Interpersonal neural synchronization during social interactions in close relationships: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fNIRS hyperscanning studies.

In recent years, researchers have used hyperscanning techniques to explore how brains interact during various human activities. These studies have revealed a phenomenon called interpersonal neural synchronization (INS), but little research has focused on the overall effect of INS in close relationships. To address this gap, this study aims to synthesize and analyze the existing literature on INS during social interactions in close relationships. We conducted a meta-analysis of 17 functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning studies involving 1149 dyads participants, including romantic couples and parent-child dyads. The results revealed robust and consistent INS in the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions of the brain and found similar INS patterns in couples and parent-child studies, providing solid empirical evidence for the attachment theory. Moreover, the age of children and brain areas were significant predictors of the effect size in parent-child research. The developmental stage of children and the mismatched development of brain structures might be the crucial factors for the difference in neural performance in social and cognitive behaviors in parent-child dyads.

Interactive effects of mindfulness and negative urgency on intimate partner aggression perpetration.

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a costly and incompletely understood phenomenon. Negative urgency, the tendency to act impulsively in response to negative affect, is predictive of IPA perpetration. Mindfulness, by virtue of its emphasis on nonreactivity to negative affect, is an opposing force to urgent tendencies that may mitigate the negative urgency-IPA link. Yet, no research to date investigates the interactive effects of negative urgency and mindfulness on IPA perpetration. Two studies were conducted that measured and manipulated multiple facets of mindfulness alongside measures of negative urgency and tendencies of IPA perpetration (combined N = 508 undergraduate students in monogamous intimate relationships). Counter to our preregistered predictions, we found that negative urgency's association with greater IPA perpetration increased at higher levels of mindfulness. These findings suggest that mindfulness may not be a protective factor against IPA perpetration for individuals higher in negative urgency, but rather may serve as a risk factor.

Caregiver's psychological well-being and quality of relationship with cardiac amyloidosis patients.

Caregivers' psychological well-being is linked to the quality of care provided for familiar with chronic illness. Despite caregivers of cardiac patients present an impaired psychological well-being, less investigated is the psychological well-being of caregivers of individuals with a rare disease such as the Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). Specifically, given that no study explored the well-being of the caregiver and the caregiver-patient relationship, this study aimed to analyze the prevalence of anxiety and depression in ATTR-CA caregivers and if these disorders were associated with patient's and caregiver's characteristics. Fifty-eight dyad caregiver-ATTR-CA patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Network of Relationships Inventory. Moreover, ATTR-CA patients completed the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, while caregivers completed the Multidimensional Scale of Social Support. Results showed that anxious caregivers (44%) reported higher conflict with patients. They had ATTR-CA relatives with a worse perception of cardiac symptoms and higher anxiety and depression. Depressed caregivers (39%) reported higher conflict with ATTR-CA relatives and lower perceived social support. Caregiver reported a high prevalence of anxiety and depression associated with worse personal relational well-being and to patient's psycho-physical condition. The care of ATTR-CA patient should consider the caregiver well-being.

Trust in relationships: a preliminary investigation of the influence of parental divorce, breakup experiences, adult attachment style, and close relationship beliefs on dyadic trust.

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.

Alone but together: Cloud-based commensality benefits physical and mental health.

Cloud-based commensality refers to an eating scenario in which people are eating and videoconferencing with remote co-diners. We report two experiments designed to investigate whether cloud-based commensality can exert a positive effect on individuals' physical and mental health. In Experiment 1, the participants were asked to rate their expectations concerning their feelings when eating in the context of cloud-based commensality or solitary eating and to make food choices in each eating scenario. In Experiment 2, romantic couples were recruited to have meals in different eating scenarios in the laboratory and were asked to rate their emotions and close relationships. The results of the two experiments revealed that when engaging in cloud-based commensality, participants reduced their intake of meat dishes but did not increase their choices of meat dishes compared to solitary eating. Moreover, the results suggest that cloud-based commensality can alleviate negative feelings and promote positive emotions during periods of quarantine or non-quarantine and enhance close relationships for romantic couples. These findings demonstrate that cloud-based commensality is beneficial for individuals' physical and mental health and provide practical implications for utilizing social eating to promote healthy eating.

Not All Daydreaming Is Equal: A Longitudinal Investigation of Social and General Daydreaming and Marital Relationship Quality.

Preliminary evidence suggests that daydreaming about other people has adaptive value in daily social lives. To address this possibility, we examined whether daydreaming plays a role in maintaining close, stable relationships using a 1-year prospective longitudinal study. We found that individuals' propensity to daydream about their marital partner is separate to general daydreaming. In contrast to general daydreaming, which was associated with lower subsequent relationship investment size (i.e., magnitude and importance of resources attached to a relationship) in the marital partner, partner-related social daydreaming led to a greater subsequent investment size. Additionally, attachment styles moderated these effects. The effect of daydreaming regarding investment size was found only in securely attached individuals. This research advances the emerging field of social daydreaming and highlights self-generated thought as a critical tool that can help people navigate the complex social world.

Borderline Personality Traits and Romantic Relationship Dissolution.

Many studies have found that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with romantic relationship instability, with relationship dissolution being a recurring theme. Scant research, however, has examined the dissolution strategies and post-breakup outcomes for individuals with elevated levels of borderline traits. Findings from two studies revealed that there was an association between BPD criteria and tendency to employ less adaptive dissolution strategies when terminating a relationship. Furthermore, elevated levels of BPD traits were associated with less self-concept clarity and more unwanted pursuit of ex-partners. These findings both provide insight into how individuals with BPD traits experience relationship dissolution and suggest possible factors underlying the unstable relationship processes typically associated with borderline traits.

Chinese public's panic buying at the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak: The contribution of perceived risk, social media use, and connection with close others.

Panic buying is a globally witnessed behavior during the outbreak of COVID-19. This consumer behavior is related to many undesirable consequences, ranging from disrupting economic stability to hindering timely provision of supplies to those in dire need. As such, to understand the causes and underlying mechanisms of panic buying is crucial. Based on terror management theory, this study examined the contribution of perceived risk, social media use, and connection with close others to panic buying. Data were collected through an online survey from 972 Chinese citizens (65.9% female, M age = 33.69 years) at the beginning period of COVID-19 in early February 2020. The results found that individuals with a higher level of perceived risk were more prone to engage in panic buying, but this link was mitigated by connection with close others when individuals less used social media. Theoretically, this study advances the understandings of the psychological processes of panic buying during health crisis. Practically, alleviating individuals' perceived risk, establishing a healthy habit of social media use, and strengthening social ties are important to circumventing panic buying in times of COVID-19.

Coping with the Forced Separation of Close Relationships during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Issues regarding close relations became especially prevalent within the context of the pandemic, due to the forced separation of these relationships. This is now seen as a significant stressor that influences emotions and subjective perceptions of the relationship. Objective: The current study aims to investigate the specifics of coping with the forced separation of partners with varying types of closeness. Design: The study was carried out with quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample included 43 women and 42 men (aged 21-47); all were involuntarily separated from their partners by impacts of the pandemic. Results: Three scenarios of romantic relationships were identified based on a balance of love components (intimacy, passion, commitment) and prevalent feelings (closeness or distance). The authors concluded that certain coping strategies (positive reassessment, acceptance, distraction) can help the individual to cope with the separation, but do not contribute to the closeness of the partners and the strengthening of the relationship. Coping primarily through active support was typical for partners with intense and balanced feelings based on closeness (Scenario 3). Ambivalent feelings toward a partner (Scenario 1) were associated with passive coping, which increased the risk of detachment. The moderate manifestation of balanced love components and closeness (Scenario 2) focused on acceptance of the situation, positive reassessing, and distraction, all of which reduce the stress of separation, but cause anxiety regarding the future of the relationship. Conclusion: The type of close relationship has been found to correlate to the coping strategy adopted by the couple following forced separation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, further studies are required to investigate separation in various social contexts, not only in isolation due to the pandemic, as well as its connection to psychological well-being.

Measuring and Predicting Maturity to Parenthood: What Has Personality Got to Do with It?

Maturity to parenthood is essential for taking on parental roles but remains an understudied issue. Still, close relations between maturity and personality dimensions are commonly emphasized. Thus, conducting research on maturity in context of personality seems a valuable research direction. The present research consists of two studies, focusing on the development and validation of Maturity to Parenthood Scale (MPS), in relation to personality, emotional regulation, coping with challenges, and intimate relationship satisfaction. In both studies, childless adults aged 20-35 years took part: (1) 718 participants (Mage = 25.49; SD = 2.89; 479 women), (2) 150 participants (Mage = 23.69; SD = 3.15; 104 women). All the participants had been in an intimate relationship for at least six months at the time of the study, the majority declared their willingness to have children in the future, had higher education, and were professionally active. The results showed that MPS is a reliable, valid measure comprising the following three subscales: valence, behavioral, and cognitive-emotional maturity to parenthood. The findings also confirmed the importance of broad- and narrow-band individual differences and contextual factors for maturity. MPS may be used in psychoeducation, supporting the transition to biological or adoptive/foster parenthood, as well as in medical and psychological care.

The relation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, adult attachment and Instagram sociability: An exploratory analysis.

Oxytocin is a primary neuropeptide which coordinates affiliative behavior. Previous researchers pointed to the association between genetic vulnerability on Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and environmental factors (e.g., social relationships) to comprehend social behavior. Although an extensive knowledge of in-person social interactions has been obtained, little is known about online sociability. A gene-environment perspective is adopted to examine how OXTR and adult attachment moderate Instagram behavior. The genetic factors within the regions OXTR/rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs G-carriers) and OXTR/rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs A-carriers) were assessed. The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire was used to collect participants' (N = 57, 16 males) attachment with a partner. The number of posts, followed people ("followings") and followers were obtained from Instagram, and the Social Desirability Index (SDI) was calculated as the ratio of followers to followings. Interaction effects between OXTR groups and ECR-R scores on the number of posts and SDI were hypothesized. Results showed an effect of rs53576 on the number of Instagram followings. Specifically, people with A/A OXTR/rs53576 genotype had more followings than G-carriers independent of the anxiety or avoidance felt towards their partner. These preliminary results offer insights into future investigations on social media behavior.

Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphisms and Maternal Overprotection Regulate Adult Social Expectations on Close Relationships.

Humans are evolutionary-driven to adult mating and conceive social expectations on the quality of their affiliations. The genetic susceptibility to adverse environments in critical periods can alter close relationships. The current research investigates how the promoter region of the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) and perceived caregiving behavior in childhood could influence the social expectations on close adult relationships. For this purpose, 5-HTTLPR data was collected from the buccal mucosa of 65 Italian individuals (33 males). The participants filled (a) the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to provide the levels of care and overprotection from mother and father, and (b) the Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) to report the social expectations on the intimate relationship assessed in terms of anxiety and avoidance from the partner. An interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR and PBI dimensions on the ECR-R scores was hypothesized. Results confirmed that the interplay between the genetic groups and history of maternal overprotection predicted avoidance experienced in romantic relationships in adulthood. Moreover, both adult anxiety and avoidance felt in an intimate relationship were found to covary as a function of maternal overprotection. The present work proposes further evidence of the genetic and parental mechanisms regulating social expectations involved in close relationships.

Modulation of Instagram Number of Followings by Avoidance in Close Relationships in Young Adults under a Gene x Environment Perspective.

Social networking sites have determined radical changes in human life, demanding investigations on online socialization mechanisms. The knowledge acquired on in-person sociability could guide researchers to consider both environmental and genetic features as candidates of online socialization. Here, we explored the impact of the quality of adult attachment and the genetic properties of the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) on Instagram social behavior. Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire was adopted to assess 57 Instagram users' attachment pattern in close relationships with partners. Genotypes from the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 region were extracted from the users' buccal mucosa and analyzed. Users' Instagram social behavior was examined from four indexes: number of posts, number of followed users ("followings") and number of followers, and the Social Desirability Index calculated from the followers to followings ratio. Although no interaction between rs25531 and ECR-R dimensions was found, an association between avoidance in close relationships and Instagram number of followings emerged. Post hoc analyses revealed adult avoidance from the partner predicts the Instagram number of followings with good evidence. Moreover, users reporting high avoidance levels displayed fewer followings than users who reported low levels of avoidance. This research provides a window into the psychobiological understanding of online socialization on Instagram.

Recalled Parental Bonding Interacts with Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism in Modulating Anxiety and Avoidance in Adult Relationships.

Early interactions with significant individuals affect social experience throughout the course of a lifetime, as a repeated and prolonged perception of different levels of care, independence, or control influences the modulation of emotional regulatory processes. As many factors play a role in shaping the expectations and features of social interaction, in this study, we considered the influence of parental bonding and genetic allelic variation of oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism (rs53576) over levels of experienced anxiety and avoidance in 313 young adults belonging to two different cultural contexts, namely Italy and Singapore. Results highlighted a major effect of maternal characteristics, care, and overprotection, with differences between the two cultural groups. Additionally, the interaction between rs53576 and maternal overprotection suggested different environmental susceptibility in the Italian sample and the Singaporean one. Implications for clinical work and future steps are described in the Conclusion.

Self-Reported Voluntary Blame-Taking: Kinship Before Friendship and No Effect of Incentives.

Inspired by theories of prosocial behavior, we tested the effect of relationship status and incentives on intended voluntary blame-taking in two experiments (Experiment 2 was pre-registered). Participants (N E1 = 211 and N E2 = 232) imagined a close family member, a close friend, or an acquaintance and read a scenario that described this person committing a minor traffic offense. The person offered either a monetary, social, or no incentive for taking the blame. Participants indicated their willingness to take the blame and reasons for and against blame-taking. Overall, a sizable proportion of participants indicated to be willing to take the blame (E1: 57.8%; E2: 34.9%). Blame-taking rates were higher for family members than close friends or acquaintances in both experiments, as expected. Unexpectedly, there was no difference between a close friend and an acquaintance in Experiment 2. Social incentives did not have an effect on voluntary blame-taking in either experiment. Neither did we find an interaction between relationship status and incentives. The results highlight the importance of kin relationships in the context of voluntary blame-taking.

Antecedents of Suicide Among Active Military, Veteran, and Nonmilitary Residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia: The Role of Intimate Partner Problems.

OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner problems increase suicide risk, particularly among active service members and veterans. Age, marital status and military service status may modify the role of intimate partner problems in suicide. Methods: Participants included 6255 men who died by suicide at 18 years of age and older and who actively, previously, or never served in the military. Reports of intimate partner problems prior to suicide were documented by the Virginia Department of Health. Results: Unmarried active service members, above middle age, were more likely than veterans and individuals without prior military service to have associated reports of intimate partner problems. Conclusion: Life stages and relationship context may influence the role of intimate partner problems as a risk factor for suicide.

Manipulation of Self-Expansion Alters Responses to Attractive Alternative Partners.

Past behavioral research has examined relationship infidelity as a potential outcome of focusing on attractive alternative partners when already in a relationship. The extent to which individuals find such alternatives attractive has been shown to be associated with various factors in the relationship, including self-expansion. However, no previous research has tested the role of self-expansion experimentally. This paper presents two experiments that directly manipulate self-expansion to determine the effect of self-expansion on responses to attractive alternative partners. Participants primed to experience a higher need for self-expansion had better memory for attractive alternatives with self-expanding traits dissimilar to their partner's versus attractive alternatives with self-expanding traits similar to their partner's. Additionally, participants primed with self-expansion (via a video of their partner discussing ways in which life with one another is exciting, novel, and challenging), had less fMRI BOLD response to attractive alternatives of the opposite sex in regions associated with perception of attractive faces (anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex) relative to when they were primed with love (via a video of their partner discussing times they felt strong feelings of love for one another), or neutral content (via a video of their partner discussing some times in which they engage in mundane, routine activities together). The magnitude of this effect in the ACC correlated with relationship closeness as measured by the inclusion of the other in the self scale.

The changes of quality of life and their correlations with psychosocial factors following surgery among women with breast cancer from the post-surgery to post-treatment survivorship.

OBJECTIVES: This 14-month study aimed to examine the changes of quality of life following breast cancer surgery and associations of such changes with depression and anxiety levels, and protective factors (attachment styles in close relationship, and meaning in life) based on positive psychology theory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women with breast cancer were recruited within one week of completion of breast cancer surgery. They were asked to complete several questionnaires to measure the generic and breast cancer specific quality of life, depression and anxiety levels, attachment styles in close relationship, and meaning in life. Assessments were performed at baseline (T0), T1 (the 2nd month), T2 (the 5th month), T3 (the 8th month), and T4 (the 14th month). RESULTS: While the generic functions of quality of life improve after surgery, no significant changes of the breast-specific functions were found during the 14-month follow up period. While physical, role, and social functions improved immediately after surgery, the improvements of emotional and cognitive functions began to occur at the 5th and the 8th months after surgery. Depressive symptoms predicted almost all general and breast-specific QOL functions and symptoms. Avoidant and anxious attachment styles were associated with the negative scores for breast-specific functions and symptoms. CONCLUSION: Breast-specific functions, in particular body image and sexual function, remain unchanged with the passage of time following surgery. A psychological rehabilitation program aiming to reduce depressive symptoms and enhance secure attachment styles in close relationships needs to be established immediately following surgery and continue through the post-treatment survivorship stages.

Work, love, and death-thought accessibility: A terror management investigation.

Terror management theory suggests that following culturally derived scripts for valued behaviour protects people from death concerns, and conversely, not meeting standards for cultural value can weaken this protection, heightening mortality concerns. Using this conceptual framework, we examine (1) how considerations of loss of employment, a source of cultural value for many, relates to the accessibility of death-related cognition, and (2) the moderating role of job market health, and (3) involvement in close relationships. Study 1 found that writing about being unemployed (vs. a control topic) led to greater mortality-related cognition. Study 2 found that considering unemployment heightened death cognition, but only when participants were led to perceive the job market as unhealthy. Finally, Study 3 found that considering unemployment led to greater death cognition, but not for those involved in a close relationship. Findings offer insight into a previously overlooked consequence of unemployment, and factors that may serve a protective function.

Reliability and validity of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-12: Attachment dimensions in a clinical sample with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Attachment insecurity is a potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs). To date, there are multiple psychometrically sound questionnaires for the evaluation of attachment in both clinical and healthy populations, such as the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) scale. Composed by two subscales (i.e., attachment anxiety and avoidance), the ECR scale was recently adapted to a shorter, 12-item version (ECR-12). However, a validation of the ECR-12 among patients with EDs is still lacking. The present study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of the ECR-12, when used in a treatment-seeking sample with EDs. METHOD: A total of 1,262 treatment-seeking patients with various ED diagnoses completed the ECR-12, together with a commonly used measure of ED psychopathology (Eating Disorder Inventory-2). Subsamples also completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire (n = 66) or underwent a Day Hospital Program (n = 128). RESULTS: A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the ECR-12 maintained its two-factor structure across the ED diagnostic groups. In addition, the scale demonstrated good convergent validity, internal consistency, concurrent, and incremental validity. Finally, both ECR-12 subscales demonstrated adequate test-retest reliability. DISCUSSION: Our results provide preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of ECR-12 in assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance among patients with EDs. This short scale could help clinicians tailor interventions for EDs that take into account attachment dimensions.