The Nuances of Intimacy: Asexual Perspectives and Experiences with Dating and Relationships.

Asexuality studies are an emerging field in North America and Europe which lack large-scale, qualitative studies. Much existing research focuses on defining and categorizing asexuality, with researchers calling for more focus on the romantic and sexual relationships of asexual people. Drawing from an online survey with 349 participants, this paper describes the perceptions and experiences that asexual people have with dating and relationships. Participants answered 16 open-ended and 9 close-ended questions. After rounds of coding, three themes were selected for examination. These were dating, romantic and/or sexual relationships, and platonic relationships. These results showcase the challenges asexuals face with dating while also demonstrating how asexual people actively dismantle understandings of romantic, sexual, and platonic relationships through their own experiences and perspectives. Overall, this study provides greater legitimacy to the fluidity of asexuality and asexual relationships.

The Boomerang Effect of Suppression of Emotional Expression: Relationship Power, Affectivity and Adolescent and Youth Male-To-Female Dating Violence.

Scarce research has been performed on the role of power, affectivity, and suppression of emotional expression in the use of dating violence by adolescents and young men. This study aims to analyze a model of the associations between perceived power (control and dominance), affectivity (positive and negative affect), suppression of emotional expression and the frequency of use of male-to female dating violence. Participants in this cross-sectional and correlational study were 786 Spanish students aged between 13 and 25 years (M = 18.80; SD = 2.93) divided in two groups: 13-18 (316 adolescents, M = 15.58; SD = 1.02) and 18-25 (462 young men, M = 20.79; SD = 1.98) with 8 participants not stating their age. Different sequential mediation models confirmed that, only in young men, affectivity (negative and positive affect) and suppression of emotional expression mediate the relationship between power and the use of dating violence. Fostering equal relationships, associating them with positive emotional states, avoiding the frustration derived from low power perception, and providing young men with strategies for appropriately expressing their emotions may help decrease the use of dating violence.

Neighborhood Social Support and Social Participation as Predictors of Dating Violence.

Many adolescents experience violence in the context of dating and romantic relationships. Neighborhoods can influence dating violence by offering certain resources which can provide social support and opportunities for social participation, but knowledge about these effects is still limited. The purpose of the current study was to (a) assess the association between neighborhood social support, social participation, and dating violence, and (b) explore possible gender difference in these associations. This study was conducted on a subsample of 511 participants living in Montréal from the Québec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS 2016-2017). QHSHSS data were used to measure psychological and physical/sexual violence (perpetration and victimization), neighborhood social support, and social participation, as well as individual and family covariates. Several neighborhood-level data from multiple sources were also used as covariates. Logistic regressions were performed to estimate associations between neighborhood social support and social participation, and Dating violence (DV). Analyses were conducted separately for girls and boys to explore possible gender differences. Findings suggest that girls who reported high neighborhood social support had a lower risk of perpetrating psychological DV. High social participation was associated with a lower risk of perpetrating physical/sexual DV for girls, whereas it was associated with a higher risk of perpetrating psychological DV for boys. Preventive strategies to foster social support in neighborhoods, such as mentoring programs, and the development of community organizations to increase the social participation of adolescents could help reduce DV. To address the perpetration of DV by boys, prevention programs in community and sports organizations targeting male peer groups should also be developed to prevent these behaviors.

Attachment Security Priming Affecting Mating Strategies Endorsement among College Students.

Exposure to environmental cues reflecting potential threats to future survivability is associated with a stronger endorsement of short-term mating strategies. Less is known, however, about the effects of safety and security cues. In four studies, we examined the effects of attachment-related security cues compared to neutral cues on preferences for short- and long-term mating strategies. Preferences were assessed using self-report and behavioral measures. In line with Life History Theory (LHT) and our hypotheses, exposure to attachment-related security cues was mainly associated with a stronger preference for long-term mating strategies and a weaker preference for short-term strategies. Our internal meta-analysis of the experimental security manipulations across studies provided further support for the association between state attachment security and endorsement of mating strategies. We also found some predictable effects of gender and relationship status. Implications for LHT and attachment theory are discussed. (139 words).

Adults with learning disabilities want loving relationships, but may need support.

The studyMcCarthy M, Bates C, Elson N, Hunt S, Milne-Skillman, Forrester-Jones R. 'Love makes me feel good inside and my heart is fixed': What adults with intellectual disabilities have to say about love and relationships. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil 2021;00:1-11.To read the full NIHR Alert, go to: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/romantic-relationships-adults-with-learning-disabilities/.

Dating and dating violence: social representations of school adolescents / Namoro e violência no namoro: representações sociais de adolescentes escolares / Noviazgo y violencia en el noviazgo: representaciones sociales de alumnos adolescents

This study aimed to analyze the Social Representations of adolescents on dating and dating violence from their social anchors. This is a quantitative-qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, involving 215 adolescents from public schools located in the city of João Pessoa - Paraíba, aged between 14 and 18 (M=16.16; SD=1.26), predominantly female (60.5%). Participants answered the Free Word Association Technique (FWAT); the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory (CADRI); and, a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data from the CADRI and sociodemographic characterization were submitted to descriptive analysis, while those from the FWAT to the Correspondence Factor Analysis. Results anchored social objects in the affective, behavioral, psycho-affective, psycho-organic and valorative spheres. Dating was objectified as complicity, fidelity, respect, love, commitment, deception, betrayal, kiss, and fight. While dating violence was objectified as jealousy, disrespect, sadness, quarrel, cowardice, rape, wrong, hate, death and verbal. (AU)

Objetivou-se, neste estudo, analisar as Representações Sociais de adolescentes acerca do namoro e violência no namoro (VN) a partir de suas ancoragens sociais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quanti-qualitativa, descritiva-exploratória, que contou com 215 adolescentes de escolas públicas da cidade de João Pessoa-Paraíba, com idades entre 14 e 18 anos (M=16,16; DP=1,26), prevalentemente do sexo feminino (60,5%). Os participantes responderam à Técnica de Associação Livre de Palavras (TALP); o Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory (CADRI); e um questionário sociodemográfico. Dados do CADRI e de caracterização sociodemográfica foram submetidos a análises descritivas, enquanto os da TALP a uma Análise Fatorial de Correspondência. Os resultados ancoraram os objetos sociais nas esferas afetiva, comportamental, psicoafetiva, psico-orgânica e valorativa. O namoro foi objetivado como cumplicidade, fidelidade, respeito, amor, compromisso, decepção, traição, beijo e briga. Enquanto a VN foi objetivada como ciúmes, desrespeito, tristeza, briga, covardia, estupro, errado, ódio, morte e verbal. (AU)

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las Representaciones Sociales de los adolescentes sobre la violencia en el noviazgo (VN) desde sus anclajes sociales. Se trata de una investigación cuantitativa-cualitativa, descriptiva-exploratoria, que contó con 215 adolescentes de la ciudad de João Pessoa-Paraíba, con edades entre 14 y 18 años (M=16,16; DP=1,26), prevalentemente del sexo femenino (60,5%). Los participantes respondieron a la Técnica de Asociación Libre de Palabras (TALP); Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory (CADRI); y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Datos del CADRI y de caracterización sociodemográfica se sometieron a análisis descriptivos, mientras que los de la TALP através de la Análisis Factorial de Correspondencia. Resultados anclaron los objetos sociales en esferas afectivas, conductuales, psicoafetivas, psicoorgánicas y valorativas. El noviazgo fue objetivado como complicidad, fidelidad, respeto, amor, compromiso, decepción, traición, beso y pelea. El VN fue objetivada como celos, falta de respeto, tristeza, pelea, cobardía, violación, mal, odio, muerte y verbal. (AU)

Oxytocin reduces romantic rejection-induced pain in online speed-dating as revealed by decreased frontal-midline theta oscillations.

BACKGROUND: Romantic rejection is an emotionally distressful experience profoundly affecting life, possibly leading to mental illness or suicide. Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide widely implicated in reducing physical pain and negative emotions; however, whether OT has an effect on reducing intense social pain (e.g., romantic rejection) remains unknown. Here, we tested the effect of OT on social pain and investigated its role in the outcome evaluation phase of social decision-making. METHODS: Electroencephalographic recordings were obtained between August 2nd and October 20th, 2020 in Shenzhen University from 61 healthy participants in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with a between-subject design. We defined frontal-midline theta oscillation as a neural signature of social pain and assessed self-reported pleasantness ratings for four possible romantic outcomes in an online speed-dating task. RESULTS: In the placebo group, greater theta power was induced by romantic rejection, being associated with rejection distress. This pattern was not observed in the OT group, where romantic rejection induced significantly decreased theta power compared to the placebo group; in the OT group, there was no association between theta power and rejection distress. Furthermore, the frontal-midline theta oscillation could be source-localized to brain areas overlapping with the physical-social pain matrix (i.e., somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, frontal pole, and supplementary motor area). CONCLUSIONS: OT relieves social pain caused by romantic rejection, reflected in decreased frontal-midline theta oscillations and a diminished connection between theta power and rejection distress. These findings can help understand and harness OT's pain-reducing effect on social pain.

Moderation of Technology Use in the Association Between Self-Isolation During COVID-19 Pandemic and Adolescents' Romantic Relationship Quality.

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of technology use for relationship maintenance on the longitudinal associations among self-isolation during the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic and romantic relationship quality among adolescents. Participants were 239 (120 female; M age = 16.69, standard deviation [SD] = 0.61; 60 percent Caucasian) 11th and 12th graders from three midwestern high schools. To qualify for this study, adolescents had to be in the same romantic relationship for the duration of the study, ∼7 months (M length of relationship = 10.03 months). Data were collected in October of 2019 (Time 1) and again 7 months later in May of 2020 (Time 2). Adolescents completed a romantic relationship questionnaire at Time 1 and again at Time 2, along with questionnaires on frequency of self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and use of technology for romantic relationship maintenance. Findings revealed that increases in self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic related positively to the use of technology for romantic relationship maintenance and negatively to Time 2 romantic relationship quality. High use of technology for romantic relationship maintenance buffered against the negative effects of self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' romantic relationship quality 7 months later, whereas low use strengthened the negative relationship between self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and romantic relationship quality. These findings suggest the importance of considering the implications of societal crisis or pandemics on adolescents' close relationships, particularly their romantic relationships.

The Role of Individual Differences in Cyber Dating Abuse Perpetration.

There is a growing research interest in cyber dating abuse (CDA). CDA includes abusive online behavior toward a current or former intimate partner, such as aggression, control, harassment, and humiliation. Despite the potential overlap and reciprocal relationship of CDA and intimate partner violence, there remains considerable paucity in research exploring predictors of this abusive online behavior. In the current study, we adopt the General Aggression Model framework and explore the role of gender, hegemonic masculinity, vulnerable narcissism, and sexual aggression myths to predict perpetration of CDA. Participants (N = 415, 51 percent women; Mage = 32.68 years) were recruited via social media advertisements and completed an anonymous, confidential online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised the Conformity to Masculine Roles Norms Inventory, the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, the Acceptance of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression Scale, and a modified Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that hegemonic masculinity, vulnerable narcissism, and sexual aggression myths were all significant positive predictors of perpetrating CDA. As gender was a significant predictor until the inclusion of these variables, a multiple mediation analysis was performed, indicating that both hegemonic masculinity and sexual aggression myths fully mediated the relationship between gender and perpetrating CDA. These results add to the growing body of research exploring how CDA emerges as a behavior and highlight possible implications for management and intervention.

Are You Going to Delete Me? Latent Profiles of Post-Relationship Breakup Social Media Use and Emotional Distress.

When a relationship ends, former partners must make decisions about their online, often public, connections and history, which involve a complex disentangling process. We examined post-breakup behaviors including monitoring, interacting, deleting posts/photos, deleting the former partner, deleting the partner's family/friends, stopping social media (SM) use, and keeping digital possessions. Participants (N = 256) who had experienced a breakup within the last year completed an online survey. Approximately 38 percent reported experiencing distress over the breakup sometimes or more often. Utilizing latent profile analysis, we identified four latent classes (or profiles) of breakup SM behaviors; we also examined associations between the class and breakup emotional distress. Most participants were clean breakers (61.3 percent), who did zero to very little monitoring, interacting, or deleting and were unlikely to delete their ex-partner, stop use, or keep digital possessions. Wistful reminiscers (12.9 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little of any deleting behaviors, stopping use, or keeping digital possessions; however, they engaged in frequent amounts of monitoring their ex-partner as well as interacting with their ex-partner and their ex-partner's family/friends. Ritual cleansers (15.6 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little to no monitoring and interacting; however, they engaged in deleting their SM history, their ex-partner's family/friends, and their ex-partner. Impulsives (10.2 percent) engaged in high amounts of all the SM behaviors. In terms of emotional distress, impulsives showed the highest levels of distress, followed by wistful reminiscers, ritual cleansers, and then clean breakers.

Do young dating app users and non-users differ in mating orientations?

In recent years, dating apps have changed the way people meet and communicate with potential romantic and/or sexual partners. There exists a stereotype considering that these apps are used only for casual sex, so those apps would not be an adequate resource to find a long-term relationship. The objective of this study was to analyze possible individual differences in the mating orientations (short-term vs. long-term) between users and non-users of dating apps. Participants were 902 single students from a mid-size Spanish university, of both sexes (63% female, and 37% male), aged between 18 and 26 years (M = 20.34, SD = 2.05), who completed a battery of online questionnaires. It was found that, whereas dating apps users had a higher short-term mating orientation than non-users (more frequent behavior, higher desire, and more positive attitude), there were no differences in the long-term orientation as a function of use/non-use. Considering this, dating apps are a resource with a strong presence of people interested on hooking-up while, simultaneously, not a bad (nor good) option for finding long-term love.

Sexual excitation induces courtship ultrasonic vocalizations and cataplexy-like behavior in orexin neuron-ablated male mice.

Cataplexy is triggered by laughter in humans and palatable food in mice. To further evaluate mice's cataplexy, we examined courtship behavior in orexin neuron-ablated mice (ORX-AB), one of the animal models of narcolepsy/cataplexy. Wild-type female mice were placed into the home cage of male ORX-AB and cataplexy-like behavior was observed along with ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), also known as the "love song". ORX-AB with a female encounter showed cataplexy-like behavior both during the dark and light periods, whereas ORX-AB with chocolate predominantly showed it during the dark period. During the light period observation, more than 85% of cataplexy-like bouts were preceded by USVs. A strong positive correlation was observed between the number of USVs and cataplexy-like bouts. Cataplexy-like behavior in narcoleptic mice is a good behavioral measure to study the brain mechanisms behind positive emotion because they can be induced by different kinds of positive stimuli, including chocolate and female courtship.

Are one's attachment avoidance toward a particular person and his/her placement of this particular person in the attachment hierarchy inversely overlapping? Four bifactor-analysis studies.

Do one's hierarchical preference for attachment support from a particular person over other people (attachment hierarchy) and his/her discomfort with closeness and uneasiness about being dependent on that particular person (attachment avoidance) inversely overlap? These two constructs have been distinctly conceptualized. Attachment hierarchy has been regarded as a normative characteristic of attachment relationships, while attachment avoidance has been considered to reflect an individual difference of relationship quality. Employing bifactor analyses, we demonstrated a unidimensional general factor of these two concepts in four studies exploring Czech young adults' relationships with mother, father, friends, and romantic partner (Study 1); U.S. young adults' relationships with a romantic partner (Study 2); Czech adolescents' relationships with mother, father, and friends (Study 3); and Japanese young adults' relationships with mother, father, and romantic partner (Study 4). These convergent results provide the replicable and generalizable evidence that one's attachment avoidance toward a particular person and her/his placement of that particular person in the attachment hierarchy are inversely overlapping.

The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a New Mating Effort Questionnaire.

In this study, we review the psychometric literature on mating effort and find that extant instruments (1) have not been adequately evaluated in terms of internal structure and measurement invariance, and (2) disproportionately focus on mate retention and intrasexual competition tactics designed to repel competitors, relative to attraction and investment effort. To address these gaps in the literature, we carried out two studies to develop and validate a new Mating Effort Questionnaire (MEQ). In Study 1, we report a pilot study in which participants' responses to an item pool were submitted to exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, we replicated the structure found in Study 1 using confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample. A three-factor solution yielded the best fit. The three factors reflected respondents' allocation of energy to attracting high mate value partners when already mated, seeking out romantic partners when single, and investing in their current romantic partner and relationships. Strong partial measurement invariance held across the sexes, implying that observed scores may be used to compare them. We also found evidence of concurrent validity via associations between the MEQ and constructs such as sociosexual orientation, K-factor, mate retention behaviors, and respondents' sexual behavior. These findings suggest that the MEQ is a valid and novel measure of individual differences in mating effort which is well suited to complement existing mating effort measures.

Use of social media and online dating among individuals with a history of affective disorder.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how individuals with a history of affective disorder use and perceive their use of social media and online dating. METHODS: A questionnaire focusing on affective disorders and the use of social media and online dating was handed out to outpatients from unipolar depression and bipolar disorder clinics and general practice patients with or without a history of affective disorders (latter as controls). The association between affective disorders and use of social media and online dating was analysed using linear/logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 194 individuals with a history of unipolar depression, 124 individuals with a history of bipolar disorder and 196 controls were included in the analysis. Having a history of unipolar depression or bipolar disorder was not associated with the time spent on social media compared with controls. Using the controls as reference, having a history bipolar disorder was associated with use of online dating (adjusted odds ratio: 2.2 (95% CI: 1.3; 3.7)). The use of social media and online dating had a mood-congruent pattern with decreased and more passive use during depressive episodes, and increased and more active use during hypomanic/manic episodes. Among the respondents with a history of affective disorder, 51% reported that social media use had an aggravating effect on symptoms during mood episodes, while 10% reported a beneficial effect. For online dating, the equivalent proportions were 49% (aggravation) and 20% (benefit), respectively. CONCLUSION: The use of social media and online dating seems related to symptom deterioration among individuals with affective disorder.

Body sway predicts romantic interest in speed dating.

Social bonding is fundamental to human society, and romantic interest involves an important type of bonding. Speed dating research paradigms offer both high external validity and experimental control for studying romantic interest in real-world settings. While previous studies focused on the effect of social and personality factors on romantic interest, the role of non-verbal interaction has been little studied in initial romantic interest, despite being commonly viewed as a crucial factor. The present study investigated whether romantic interest can be predicted by non-verbal dyadic interactive body sway, and enhanced by movement-promoting ('groovy') background music. Participants' body sway trajectories were recorded during speed dating. Directional (predictive) body sway coupling, but not body sway similarity, predicted interest in a long-term relationship above and beyond rated physical attractiveness. In addition, presence of groovy background music promoted interest in meeting a dating partner again. Overall, we demonstrate that romantic interest is reflected by non-verbal body sway in dyads in a real-world dating setting. This novel approach could potentially be applied to investigate non-verbal aspects of social bonding in other dynamic interpersonal interactions such as between infants and parents and in non-verbal populations including those with communication disorders.

Experimental Evidence for Sex Differences in Sexual Variety Preferences: Support for the Coolidge Effect in Humans.

We examined sex differences in preferences for sexual variety and novelty to determine whether the Coolidge effect plays a role in human sexuality. In two experimental studies that employed different manipulations, we found converging evidence that men showed a greater preference for variety in potential short-term mates than did women. In the first study, men (n = 281) were more likely than women (n = 353) to select a variety of mates when given the opportunity to distribute chances to have sex with different individuals in hypothetical situations. This sex difference was evident regardless of the targets' attractiveness and age. Further, men found it more appealing if their committed romantic/sexual partners frequently changed their physical appearance, while women reported that they modified their physical appearance more frequently than did men, potentially appealing to male desires for novelty. In the second study, when participants were given a hypothetical dating task using photographs of potential short-term mates, men (n = 40) were more likely than women (n = 56) to select a novel person to date. Collectively, these findings lend support to the idea that sex differences in preferences for sexual variety and novelty are a salient sex-specific evolved component of the repertoire of human mating strategies.

Variables psicológicas asociadas a la inteligencia de cortejo en adultos paraguayos / Psychological variables related to mating intelligence in Paraguayan adults

Las características del cortejo humano han sido analizadas por diversas ciencias, pero con limitados estudios en Sudamérica. Este trabajo es un estudio de las asociaciones entre inteligencia de cortejo y personalidad, satisfacción vital, orientación sociosexual y estrategias de historia de vida en adultos paraguayos. Fueron seleccionados 219 adultos mediante muestreo por conveniencia. Se aplicaron los instrumentos: Mating Intelligence Scale, Test IPIP, Inventario de Orientación Sociosexual Revisado, K-SF-42, Escala SWLS y Protocolo de Conductas y Preferencias de Cortejo. Los principales resultados muestran, por un lado, asociaciones entre inteligencia de cortejo con rasgos de personalidad, orientación sociosexual, satisfacción vital y estrategias de historias de vida K. Por otro lado, se identificaron varias particularidades culturales de las conductas de cortejo. Se concluye que existen asociaciones entre inteligencia de cortejo con los constructos referidos y ciertas diferencias culturales.

Diverse sciences have analyzed aspects involved in human courtship. There are few studies in South America. The present study examines the associations between mating intelligence with personality, life satisfaction, sociosexual orientation and life history strategies in Paraguayan adults. The sample included 219 adults selected by convenience sampling. Mating Intelligence Scale, IPIP Test, Sociosexual Orientation Scale, K-SF-42, SWLS and Protocolo de Conductas y Preferencias de Cortejo were used. In the first place, the results show associations between mating intelligence with sociosexual orientation, life satisfaction, slow life history strategy and personality traits. Second, some cultural particularities of courtship behaviours were identified. In conclusion, we find associations between mating intelligence with the mentioned constructs and some cultural differences of courtship

Bullying and Psychological Dating Violence: The Relation Between two Aggressive Peer-Behaviours / Bullying y Violencia Psicológica en el Cortejo: Relación Entre dos Comportamientos Agresivos Entre Iguales

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that bullying could be related to teen dating violence; there may be a psycho-developmental transition between bullying and other forms of violence during adolescence as an evolution of the aggressive pattern. This study attempts to identify the role of bullying as a risk factor for psychological violence in adolescents' dating relationships, and the relationship between these two aggressive behaviours. METHOD: The participants were 3,144 adolescents from Valencia (50.6% girls), enrolled in Primary Education (50.4%) and Secondary Education (49.6%). RESULTS: The results showed rates of involvement in bullying as high as 46.2%, while the rates of psychological dating aggression were 31.4%. The multinomial logistic regression analysis identified aggression in bullying as a predictive variable for psychological aggression during dating, while the predictors of victimization were also linked to those for victimization in bullying. After analysing the interactions, the results showed that particularly in boys, previous experience of indirect perpetration of bullying is a risk variable of later psychological dating aggression, and that this kind of experience in Primary School is a significant predictor variable for both aggression and victimization in dating. CONCLUSIONS: The results are discussed in terms of the psycho-developmental pattern of these aggressive behaviours

ANTECEDENTES: trabajos previos apuntan a una posible relación, como transición psico-evolutiva, entre el bullying y otras formas de violencia durante la adolescencia, en términos de evolución en la manifestación del mismo patrón de comportamiento agresivo. Este estudio trata de identificar el rol del bullying como factor de riesgo para la violencia psicológica en las relaciones sentimentales adolescentes y la relación que se da entre ambos comportamientos agresivos. MÉTODO: 3.144 jóvenes valencianos (50,6% chicas) de Educación Primaria (50,4%) y Secundaria Obligatoria (49,6%) participaron en el estudio. RESULTADOS: las tasas de implicación en bullying alcanzaban el 46,2% y las de violencia psicológica en el cortejo el 31,4%. Análisis de regresiones logísticas multinomiales identificaron como variable predictora de la perpetración psicológica en el cortejo la agresión previa en bullying, mientras que las predictoras de la victimización fueron las relacionadas con la victimización en bullying. El análisis de las interacciones muestra que la experiencia previa en perpetración indirecta de los chicos es una variable predictora de la perpetración psicológica, así como la experiencia en Primaria es una variable predictora significativa para ambas formas de implicación. CONCLUSIONES: estos resultados son discutidos en términos del carácter psicoevolutivo del comportamiento agresivo durante la adolescencia

Romantic Competence and Adolescent Courtship: The Multidimensional Nature of the Construct and Differences by Age and Gender.

Adolescent courtship is emerging as an important developmental process which impacts social balance and adjustment in the teenage years. Both the cultural context and different individual competencies seem to determine the success or failure of this process. However, there is little research focusing on the direct relationship between interpersonal skills and adolescent courtship, possibly due to the lack of suitable instruments to measure it. This study takes this process further by adapting a multifactorial measurement of Interpersonal Competence to the framework of adolescent courtship (Adolescent Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire for Courtship (AICQc)), and by analyzing these skills according to gender and age. A total of 1584 adolescents (48.9% girls and 51.1% boys) between the ages of 12 and 17 who were in compulsory secondary education participated in the study. Based on the factor model proposed by Buhrmester et al., the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed the validity of the instrument and a high internal consistency for five independent domains of competence: (a) initiating relationships; (b) assertiveness and the ability to say no; (c) self-disclosure; (d) providing emotional support; and (e) resolving conflicts. Age, as measured by the school year, was found to be a key factor in this regard. The results are discussed in terms of assessing interpersonal competence for relationships. There has been little research into this type of interpersonal competence and it is a key factor in facing the important developmental task for first-time couples of choosing a partner and managing adolescent courtship.