors of outcomes. The findings shine a spotlight on the differential functions of positive and negative IPEs, the importance of assessing negative IPEs independently from positive IPEs, and the role of negative IPEs in predicting destructive relationship experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ample research examines the importance of one's commitment level to their romantic relationship; however, individuals' desire for progressive levels of commitment has received less attention in the literature. In the current studies, we introduce the novel concept of commitment amplification (i.e., the desire to become more committed in one's romantic relationship) by developing and validating a new scale (the Commitment Amplification Scale). Additionally, we investigate the conceptual uniqueness of commitment amplification and examine associations with relationship-oriented thoughts (Study 1 and 2) and behaviors (Study 3). Results support the establishment of commitment amplification as a distinct and predictive construct. Furthermore, commitment amplification predicts relationship constructs above and beyond existing measures of commitment and commitment readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the influence of romantic relationships on the formation and dissolution of adolescent friendships with a longitudinal network sample (N = 133) from age 14 to 15. Using a dynamic, network statistical model (i.e., STERGM), we found that engagement in a romantic relationship shaped friendship homophily over time, with daters becoming friends with other daters, and singles forming friendships with other singles. Partnered adolescents were not more likely than those who were unattached to dissolve their friendships; however, they were significantly less prone to form new friendships over time. Results broaden our understanding of the role of romantic relationships in youth friendships by showing that romantic involvement deters friendship initiation, but when friendships do form, they tend to be among those who are similarly dating. Our study highlights the significance of adopting a dynamic, social network perspective to examine both the formation and breakup of friendship transitions during this pivotal stage of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating sexual violence (DSV) is a serious social problem among college students worldwide. This study examines the effects of gender role attitudes (GRA) in DSV and the mediating role of rape myth acceptance (RMA) among students of different sexual orientations in China. A total of 2134 Chinese college students (553 men and 1581 women, 1751 heterosexuals and 383 sexually diverse groups) participated in this study. We found that sexually diverse men have the highest DSV perpetration (47.13%) and victimization rates (40.23%) and that sexually diverse women have the most equal gender attitudes. RMA is identified as a mediator of the relationship between GRA and DSV perpetration and victimization among heterosexuals, but not among sexually diverse groups. The need for more sexually inclusive educational interventions to decrease DSV on college campuses is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]