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1.
Horm Behav ; 125: 104823, 2020 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32758499

RESUMO

During the transition to parenthood (TTP), both women and men report declines in sexual desire, which are thought to reflect an evolutionarily adaptive focus on parenting over mating. New parents also show changes in testosterone, a steroid hormone implicated in both parenting and mating, suggesting that changes in sexual desire may be associated with changes in testosterone. To test these associations, we followed a sample of heterosexual couples expecting their first child across the prenatal period. We examined prenatal changes in testosterone and two forms of sexual desire (solitary, dyadic). Expectant mothers showed prenatal increases in testosterone, and women's higher testosterone was associated with lower dyadic desire. Expectant fathers showed prenatal decreases in testosterone, and declines in men's testosterone were associated with lower dyadic desire. Testosterone was unrelated to men's or women's solitary desire. Our findings provide support for the idea that prenatal changes in testosterone contribute to an evolutionarily adaptive focus on parenting over mating during the TTP.


Assuntos
Libido/fisiologia , Gravidez , Parceiros Sexuais , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Características da Família , Feminino , Idade Gestacional , Humanos , Masculino , Pais/psicologia , Gravidez/metabolismo , Gravidez/psicologia , Saliva/química , Saliva/metabolismo , Comportamento Sexual , Parceiros Sexuais/psicologia , Testosterona/análise , Adulto Jovem
2.
Horm Behav ; 125: 104810, 2020 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32593685

RESUMO

Although increasing numbers of gay and lesbian individuals ultimately become parents, the vast majority of research on the transition to parenthood focuses exclusively on heterosexual samples. Even less is known about the physiological implications of this major life transition among those who identify as sexual minorities. The present study begins to redress these gaps in the literature by assessing prospective links between prenatal testosterone, a steroid hormone that is negatively associated with nurturance and caregiving, and postpartum outcomes in a sample of 25 first-time expectant lesbian couples (N = 50 individuals). Consistent with prior work in heterosexual samples, which suggests that lower testosterone promotes both partnering and parenting, we found that, in both partners, lower testosterone during the prenatal period predicted better romantic relationship and parenting outcomes at three-months postpartum (e.g., higher relationship quality, more time spent doing baby care). There was also evidence for dyadic associations; for instance, birth mothers reported more overprotective behavior, and non-birth mothers reported greater commitment, when their female partners had lower testosterone. Together, our findings contribute important new knowledge about the functionality of testosterone in close relationships contexts, including some of the first evidence among sexual minorities.


Assuntos
Mães , Período Pós-Parto/fisiologia , Resultado da Gravidez , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adulto , Características da Família , Conflito Familiar , Feminino , Homossexualidade Feminina/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Relações Interpessoais , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Comportamento Materno/fisiologia , Mães/estatística & dados numéricos , Paridade/fisiologia , Período Pós-Parto/metabolismo , Gravidez , Resultado da Gravidez/epidemiologia , Resultado da Gravidez/psicologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Saliva/química , Saliva/metabolismo , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero/estatística & dados numéricos , Testosterona/análise , Adulto Jovem
3.
Horm Behav ; 112: 10-19, 2019 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30879994

RESUMO

We assessed parents' testosterone reactivity to the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), a moderately stressful parent-infant interaction task that pulls for parental nurturance and caregiving behavior. Parents (146 mothers, 154 fathers) interacted with their 1-year-old infants, and saliva samples were obtained pre- and post-task to assess changes in testosterone. We examined whether testosterone reactivity differed between mothers and fathers, the extent to which parents' characteristic approaches to closeness (i.e., adult attachment orientation) contributed to testosterone changes, and whether any influences of adult attachment orientation were independent of more general personality characteristics (i.e., the Big Five personality dimensions). Results revealed that mothers and fathers showed comparable declines in testosterone during the SSP, and that these declines were attenuated among fathers with a more avoidant attachment orientation (i.e., those less comfortable with closeness). Associations between fathers' avoidance and testosterone reactivity were statistically independent of broader personality traits. Our findings provide some of the first evidence for short-term changes in both mothers' and fathers' testosterone in contexts that pull for nurturance. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that individual differences in adult attachment may play an important role in understanding such changes. We discuss possible explanations for gender differences in associations between adult attachment and parents' testosterone reactivity, and the extent to which testosterone reactivity might be sensitive to changes in context for mothers versus fathers.


Assuntos
Aprendizagem da Esquiva/fisiologia , Pai , Apego ao Objeto , Comportamento Paterno/fisiologia , Estresse Psicológico , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adulto , Ordem de Nascimento/psicologia , Pai/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Individualidade , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Relações Interpessoais , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mães/psicologia , Poder Familiar/psicologia , Pais/psicologia , Personalidade/fisiologia , Gravidez , Saliva/química , Saliva/metabolismo , Comportamento Social , Estresse Psicológico/fisiopatologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Testosterona/análise , Adulto Jovem
4.
J Trauma Stress ; 31(3): 342-351, 2018 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29870081

RESUMO

This study examined links between the language bereaved children use to describe the death of their caregiver and children's psychological/behavioral functioning and coping strategies. Participants included 44 children (54.5% male) aged 7 to 12 (M = 9.05) years who were bereaved by the death of a caregiver. Children were assessed via self- and caregiver-report measures and an in-person interview regarding the loss of their caregiver. Children's loss narratives gathered through in-person interviews were transcribed and subjected to textual analysis. Linguistic categories included pronouns and verb tense. Drawing from linguistic and self-distancing theories, we hypothesized that children's use of language reflecting self-distancing (third-person pronouns and past tense) or social connectedness (first-person plural pronouns) would be negatively associated with psychological/behavioral distress and avoidant coping. Similarly, we expected that children's use of self-focused language (first-person singular pronouns and present tense) would be positively associated with psychological/behavioral distress and avoidant coping. As hypothesized, preliminary findings suggest that children who employed more self-distancing language and used more social connectedness words reported less avoidant coping, rs = .40-.42. Also as hypothesized, children who employed more self-focused language had higher levels of self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms, r = .54, and avoidant coping, r = .54, and higher parent-reported psychological/behavioral distress, r = .43. Implications for theory-building, risk screening, and directions for future research with bereaved youth are discussed.


Assuntos
Adaptação Psicológica , Luto , Narração , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Criança , Morte , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Assunto , Linguística , Masculino , Pais , Autorrelato
5.
Horm Behav ; 90: 39-47, 2017 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27469070

RESUMO

The transition to parenthood has been associated with declines in testosterone among partnered fathers, which may reflect males' motivation to invest in the family. Moreover, preliminary evidence has found that couples show correlations in hormone levels across pregnancy that may also be linked to fathers' preparation for parenthood. The current study used repeated-measures sampling of testosterone across pregnancy to explore whether fathers' change in T, and correlations with mothers' T, were associated with fathers' and mothers' postpartum investment. In a sample of 27 couples (54 individuals) expecting their first child, both parents' salivary testosterone was measured multiple times across pregnancy. At approximately 3.5months postpartum, participants rated their investment, commitment, and satisfaction with their partner. A multilevel model was used to measure change in testosterone over time and associations between mother and father testosterone. Fathers who showed stronger declines in T across pregnancy, and stronger correlations with mothers' testosterone, reported higher postpartum investment, commitment, and satisfaction. Mothers reported more postpartum investment and satisfaction if fathers showed greater prenatal declines in T. These results held even after controlling for paternal investment, commitment, and satisfaction measured prenatally at study entry. Our results suggest that changes in paternal testosterone across pregnancy, and hormonal linkage with the pregnant partner, may underlie fathers' dedication to the partner relationship across the transition to parenthood.


Assuntos
Pai , Relações Interpessoais , Poder Familiar/psicologia , Período Pós-Parto/psicologia , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adolescente , Adulto , Pai/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mães/psicologia , Relações Pais-Filho , Pais/psicologia , Satisfação Pessoal , Gravidez , Adulto Jovem
6.
Dev Psychobiol ; 59(1): 77-90, 2017 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27604815

RESUMO

During the transition to parenthood, both men and women experience hormone changes that are thought to promote parental care. Yet very few studies have explicitly tested the hypothesis that prenatal hormone changes are associated with postpartum parenting behavior. In a longitudinal study of 27 first-time expectant couples, we assessed whether prenatal hormone changes were moderated by self- and partner-reported parenting outcomes at 3 months postpartum. Expectant fathers showed prenatal declines in testosterone and estradiol, and larger declines in these hormones were associated with greater contributions to household and infant care tasks postpartum. Women whose partners showed larger testosterone declines also reported receiving more support and more help with household tasks. Expectant mothers showed prenatal increases in testosterone and estradiol, and larger increases in these hormones were associated with lower partner-rated support. Together, our findings provide some of the first evidence that prenatal hormone changes may indeed be functional and that the implications of these changes may be detectable by co-parents.


Assuntos
Estradiol/metabolismo , Poder Familiar , Comportamento Paterno/fisiologia , Período Pós-Parto , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adulto , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Lactente , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Gravidez/metabolismo , Adulto Jovem
7.
J Lang Soc Psychol ; 36(6): 628-653, 2017 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29180832

RESUMO

Traumatized individuals are often encouraged to confront their experiences by talking or writing about them. However, survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) might find it especially difficult to process abuse experiences, particularly when the abuse is more severe, which could put them at greater risk for mental health problems. The current study examined whether CSA survivors who use emotion language when describing their abuse experiences exhibit better mental health. We analyzed the trauma narratives of 55 adults who, as children, were part of a larger study of the long-term emotional effects of criminal prosecutions on CSA survivors. Abuse narratives were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program. We examined whether positive and negative emotion language in participants' abuse narratives were associated with self- and caregiver-reported mental health symptoms and whether these associations differed according to the severity of the abuse. As hypothesized, participants who used more positive and negative emotion language had better psychological outcomes, especially when the abuse was severe. Our findings suggest that survivors of more severe abuse might benefit from including emotion language, whether positive or negative in valence, when describing the abuse.

8.
Memory ; 24(5): 696-707, 2016.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26308492

RESUMO

Despite considerable interest in understanding how stress influences memory accuracy and errors, particularly in children, methodological limitations have made it difficult to examine the effects of stress independent of the effects of the emotional valence of to-be-remembered information in developmental populations. In this study, we manipulated stress levels in 7-8- and 12-14-year-olds and then exposed them to negative, neutral, and positive word lists. Shortly afterward, we tested their recognition memory for the words and false memory for non-presented but related words. Adolescents in the high-stress condition were more accurate than those in the low-stress condition, while children's accuracy did not differ across stress conditions. Also, among adolescents, accuracy and errors were higher for the negative than positive words, while in children, word valence was unrelated to accuracy. Finally, increases in children's and adolescents' cortisol responses, especially in the high-stress condition, were related to greater accuracy but not false memories and only for positive emotional words. Findings suggest that stress at encoding, as well as the emotional content of to-be-remembered information, may influence memory in different ways across development, highlighting the need for greater complexity in existing models of true and false memory formation.


Assuntos
Envelhecimento/psicologia , Emoções/fisiologia , Memória/fisiologia , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Adolescente , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Masculino , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Repressão Psicológica , Saliva/metabolismo
9.
Am J Hum Biol ; 27(3): 317-25, 2015.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25504668

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: Expectant mothers experience marked hormone changes throughout the transition to parenthood. Although similar neuroendocrine pathways are thought to support maternal and paternal behavior, much less is known about prenatal hormone changes in expectant fathers, especially in humans. METHODS: We examined longitudinal changes in salivary testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, and progesterone in 29 first-time expectant couples (N = 58). Couples were assessed up to four times throughout the prenatal period, at approximately weeks 12, 20, 28, and 36 of pregnancy. We also examined within-couple correlations in hormones. Data were analyzed using dyadic growth curve modeling. RESULTS: As expected, women showed large prenatal increases in all four hormones. Men showed significant prenatal declines in testosterone and estradiol, but there were no detectable changes in men's cortisol or progesterone. Average levels of cortisol and progesterone were significantly positively correlated within couples. CONCLUSIONS: The current study represents one of the most extensive investigations to date of prenatal hormones in expectant couples. It is also the first study to demonstrate prenatal testosterone changes in expectant fathers and within-couple correlations in progesterone. We discuss implications of these findings for parental behavior and adjustment.


Assuntos
Estradiol/metabolismo , Pai , Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Mães , Progesterona/metabolismo , Testosterona/metabolismo , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Paridade , Gravidez , Saliva
10.
Attach Hum Dev ; 17(6): 570-85, 2015.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26402579

RESUMO

We present data on the preliminary validation of a measure of romantic attachment orientation from the California Adult Q-Sort (CAQ). The CAQ is found in several longitudinal data sets, and researchers can use the CAQ to answer questions about changes in romantic attachment across the lifespan. Expert raters nominated CAQ items that were characteristic of attachment anxiety and avoidance. In a sample of observers and targets, we compared ratings based on composites of these CAQ items to self- and observer-reports from a widely used scale of adult attachment. These expert-generated measures of CAQ-attachment orientation correlated highly with ECR measures of attachment orientation, suggesting that items from the CAQ can reliably measure an individual's attachment orientation.


Assuntos
Ansiedade/psicologia , Aprendizagem da Esquiva , Amor , Apego ao Objeto , Q-Sort/normas , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , California , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Fatores Sexuais , Adulto Jovem
11.
Horm Behav ; 65(4): 401-7, 2014 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24650800

RESUMO

Testosterone is thought to be positively associated with "mating effort", or the initiation and establishment of sexual relationships (Wingfield et al., 1990). Yet, because testosterone is negatively associated with nurturance (van Anders et al., 2011), high levels of testosterone may be incompatible with relationship maintenance. For instance, partnered men with high testosterone report lower relationship quality compared to partnered men with low testosterone (e.g., Booth and Dabbs, 1993). Findings for women are inconsistent, however, and even less is known about potential dyadic associations between testosterone and relationship quality in couples. In the current report, we assessed relationship satisfaction, commitment, and investment in heterosexual couples and tested the hypothesis that these aspects of relationship quality would be negatively associated with an individual's own and his/her partner's testosterone levels. We found that testosterone was in fact negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and commitment in both men and women. There was also evidence for dyadic associations: Participants' satisfaction and commitment were negatively related to their partners' levels of testosterone, and these associations were larger for women's than men's testosterone. Our findings are consistent with the idea that high testosterone may be incompatible with the maintenance of nurturant relationships. The current findings also provide some of the first evidence for dyadic associations between testosterone and relationship quality in couples, highlighting the interdependent nature of close relationship processes and the importance of considering this interdependence in social neuroendocrine research.


Assuntos
Relações Interpessoais , Parceiros Sexuais , Testosterona/fisiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Características da Família , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Satisfação Pessoal , Fatores Sexuais , Parceiros Sexuais/psicologia , Adulto Jovem
12.
Arch Sex Behav ; 42(4): 553-60, 2013 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23070529

RESUMO

Touch is a critical factor in intimate bonds between romantic partners. Although cuddling is a key expression of intimacy, it has received little empirical attention. Past research suggests that cuddling has some sexual aspects (e.g., it increases testosterone [T]), but there are theoretical reasons to expect cuddling to also involve nurturant intimacy (which should decrease T). In this article, we examined the phenomenon of partner cuddling to: (1) provide a descriptive examination; (2) determine if cuddling involved only nurturant intimacy or also sexual intimacy; and (3) test whether cuddling was perceived as nurturant but experienced as sexual. Via an online questionnaire, 514 participants (338 women) responded to quantitative and qualitative questions about cuddling with their romantic partners. Results suggested that cuddling occurred frequently and for relatively long durations, and was viewed very positively. Findings also showed that cuddling was perceived as nurturant and non-sexual but was experienced as at least somewhat sexual, which may explain why past research had found that cuddling increased T. Correlational analyses linked cuddling frequency and enjoyment positively with partnered sexual activities, but negatively with solitary sexuality. Results were discussed relative to evolutionary theories of distinct but overlapping neurobiological systems underlying pair bonding that involve sexual and nurturant intimacy.


Assuntos
Comportamento Sexual/psicologia , Parceiros Sexuais/psicologia , Tato , Adulto , Comunicação , Feminino , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Masculino , Inquéritos e Questionários
13.
J Exp Child Psychol ; 114(2): 339-56, 2013 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23107226

RESUMO

Two studies were conducted to examine theoretical questions about children's and adults' memory for emotional visual stimuli. In Study 1, 7- to 9-year-olds and adults (N=172) participated in the initial creation of the Developmental Affective Photo System (DAPS). Ratings of emotional valence, arousal, and complexity were obtained. In Study 2, DAPS pictures were presented to 20 8- to 12-year-olds and 30 adults, followed by a recognition memory test. Children and adults recognized aversive images better than neutral images. Moreover, children and adults recognized high and moderate arousal images more accurately than low arousal images. Adults' memory for neutral images exceeded that of children, but there were no developmental differences in memory for aversive pictures. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.


Assuntos
Nível de Alerta , Desenvolvimento Infantil , Emoções , Rememoração Mental , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos , Fatores Etários , Atenção , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto Jovem
14.
J Pers ; 81(2): 171-83, 2013 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22583036

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Although attachment dynamics are thought to be important across the life span, relatively few studies have examined attachment processes beyond young adulthood. Extant research on age differences in attachment orientation has yielded conflicting results and interpretations. The purpose of this study was to provide a more complete picture of age-related differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance. METHOD: We examined attachment anxiety and avoidance in 86,555 Internet respondents (71.8% female) ranging in age from 18 to 70. RESULTS: We found that attachment anxiety was highest among younger adults and lowest among middle-aged and older adults. Attachment avoidance showed less dramatic age differences overall but was highest among middle-aged adults and lowest among younger and older adults. In addition, partnered individuals reported lower levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance compared to single individuals, particularly in younger and older adulthood. Women also reported slightly higher anxiety and avoidance compared to men, especially in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are discussed in the context of life span changes in social roles, normative personality development, and emotion regulation throughout adulthood.


Assuntos
Envelhecimento/psicologia , Ansiedade/psicologia , Apego ao Objeto , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Emoções , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Desenvolvimento da Personalidade , Psicometria
15.
Horm Behav ; 61(2): 167-75, 2012 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22154613

RESUMO

The current study examined neuroendocrine processes associated with emotional intimacy in humans. Despite the importance of this aspect of close relationships, emotional intimacy has received much less attention in neuroendocrine research compared to other aspects of close relationships. In this study, participants viewed movie clips depicting an emotionally intimate parent-child interaction or other, non-intimate themes, and we assessed whether depictions of emotional intimacy increased levels of estradiol, a steroid hormone associated with attachment and caregiving processes. We also examined whether estradiol responses were moderated by individual differences in attachment avoidance, or people's discomfort with closeness and intimacy. Our findings revealed that, among single participants, estradiol levels increased in response to the emotionally intimate clip, but this effect was not observed among currently partnered participants. Moreover, the effects of emotional intimacy were moderated by gender and attachment avoidance, such that highly avoidant women showed smaller increases in estradiol after watching the emotionally intimate clip. Women's avoidance was unrelated to estradiol responses in the non-intimate control conditions, however, suggesting that the effects of avoidance were specific to intimate contexts. Taken together, the current findings contribute to our understanding of the biological bases of attachment and caregiving processes. They also highlight the potential role of estradiol in avoidant individuals' regulation of closeness and intimacy.


Assuntos
Emoções/fisiologia , Estradiol/metabolismo , Relações Interpessoais , Apego ao Objeto , Adolescente , Adulto , Estradiol/fisiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Individualidade , Masculino , Estado Civil , Relações Pais-Filho , Testes Psicológicos , Distribuição Aleatória , Saliva/metabolismo , Fatores Sexuais , Percepção Social , Percepção Visual/fisiologia , Adulto Jovem
16.
J Pers ; 80(5): 1179-204, 2012 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22092045

RESUMO

We examined changes in and correlates of 3 kinds of narcissism--hypersensitivity, willfulness, and autonomy--during middle adulthood. Few studies have examined narcissistic personality traits beyond young adulthood, and none has assessed longitudinal changes in narcissism during midlife. In a sample of 70 college-educated women, we found that observer ratings of hypersensitive narcissism were associated with more negative outcomes at ages 43 and 53 (i.e., more depressive symptoms and physical health problems, lower life satisfaction and well-being). Ratings of willfulness and autonomy predicted more positive outcomes. All 3 kinds of narcissism showed considerable rank-order stability over 10 years, but there were also mean-level changes: Hypersensitivity and autonomy decreased, whereas willfulness increased. More positive outcomes were associated with decreases in hypersensitivity and increases in willfulness and autonomy. However, in multivariate analyses, autonomy did not show any significant associations with women's health and well-being outcomes, suggesting that it may have less predictive utility compared to hypersensitivity and willfulness. Our findings highlight developmental changes in and correlates of women's narcissistic personality traits and the importance of assessing different aspects of narcissism in midlife.


Assuntos
Controle Interno-Externo , Relações Interpessoais , Narcisismo , Autoimagem , Saúde da Mulher , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Atitude Frente a Saúde , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Determinação da Personalidade , Psicometria , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto Jovem
17.
Horm Behav ; 60(3): 248-55, 2011 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21645516

RESUMO

Single individuals typically have higher testosterone compared to those who are partnered, suggesting that individual differences in testosterone are associated with mating effort, or people's motivation to find a sexual partner. However, there is less consistent evidence for links between testosterone and sociosexuality, or people's orientation toward uncommitted sexual activity. Based on Penke and Asendorpf's (2008) conceptualization, we propose that a more nuanced measure of sociosexuality may reveal more robust associations with testosterone. In the current study, we assessed relations between three components of sociosexuality--desire, behavior, and attitudes--and endogenous testosterone levels in men and women. We found that partnered status was indeed associated with lower testosterone in both men and women, but only among those who reported more restricted sociosexuality. Partnered men who reported greater desire for uncommitted sexual activity had testosterone levels that were comparable to those of single men; partnered women who reported more frequent uncommitted sexual behavior had testosterone levels that were comparable to those of single women. These findings provide new evidence that people's orientations toward sexual relationships, in combination with their relationship status, are associated with individual differences in testosterone. The current results are also among the first to demonstrate sociosexuality-testosterone associations in both men and women, and they reveal that the nature of these associations varies by gender. Together, these findings highlight the utility of a multifaceted conceptualization of sociosexuality and the implications of this conceptualization for neuroendocrine processes.


Assuntos
Libido/fisiologia , Comportamento Sexual/fisiologia , Comportamento Sexual/psicologia , Parceiros Sexuais/psicologia , Comportamento Social , Testosterona/sangue , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fatores Sexuais , Testosterona/fisiologia , Adulto Jovem
18.
Dev Psychobiol ; 53(2): 166-74, 2011 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21298631

RESUMO

The purpose of this study was to identify whether cortisol reactivity to a stressful laboratory event was related to children's memory of that event and to determine whether this relation was comparable to that observed in adults. Nine- to 12-year-olds and young adults completed an impromptu speech and math task during which repeated cortisol samples and self-reported stress ratings were collected. Two weeks later, participants' memory for the tasks was examined. Greater cortisol reactivity was associated with enhanced memory, most prominently in children. Self-reported stress was unrelated to memory. Findings reveal that an important mechanism underlying the association between emotion and memory in adults, namely activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, appears to operate similarly in late childhood. Findings also demonstrate that positive associations between cortisol reactivity and memory are evident when the event that actually elicited that reactivity serves as the to-be-remembered event.


Assuntos
Hidrocortisona/metabolismo , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisário/metabolismo , Memória/fisiologia , Sistema Hipófise-Suprarrenal/metabolismo , Estresse Psicológico/metabolismo , Adolescente , Criança , Emoções/fisiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Hidrocortisona/análise , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisário/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Sistema Hipófise-Suprarrenal/fisiopatologia , Saliva/química , Estresse Psicológico/fisiopatologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto Jovem
19.
Psychoneuroendocrinology ; 132: 105357, 2021 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34303223

RESUMO

Despite progress in understanding the social neuroendocrinology of close relationship processes, most work has focused on negative experiences, such as relationship conflict or stress. As a result, much less is known about the neuroendocrine implications of positive, emotionally intimate relationship experiences. In the current study, we randomly assigned 105 dating or married couples to a 30-minute semi-structured discussion task that was designed to elicit either high or low levels of closeness. Participants provided pre- and post-task saliva samples (to assess cortisol and testosterone) and post-task reports of self-disclosure, closeness, attraction, positive and negative affect, and stress. Participants found the discussion conditions comparably positive and enjoyable, but those in the high-closeness condition reported that they disclosed marginally more and felt marginally closer to their partners than those in the low-closeness condition. Participants also showed larger increases in cortisol and testosterone during the high (versus low) closeness discussion, and self-reported disclosure mediated these increases in cortisol and testosterone. Self-reported closeness and other theoretically plausible mediators, such as sexual attraction and excitement, did not mediate changes in either hormone. Taken together, the current findings contribute to our understanding of neuroendocrine changes associated with emotionally intimate relationship experiences. We consider possible explanations for the hormone changes we observed and offer directions for future research on the neuroendocrine implications of close relationship experiences.


Assuntos
Hidrocortisona , Testosterona , Humanos , Relações Interpessoais , Saliva , Comportamento Sexual , Parceiros Sexuais
20.
J Marriage Fam ; 83(5): 1420-1438, 2021 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38283831

RESUMO

Objective and background: Previous research suggests that cultural adaptation is associated with Mexican-origin couples' marital outcomes, including marital distress and rates of dissolution. However, research on the marital implications of different types of spousal differences in cultural adaptation often omits important dyadic dynamics (i.e., incongruence between couples and with their partners); this, coupled with existing methodological issues, might contribute to the pattern of mixed findings in the literature. Method: Using data from 273 Mexican-origin couples, we conducted response surface analyses to examine how spousal congruence in four adaptation domains (acculturation, enculturation, English proficiency, Spanish proficiency) is associated with wives' and husbands' marital warmth, hostility and satisfaction. Results: Higher, versus lower, levels of couple matches (except for enculturation) were associated with better marital quality. Mismatches in American (acculturation, English) and Mexican (enculturation, Spanish) orientations were also associated with higher, and lower, marital quality, respectively. Conclusion and implication: Our findings highlight the importance of examining couple matching, which has historically been understudied. We also suggest that inconsistencies in prior work can be explained by discrepant associations between mismatches in American versus Mexican orientation and relationship outcomes.

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