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Parasocial phenomena are among the most popular and best-researched topics in media reception and effects research. The research can now look back on a history of over 65 years and has experienced another significant boom in recent years. Between 2016 and 2020, more studies were published than in the entire previous 60 years. This descriptive review builds directly on the seminal review by Liebers and Schramm for the years 1956 to 2015 and is based on 281 Englishand German-language studies published from 2016 to 2020. The following three research questions guided the review: How are the studies from 2016 to 2020 positioned in terms of the media contexts examined, the parasocial phenomena investigated, the methods and measurements used and the samples? (RQ1) What has changed in the studies from 2016 to 2020 compared to the studies from 1956 to 2015 in terms of the media contexts investigated, the parasocial phenomena studied, the methods and measurements used and the samples? (RQ2) What substantive perspectives and key insights can be gained from the studies conducted between 2016 and 2020 and what gaps in research can still be observed? (RQ3). The results show, for instance, that the largest proportion of studies from 2016 to 2020 focused on the area of social and new media, on non-fictional characters and amicable forms of parasocial relationships, using surveys and existing measurement instruments or adapted versions of them (RQ1). Compared to the studies from 1956 to 2015, parasocial phenomena are increasingly being researched experimentally, as mediating and moderating factors and using established scales, with a slight increase in the proportion of studies specifically investigating parasocial relationships or relationship breakups (RQ2). The research focus has evolved from film and television to social media and cross-media settings. Most empirical studies of parasocial phenomena still rely on young and predominantly female samples (RQ2). The neglect of negatively valenced parasocial phenomena, comparative cultural perspectives, comparative media perspectives, long-term effects and less educated and older people as samples can still be identified as major research gaps (RQ3) and opens up numerous opportunities for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the stresses of the initiator during the termination of their romantic relationship among Bisexual individuals. This study uses phenomenological research design that utilizes phenomenological analysis, the purpose of this research is to understand further the experiences of being an initiator of the breakup inside the bisexual community. This study's participants are 15 bisexual individuals who have initiated the break up with their previous relationship and reside within District Five (5) of Bulacan (Balagtas, Bocaue, Guiguinto, and Pandi). The researchers also acquired a semi-structured interview guide that included questions pertaining to their participants' experiences, challenges, and coping strategies of bisexual initiators of the breakup. The findings of this study revealed that bisexual initiators of the breakup experience anger, grief, depressive symptoms, and experience trying to fix the relationship. Aside from that, this study also reveals that bisexual initiators can feel regret, experience confusion about their gender, experience challenges within their previous relationship, and have bad good coping mechanisms, as well as finding a reason to reconnect with intrapersonal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the relationships and dynamics within a crew during a 17-day simulated space flight, focusing on risks such as decreased morale and communication breakdowns. Topics include the "third quarter phenomenon," crew subgroup formation, and the role of mission control support. It highlights the impact of crew composition on interpersonal dynamics and overall mission effectiveness.

Understanding the prevalence of breakups and the manner in which they occur can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of romantic relationships. The manner in which people choose to end relationships has evolved, with a growing number opting for a phenomenon known as ghosting, which is a dissolution strategy in which one partner abruptly ceases all communication to terminate the relationship. The goal of this study is to investigate the psychological and physiological consequences of ghosting. Data comes from two studies: one examining the psychological consequences of ghosting (N = 30) and another examining the physiological consequences of ghosting (N = 40). Results of study 1 revealed that participants reported significantly higher anxiety and lower self-esteem as a result of the ghosting experiment. Results of study 2 revealed that heart rate significantly decreased after the ghosting experiment while blood pressure increased. Additionally, compared to the control group, those who were ghosted reported higher heart rate and higher blood pressure, but no differences in cortisol. Preliminary data suggests that ghosting hinders psychological and physiological wellbeing. Additional implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the relationship between airborne transmission and the saliva fluid properties of a human sneeze. Specifically, we aimed to understand if altering the saliva and its relationship to droplet breakup and stability can affect its transmission characteristics. The study aimed to answer this question using computational fluid dynamics, specifically, a hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian model with a Spalart–Allmaras, detached eddy simulation turbulence model. The effort focused on a scenario with a sneeze event within a ventilated room. The study found that for sneezes, secondary breakdown processes are important. Thicker saliva that increased the Ohnesorge number displayed a clear resistance to aerosolization due to stabilized secondary breakup, leading the bulk of the drops having high settling rates that are less likely to drive airborne transmission. For instance, the use of xanthum gum, which increased the saliva viscosity by 2000%, reduced the formation of aerosols. Additionally, another class of modifiers that reduce saliva content was studied, which was also effective in reducing airborne transmission drivers. Zingiber, which reduced the saliva content, reduced the formation of aerosols. However, when considering the overall reduction in droplet volume, saliva modifiers such as cornstarch, xanthum gum, and lozenges increased the mean droplet size by 50%, 25%, and 50%, respectively, while reducing the overall droplet volume by 71.6%, 71.2%, and 77.2%, respectively. Conversely, Zingiber reduced the mean droplet size by 50% but increased the overall droplet volume by 165.7%. Overall, for this type of respiratory event, this study provides insight into the potential for modifying saliva characteristics that may impact airborne transmission and could introduce new tools for reducing airborne pathogen transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractStudies have been performed on how individuals experience romantic breakups and consequences of breakups, but there is a gap regarding temporary breakups, referred to as “taking a break.” Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine how and why individuals take breaks (i.e., temporary breakups) in romantic relationships and the consequences of doing so. This qualitative study involved participants (N = 69; 81.6% female) completing individual interviews. Two primary investigators conducted reflexive thematic analyses following Braun & Clarke’s (2002) six step approach. There were four themes for how people take breaks, including communication with partner during the break, whether or not they discussed boundaries, interpersonal behaviors, and whether the decision was mutual. People took breaks due to time issues, stress, issues with partner, interpersonal reasons, relationship issues, and a desire to breakup. Participants reported positive and negative changes as a result of the temporary breakup, while also determining if they should stay together. Results reveal similarities to breakup experiences, but are different due to the hope of improving the relationship after the break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores author's experience of intimacy and connection following a breakup, particularly through a dinner with artist Mark, whose work explores themes of love and desire.

When do consumers indulge in self‐gifting? While extant research predominantly explores self‐gifting as a coping mechanism in postchallenging phases, this research suggests an additional dimension: self‐gifting as a form of self‐reward. Drawing from the idea of stress‐related growth, this paper focuses on consumer behavior following a romantic breakup, investigating self‐gifting as a reward mechanism. Results from five studies consistently demonstrate that the severity of a breakup significant influences consumers' self‐gifting propensity in both intrinsic‐ and extrinsic‐rewarding consumption, driven by their heightened perceived deservingness. These effects are attenuated when individuals engage in ruminative thoughts about their tumultuous (vs. harmonious) breakups. These findings explain the nuances of self‐gifting behavior following a romantic breakup by establishing a theoretical link between personal failures (e.g., romantic breakups) and a sense of deservingness, which influences consumer's self‐gifting propensity as a self‐reward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodResultsDiscussionThis study examined the relationship between the experience of emotional pain and psychological distress, suicidal behaviours, and mental wellbeing following romantic relationships and interrelationship breakups among young adults from Ghana.This study adopted a quantitative approach. Three hundred and thirty-three (330) university students, comprising of 86 males and 239 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 24 were conveniently sampled. The sample responded to items on the Psychache Scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale – K10, Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised and Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale.Analysis revealed that there were no gender and age differences in the experience of psychological distress following relationship breakup; however, differences existed in relation to the type of relationship breakup. Further, majority of the respondents experienced various suicidal behaviours following relationship breakup. Also, some of the respondents were at risk of suicide death. There was a significant positive relationship between the experience of unbearable emotional pain and suicidal behaviours and suicide risk. There was a strong positive association between unbearable emotional pain and psychological distress. Both unbearable emotional pain and psychological distress were significantly and negatively related to one’s mental wellbeing.In the midst of other socio-demographic variable and psychological distress, unbearable emotional pain only was the strongest significant predictor of suicide risk. This study highlights the importance of providing students with periodic education/information on relationships and emotional pain in formal educational setting to ensure students are well equipped to handle these experiences so it does not impact their psychosocial and academic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ending a romantic relationship is one of the most painful losses an adult experience. Neuroimaging studies suggest that there is a neuropsychological link between breakup experiences and bereaved individuals, and that specific prefrontal regions are involved. The aim of this study was to determine whether enhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with a novel intensified anodal transcranial direct current stimulation protocol reduces core symptoms of love trauma syndrome (LTS) and improves treatment-related variables. In this randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind parallel trial, we assessed the efficacy of an intensified anodal stimulation protocol (20 min, twice-daily sessions with 20 min intervals, 5 consecutive days) with two montages (left DLPFC vs right VLPFC) to reduce love trauma symptoms. 36 participants with love trauma syndrome were randomized in three tDCS condition (left DLPFC, right VLPFC, sham stimulation). LTS symptoms, treatment-related outcome variables (depressive state, anxiety, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect), and cognitive functions were assessed before, right after, and one month after intervention. Both DLPFC and VLPFC protocols significantly reduced LTS symptoms, and improved depressive state and anxiety after the intervention, as compared to the sham group. The improving effect of the DLPFC protocol on love trauma syndrome was significantly larger than that of the VLPFC protocol. For emotion regulation and positive and negative affect, improved regulation of emotions and positive affect and reduced negative affect were revealed after intervention in the two real stimulation conditions compared to the sham. For cognitive functions, no significant difference was observed between the groups, but again a positive effect of intervention within groups in the real stimulation conditions (DLPFC and VLPFC) was found for most components of the cognitive tasks. Enhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with intensified stimulation improves LTS symptoms and treatment-related variables. For LTS symptoms, DLPFC stimulation was more efficient than VLPFC stimulation., For the other variables, no significant difference was observed between these two stimulation groups. These promising results require replication in larger trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In this study we investigated the stress generation hypothesis in romantic relationships, testing how individuals' depressive symptoms can lead to interpersonal stress that worsens their depressive symptoms. Interpersonal stress was operationalized as conflict enactment (critical, hostile, and rejecting behaviors toward one's romantic partner) and breakup rumination (persistent and intense thoughts of ending the relationship). Methods: Participants included 226 heterosexual adult romantic couples, with a mean age of 21.48 years for women and 22.35 years for men. A short-term longitudinal design was employed, involving three waves of data collection, including a daily diary portion. Depressive symptoms were measured in the lab at the beginning of the study (Wave 1) and again one month later (Wave 3). Following Wave 1, conflict enactment and breakup rumination were measured online over a 14-day period (Wave 2) through daily diary entries, which were then averaged across the 14 days into a single score for each construct. Results: Using actor-partner interdependence mediation modelling, we found women's and men's depressive symptoms at Wave 1 positively predicted their own conflict enactment and breakup rumination at Wave 2, as well as their own depressive symptoms at Wave 3 (actor effects). Women's depressive symptoms at Wave 1 positively predicted men's conflict enactment at Wave 2 (partner effect). Additionally, women's conflict enactment at Wave 2 positively predicted their own depressive symptoms at Wave 3 (actor effect) and mediated the increase in their own depressive symptoms from Wave 1 to 3 (indirect effect). Discussion: Findings illustrate how depressive symptoms are embedded in an interpersonal context and exacerbated by conflictual behaviors within romantic relationships over a period of one month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article "Splitsville USA: A Democratic Argument for Breaking up the United States" by Christopher F. Zurn, the author argues that the United States should be divided into two or more new nations as a solution to the severe polarization and weakening of political norms in the country. Zurn outlines his diagnosis of America's political problems and presents a case for national divorce, contending that alternative solutions are inadequate. He suggests that a breakup into ideologically homogeneous states would allow Americans to live under governments that align more closely with their preferences and could prevent a deterioration towards authoritarianism. However, the author of the summary disagrees with Zurn's proposal, stating that it overstates the feasibility and effectiveness of the idea and undervalues potential alternatives such as decentralization and limitation of political power. The summary also highlights the potential difficulties and negative consequences of a breakup, including the resistance from dissenting minorities, the impact on international relations, and the increased power of authoritarian states. Overall, the article is seen as a valuable exploration of a radical idea that should be of interest to scholars, but the proposed remedy is considered more dangerous than the current problems and less drastic solutions may be more effective. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Changes in family dynamics due to increased union instability are gathering scholarly attention. Against this backdrop, we asked: How do family life courses evolve after the dissolution of a first union? And, how do these processes vary across socio‐historical contexts? Method: We deployed sequence and cluster analysis on women's combined relationship and fertility trajectories over 120 months after the dissolution of the first union using survey data from the Harmonized Histories datasets. Context‐level variation was assessed by comparing a series of measures of heterogeneity in family life courses across separation cohorts (1970–2009) and countries (France, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). Results: We found substantial heterogeneity in family life courses that we inferred from a typology of trajectory pathways. We also found relevant dynamics across socio‐historical contexts. Post‐separation trajectories became more diverse (between‐individual heterogeneity) and complex (within‐individual heterogeneity) in recent periods among countries that we deem laggards in the diffusion of union dissolution, whereas path dependencies in post‐separation family paths could be identified amongst the forerunners. Conclusion: We conclude that increased union instability across different population groups generally contributes to the heterogenization of family life courses, but national contexts are also important in shaping family trajectories upon union dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article aims to uncover long‐term effects of singlehood after leaving home by examining whether individuals fare better after separation from their first cohabiting partner if they were not immediately coupled after leaving home. Background: Singlehood after leaving home offers young people the opportunity to invest in their development, and social and economic resources. From a life‐course perspective, it is expected that these investments may advance their resilience to instability later in life. These long‐term effects are expected to be gender specific. Method: This article employs longitudinal data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel, following individuals over a five‐year period around separation. Using individuals fixed effects models, we estimate life satisfaction and labor earnings before and after separation from the first cohabiting partner. Results: This article finds a decline in life satisfaction after separation for all groups. Among men, declines in life satisfaction after separation were smaller if they were initially single and if they were single for a longer period, providing support for the resilience hypothesis. Among women, earnings after separation improved most if they were immediately coupled after leaving home. An ad hoc explanation for the latter finding is that initially single women already earned more and had to make fewer adjustments to cope with separation effects. The length of singlehood was not related to separation effects on earnings. Conclusion: This article shows that singlehood in young adulthood may have a developmental function over the life‐course, buffering some of the negative effects of separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important goal when analyzing multivariate time series is the identification of heterogeneity, both within and across individuals over time. This heterogeneity can represent different ways in which psychological processes manifest, either between people or within a person across time. In many instances, those differences can have systematic patterns that can be related to future outcomes. In close relationships, for example, the daily exchange of affect between two individuals in a couple can contain a particular structure that is different across people and can result in varying levels of relationship satisfaction. In this paper we use Louvain, a clustering method, as a tool to characterize heterogeneity in multivariate time series data. Using affect measures from dyadic interactions, we first determine that Louvain is adept at detecting homogeneous patterns that are distinct from one another. Additionally, these homogeneous points are linked, at some level, by time. Thus, we find that clustering via Louvain is useful to find time periods of stable, reoccurring patterns. However, using measures founded on information theory reveals that there is some level of information loss that is inevitable when clustering on levels of variable expression. Finally, we evaluate the predictive validity of the clustering method by examining the relation between the identified clusters of affect and measures outside the time series (i.e., relationship satisfaction and breakup taken one and two years later). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality traits can change throughout the entire life span, but people differ in their personality trait changes. To better understand individual differences in personality changes, we examined personal (personality functioning), environmental (environmental changes), and event-related moderators (e.g., perceived event characteristics) of personality trait changes. Therefore, we used a sample of 1069 participants who experienced a negative life event in the last 5 weeks and assessed their personality traits at five measurement occasions over 6 months. Employing preregistered multilevel lasso estimation, we did not find any significant effects. While exploratory analyses generally confirmed this conclusion, they also identified some effects that might being worth to be considered in future research (e.g., perceived impact and perceived social status changes were associated with changes in agreeableness after experiencing a relationship breakup). In total, our moderators explained less than 2% of variance in personality traits. Nonetheless, our study has several important implications for future research on individual differences in personality change. For example, future research should consider personal, environmental, and event-related moderators, use different analytical methods, and rely on highly powered samples to detect very small effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether two personality traits, attachment anxiety, and the Dark Triad, longitudinally promote stalking behaviors after romantic breakups through psychological maltreatment of partners during relationships and maladjusted reactions to breakups. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study across four waves of assessment for 1 year of individuals in romantic relationships in Japan. They completed measures of attachment anxiety, the Dark Triad, need for control, and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration at Wave 1, and measures of maladjusted reactions to breakups (i.e., anger and rumination) and stalking behaviors at a wave after breakups. The final sample consisted of 356 participants who were involved in romantic relationships at Wave 1 and left by their partners during the survey period. Correlational analysis showed that the Dark Triad at Wave 1 was significantly positively associated with future stalking behaviors, but attachment anxiety was not. Structural equation modeling showed that attachment anxiety and the Dark Triad increased future stalking behaviors after breakups through psychological IPV perpetration during relationships. Additionally, attachment anxiety increased future stalking behaviors through higher levels of postbreakup anger and rumination. Conversely, we did not find any indirect effects of the Dark Triad on stalking behaviors through these reactions toward breakups. Overall, these results suggest that it is necessary to consider personality traits that could damage intimate relationships and to focus on the quality of romantic relationships to prevent stalking after romantic breakups. These results also indicate that emotion regulation may be useful in preventing stalking caused by attachment anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychologia is the property of Universidad de San Buenaventura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As gas atomisation has been the main method for producing high-performance spherical powders in the past decades, its application in the production of metallic powders has become one of the main research subjects in this field. Since it is challenging to directly observe the atomising gas and to investigate melt flow states by experiments, numerical simulation is attracting increasing interest in studying the gas atomisation process. In this work, various computational fluid dynamics models were implemented to simulate the gas atomisation process. With the models, the droplet breakup, cooling, and solidification within the coupled process were investigated. The final mean particle size was predicted through numerical simulations and compared with the statistics extracted from the gas atomisation process, which shows that a reasonable mass median diameter of the particle can be predicted numerically. The results also show a clear relationship between the breakup trajectory and the resulting particle size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory article highlights the main developments in the Republic of Moldova from the breakup of the Soviet Union to the present from the perspective of national sentiment and manifestations. Using Mark Beissinger's concept of "tides of nationalism", the article examines the bottom-up ethnic mobilisation between the "quiet" and the "noisy" phases of national projects in Moldova. With the persistence of the "quiet" phase of nationalism, in the last three decades, Moldova's population transitioned from identification based on ethnicity to one focused on civic coexistence. However, Russia's attack on Ukraine risks disrupting this balance, while contributing to the resurgence of ethnic sentiment at the expense of civic cohesion. Following an analysis of the literature in the field of "everyday nationalism", the authors present the contributions to this thematic section, highlighting the relevance of the Republic of Moldova's case within the regional and international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines the extent to which mothers coreside with extended kin during partnership transitions. Background: Parental relationship changes are increasingly common, especially among unmarried parents. Although research shows that families often coreside out of economic necessity, extended kin coresidence as a function of maternal relationship changes has not been explored. Using life course theory, this study examines where and with whom mothers and their children live during partnership transitions. Method: Data are from 2,886 mothers who participated in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression, random effects, and fixed effects models were estimated to determine if mothers' coresidential relationships with extended kin were formed by changes in mothers' coresidential romantic partnership statuses. Results: Mothers' partnership changes were associated with extended kin coresidence, especially among unmarried mothers. By Year 9, mothers were more likely to live "elsewhere." Mothers' parity and multipartnered fertility decreased their chances of living with extended kin. Conclusion: This study indicates that maternal relationship changes provoke family instability and reliance on extended kin. Mothers' transitions contribute to "network fatigue" and homelessness. Implications: Housing support for mothers may mitigate instability associated with maternal relationship transitions and protect extended kin against transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Trust is essential for establishing stable and fulfilling romantic relationships between partners. Development of trust, however, can be assumed to depend on many factors related to an individual's earlier experiences and relationship-related beliefs. This study aimed to investigate how adult attachment style (anxious, avoidant), experiences about parents' divorce and breakdown of one's own romantic relationship, and relationship beliefs are related to the level of dyadic trust in romantic relationships. Methods: The present study included 131 Turkish undergraduate university students (55.7% women) from different faculties. The research instrument had questions about parents' and respondents' own relationship status, Dyadic Trust Scale (DTS), Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-Revised (ECR-R), and Inventory of Close Relationship Beliefs (ICRB), in addition to background questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, regression analyses and mediation analyses. Results: Respondents whose parents had divorced or who had experienced a relationship breakdown had lower dyadic trust scores than those without these experiences. The trust scores correlated negatively with anxious and avoidant attachment styles and positively with relationship belief scales, although the correlations to "external factors" were not statistically significant. In regression analysis, anxious and avoidant attachment styles explained 42% and relationship beliefs 25% of the variance in trust. The only significant predictor among beliefs was "individuality." Mediation analysis showed that the effects of anxious attachment style on trust were fully mediated by the relationship belief in "individuality." The avoidant attachment style had a direct relationship to trust. Discussion: The results show that anxious attachment style influences trust via relationship beliefs, while avoidant attachment style has a strong direct effect on trust as well as weaker effects via beliefs. The results are discussed in the context of Turkish culture and horizontal collectivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses two books that explore the management of romance and sexuality in the US military. Susan Carruthers' book, "Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America," focuses on the history of breakup letters sent to male service members by their female partners. Carruthers argues that these letters emphasized male military camaraderie and created opportunities for men to express their distrust of women. The second book, "Managing Sex in the U.S. Military: Gender, Identity, and Behavior," edited by Beth Bailey, Alesha E. Doan, Shannon Portillo, and Kara Dixon Vuic, provides an overview of various topics related to sex and sexuality in the military. Both books highlight the military's management of sex and romance as a strategic commodity and the challenges it posed. [Extracted from the article]

Virtual Relationship Memory (VRM) is a conceptual model to explore the way people remember and socially construct their romantic relationships, with a focus on the breakup process and memories after a relationship has ended. The model is situated within the research exploring relationships, technology, and memory. We articulate three components—objects, networks, and stories—which independently and concurrently represent how communication technology affects relational and memory-making processes. We first review research into memory, relational dissolution, and mediated communication to situate the VRM at the nexus of those three domains of study. We define and describe features of the VRM (objects, stories, and networks) and build towards a comprehensive conceptual model. To conclude, we present several potential future research directions—management strategies, curation of emotion, and dualistic functions of memory—with implications for building, extending, and stretching the boundaries of VRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia y Sociedad is the property of Ciencia y Sociedad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ghosting involves terminating communication, including through technological mediums, as a means of ending a relationship. Despite attention from popular media, empirical examinations of this breakup strategy are sparse. Using a correlational design, we examined the defining features of ghosting including its associations with other breakup tactics, whether it is an exclusively unilateral strategy, and the role of social media unfollowing in its implementation. A convenience sample of primarily undergraduate students (n = 260) completed an online survey describing recent breakups, indicating the disengagement tactics used, social media unfollowing, and the extent to which the breakups involved ghosting. Findings indicated that ghosting is extremely common, it was used to terminate more than half of participants' recent relationships. Most participants had experienced a breakup involving ghosting as either the disengager and/or the recipient. Ghosting was found to involve less open confrontation, more avoidance/withdrawal and de‐escalation tactics. Contrary to previous research, ghosting can occur bilaterally, with partners ghosting each other. Social media unfollowing is an important aspect of ghosting. Relationships ended via ghosting have fewer post‐breakup connections than those ended through other strategies. Typically, ghosters initiate social media unfollowing. Findings provide insight into how ghosting should be conceptualized and measured in future explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Interação em Psicologia is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The International Journal of Psychology features several articles on various topics. One article discusses the application of an artificial intelligence program called AI-Feynman in psychology, showing its effectiveness in deriving mathematical models from data. Another article explores the use of multiple co-clustering for stress assessment, which incorporates individuality into stress management interventions. A third article uses big data analysis to study the relationships status of flirting, breakup, and getting back together. Additionally, there are articles on mixed model analysis in psychology, the measurement of visual-spatial ability and creativity in architecture, and the statistical dependencies in psychological research. Finally, there are articles on different statistical models of mediated moderation and the differences in acquiescence between different instructions in personality self-report assessment. [Extracted from the article]

Research on trade relationships has documented a high rate of relationship breakup and churning. We use data on Norwegian exports to document two stylized facts about the stability of trade relationships. First, the probability of relationship breakup increases in the deviation of the relationship‐specific price from a reference price. Second, relationship hazards follow Zipf's law. We propose a search model with limited information and search frictions to explain these facts. Reference prices provide information on outside trade options that inform optimal breakups, leading to the first stylized fact. Strong heterogeneity in breakup frictions across relationships can explain the Zipf's law hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a growing number of translation programs have introduced a technology module into their curriculum. Yet students' reflections on their interaction with translation technologies remain largely under-researched. This exploratory study examines students' initial emotional experience in learning and using translation memory (TM) systems after three weeks of direct exposure. Seventy-five postgraduate translation students completed an emotional-narrative task in which they were invited to write either a "love letter" or a "breakup letter" (out of their own choice) to one of the TM systems with which they had experimented. As reflected in the "love letters" (n = 39) and "breakup letters" (n = 36), the students had both positive and negative emotions when learning different TM systems. A thematic analysis shows that the student translators expected the software tools to be learnable, productive, and user-friendly. Based on the emotional patterns and their expectations of TMs, we present a discussion of learning translation technology through discovery and reflection. The emotional-narrative activity in this case was applied as a pedagogical tool to engage students in the discussion of technology, its usage, and the learning experience. It further allowed the teacher to understand the students' perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romantic relationship dissolutions (RRDs) frequently occur among emerging adult students and can lead to significant distress. Little information is available regarding the factors associated with increased breakup distress among emerging adult students in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to fill this gap in evidence. A purposive sample of emerging adult students (n = 886, female = 70.1%, black = 14.3%, mean age = 20.52 years, SD = 1.86 years) completed the Life Events Checklist (LEC), the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire (ACE), and the Breakup Distress Scale (BDS). Pearson's correlations and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to determine sociodemographic and life experience factors associated with BDS scores. Female sex, not being religious, being Catholic, identifying with a minority sexual orientation, and increased childhood adversity and lifetime trauma exposure were significantly associated with increased BDS scores. Current relationship status was not associated with BDS scores. Sociodemographic factors and adverse life events are important aspects to consider in the assessment of breakup distress. Student counselling services should provide targeted interventions among at-risk students following an RRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the liquid rocket engine depends on the atomization behavior of the fluid being injected into the combustion chamber. Generally, a plain injector with a circular orifice has been used in the injector, but it has the disadvantage of having a low spray cone angle. The breakup length, mean droplet diameter, and Sauter mean diameter is also higher. Thus, to overcome these drawbacks, non-circular orifices have been utilized in the present study. The shapes used for non-circular orifices are semi-circular and plus. The results obtained with the non-circular orifice is compared with the circular orifices of the same area ratio. The working fluid used for the studies is Jet A1 fuel. Studies were also conducted with different L/D ratios by choosing an effective orifice length to reduce the upstream losses. The axis-switching phenomena were observed with the semi-circular as well as with the plus jets. The mean droplet size of the circular jets was more prominent compared to non-circular jets, and the Sauter mean diameter of non-circular jets droplets was smaller than that of the circular jet droplet. The spray cone angle has increased by 290% for plus jets and 30% for semi-circular jets compared to circular jets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of perceived racial discrimination on the satisfaction and dissolution of different‐gender, nonmarital relationships among African American young adults. Background: Racial discrimination has proven detrimental to relationship quality among married couples. Racial disparities in relationship processes begin long before marriages form, however. Racial discrimination may also weather and disrupt nonmarital relationships earlier in the life course. Method: Survey data from African American young adult couples (N = 407) from the Family and Community Health Study were used to assess the associations between each partner's experience of racial discrimination, relationship satisfaction, and relationship dissolution using structural equation modeling. Results: Results support a stress spillover perspective in that racial discrimination experienced by both men and women increased the likelihood of relationship dissolution through reduced satisfaction. No support was found for a stress buffering perspective. Conclusion: Racial discrimination appears to distress and, ultimately, disrupt nonmarital relationships among African American young adult couples. Implications: Given the roles of relationship quality and stability in promoting health and well‐being, understanding how discrimination impacts the unfolding of relationships, or linked lives, across the life course is essential to untangling and addressing the "chains of disadvantage" identified by Umberson et al. (2014) as central to racial disparities in health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a romantic relationship ends, individuals often look back and wish they had done things differently. What may seem clear in hindsight, however, is often unclear in foresight. We investigated the effects of outcome knowledge on individuals' judgments of a dating couple. In Study 1 (181 U.S. college students, 334 U.S. community adults), participants read about a couple with an uncertain relationship trajectory; then, experimental group participants received knowledge about the couple's status six months down the road as broken up or still together, while control group participants received no outcome knowledge. Individuals who were told the dating couple broke up perceived that outcome as more likely and obvious compared to those who were not given outcome knowledge or who were told the couple stayed together. In Study 2 (262 U.S. college students, 333 U.S. community adults), participants in the experimental conditions received knowledge about the couple's status six months later as broken up or engaged, while control group participants received no outcome knowledge. In both samples, outcome knowledge of a breakup had a negative effect on individuals' judgments about the couple. Among community adults, but not among college students, outcome knowledge of an engagement positively affected judgments of the couple. We offer directions for future research and discuss the mechanisms by which hindsight bias might affect evaluations of our own and others' relationships. Highlights: We investigated the effects of positive versus negative outcome knowledge on people's judgments about a dating couple. After reading about a couple with an uncertain relationship trajectory, individuals who were subsequently told the couple ended up breaking up perceived that outcome as more likely than individuals who were given no outcome knowledge perceived it to be. Our findings provide systematic evidence of a tendency for others to feel like they knew all along that a breakup was on the horizon after the breakup has occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the subjective narratives and experiences of urban female youth in heterosexual-relationship breakups in the Calabar metropolis, southeastern Nigeria, where they "do gender" and reposition female heterosexuality in order to gain access to new social spaces. Drawing on ethnographic qualitative data sourced through purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 participants who had unilaterally cut romantic ties in the previous eighteen months, I interrogate from participants' nuanced perspectives their previous relationship quality, causes of breakups, and social and structural factors that informed their decision to quit from the account of "doing gender" – a social-constructionist approach to gender which conceives the phenomenon as a routine accomplishment embedded in everyday interaction that recreates and reinforces the cultural meaning of gender. The results, based on linguistic evidence, demonstrate that narratives of gender equality, access to secure livelihood, and needs for emotional well-being as motivators for ending relationships reflect an agentic shift in the way young Nigerian women enact gendered scripts in heterosexual partnerships. The study concludes that breakups provide avenues for participants to exercise autonomy in decision-making and to negotiate gender and sexuality under conditions of patriarchal dominance and inequality in-line with broader social changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents' antisocial behavior and negative conflict management styles are each associated with adverse romantic relationship outcomes, yet little research exists on their associations. We investigated whether adolescents' antisocial behavior was associated with conflict management styles, and whether it predicted breakup 3 months later. In total, 91 adolescent couples (Mage = 16.43, SD = 0.99; 41.2% Hispanic/Latinx) participated in videotaped conflict discussions coded for negotiation, coercion, and avoidance. Actor–partner interdependence models suggest adolescents' antisocial behavior is associated with decreased use of negotiation (couple pattern) and increased use of coercion (actor pattern). No significant associations were found for avoidance. Neither antisocial behavior nor conflict management styles predicted breakup. Findings are discussed in light of the unique developmental importance of adolescents' romantic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissolution of romantic relationships can be conceptualized in many ways, from a distressing event or a consequential life decision to a metric of a relationship's success. In the current review, we assess how relationship science has approached dissolution research over roughly the past 20 years. We identified 207 studies (from 195 papers) published between 2002–2020 that captured relationship dissolution events and coded the papers for relevant features. The most common methodological approach to studying breakups was a self‐report study (92%) in which relationships were tracked over time (72%) and breakups were treated as an outcome variable (79%). These results suggest that most research on dissolution has focused on predictors of it, rather than processes required to uncouple and circumstances surrounding the breakup itself. Coding revealed heterogeneous theoretical approaches, with the most common perspective across papers—social exchange/interdependence theory—informing only 15% of the papers coded. A majority (61%) of samples were representative of the nations, regions, or localities in which the studies were conducted. Yet, samples still tended to be disproportionately comprised of young, white individuals from Western countries. We conclude by discussing potential avenues for moving our understanding of relationship dissolution forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on anxiety caused by romantic breaking up in young girls. Materials and Methods: In this study conducted in 2021 in Isfahan, Iran, three female participants with the experience of breaking up a romantic relationship were selected by the convenient sampling method. They underwent individual compassion-focused therapy during eight 90-minute sessions. Participants fulfilled Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Love Trauma Inventory (LTI) and the Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MMPI 2-RF). The data were analyzed by baseline change index, visual mapping, and recovery percentage formula. Results: In the post-treatment and follow-up stages, the improvement rate in the anxiety variable was 53% and 58% in the first, 63% and 75% in the second, and 36% and 18% in the third participants, respectively. Thus, the overall recovery rate for all three participants was 50%, indicating treatment success. Conclusion: It can be concluded that compassion-focused therapy enhances the relief system, which is associated with feelings of calm, satisfaction, and security, and helps people relax in time and humiliate their inner conversation. Hostility changes into warmth and friendliness, and all of these factors reduce people's anxiety.

When a romantic relationship ends, individuals often look back and wish they had done things differently. What may seem clear in hindsight, however, is often unclear in foresight. We investigated the effects of outcome knowledge on individuals’ judgments of a dating couple. In Study 1 (181 U.S. college students, 334 U.S. community adults), participants read about a couple with an uncertain relationship trajectory; then, experimental group participants received knowledge about the couple’s status six months down the road as broken up or still together, while control group participants received no outcome knowledge. Individuals who were told the dating couple broke up perceived that outcome as more likely and obvious compared to those who were not given outcome knowledge or who were told the couple stayed together. In Study 2 (262 U.S. college students, 333 U.S. community adults), participants in the experimental conditions received knowledge about the couple’s status six months later as broken up or engaged, while control group participants received no outcome knowledge. In both samples, outcome knowledge of a breakup had a negative effect on individuals’ judgments about the couple. Among community adults, but not among college students, outcome knowledge of an engagement positively affected judgments of the couple. We offer directions for future research and discuss the mechanisms by which hindsight bias might affect evaluations of our own and others’ relationships.

BackgroundPregnancy is a state of continuous changes in feelings and emotions, and highly stressful experiences such as a relationship breakup during this period may result in additional stress for the woman, making pregnancy and motherhood challenging. This study aimed to investigate pregnant women's lived experiences of partner relationship breakup during pregnancy, their coping mechanisms, and the role of healthcare providers in breakup cases during their Antenatal care visits.MethodsA phenomenological study approach was followed to seek an understanding of the lived experiences of pregnant women who encountered partner relationship breakup. The study was carried out in Hawassa, Ethiopia, and eight pregnant women were involved in in-depth interviews. The data meanings found from participants' experiences were described in a meaningful text and organized into themes. Key themes were developed in reference to the research objectives, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsPregnant women in such situations faced serious psychological and emotional distress, feelings of shame/embarrassment, prejudice and discrimination, and severe economic struggles. To cope with this multifaceted situation, pregnant women sought social support from family/relatives or close friends, and if they had no other options, from supporting organizations. The participants also revealed that they received no counseling from healthcare providers during their Antenatal care visits, and there was no further discussion to address their psychosocial problems.ConclusionsCommunity-level information, education, and communication should be initiated to aware communities about the psychosocial consequences of relationship breakup during pregnancy, address cultural norms and discrimination, and promote supportive environments. Women's empowerment activities and psychosocial support services should also be strengthened. In addition, the need for more comprehensive Antenatal care to address such unique risk conditions is indicated.

Accidental superheated liquid emissions into the atmosphere yield two-phase releases. The resulting flashing jet, driven by thermal nonequilibrium and mechanical forces, breaks up into massive droplets, fostering beneficial conditions for fire, explosion, and toxic diffusion. In this work, a 20 L tank was built to examine two-phase flow behaviors during depressurized releases of superheated liquids via a high-speed camera and phase Doppler anemometry. Different breakup regimes of flashing jet and dimensionless groups that effectively represent thermodynamic (R p Ja) and mechanical (We v Oh) driving effects were determined. Based on the interaction between the two effects, quantitative criteria to distinguish different regimes were developed. The accompanying jet characteristics, including jet angle (θ), area fraction (f A), droplet diameter (d SMD), and droplet velocity (u d), and their relationship with jet breakup were revealed. Results show that non-flashing (NFB), partially flashing (PFB), and fully flashing (FFB) breakups coincide with R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7 < 41, 41 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7 < 223, and 223 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7, respectively. For small-sized nozzles (d ≤3 mm), θ 2 and f A2 increase within 41 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7 < 558 and then keep stable. The difference for large-sized nozzles resides in 223 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7 < 558 (early FFB regime), where θ 2 and f A2 decrease slightly due to the enhanced droplet evaporation. In 41 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7, d SMD2 decreases and u d2 increases, but at an extremely low rate within 558 ≤ R p Ja (We v Oh)1/7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]