ScienceDaily: Relationship News

E-commerce's future is in creating 'swift guanxi,' or personal and social rapport

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:51:51 EDT

Despite the reputation of online marketplaces being distant and impersonal, through social technologies such as instant messaging, they can create the sense of personal and social relationships between buyers and sellers, termed "swift guanxi" in China, to facilitate loyalty, interactivity and repeat transactions, according to new research.

Automated 'coach' could help with social interactions

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:56:56 EDT

A new software system could help people improve their conversational and interview skills.

People anticipate others' genuine smiles, but not polite smiles

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Smile and the world smiles with you -- but new research suggests that not all smiles are created equal. The research shows that people actually anticipate smiles that are genuine but not smiles that are merely polite. The differing responses may reflect the unique social value of genuine smiles.

Big movies and other cultural products have evolutionary roots

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Epic battles, whirlwind romances, family feuds, heroic attempts to save the lives of strangers: these are stories guaranteed to grace the silver screen. According to new research, that's not lazy scriptwriting, that's evolutionary consumerism.

Humans are happier when they do the right thing; It also helps them overcome difficulties

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:30:30 EDT

Communities that stick together and do good for others cope better with crises and are happier for it, according to a new study. Part of the reason for this greater resilience is the fact that humans are more than simply social beings, they are so-called 'pro-social' beings. In other words, they get happiness not just from doing things with others, but from doing things both with and for others.

You're so vain: Study links social media use and narcissism

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:21:21 EDT

Facebook is a mirror and Twitter is a megaphone, according to a new study exploring how social media reflect and amplify the culture's growing levels of narcissism.

Intervention to reduce lifelong effects associated with childhood neglect and emotional abuse

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:25:25 EDT

Preschool children who have been neglected or emotionally abused exhibit a range of emotional and behavioral difficulties and adverse mother-child interactions that indicate these children require prompt evaluation and interventions, according to a systematic review.

How similar are the gestures of apes and human infants? More than you might suspect

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:08:08 EDT

A new study used naturalistic video data for the first time to compare gestures in a female chimpanzee, bonobo and human infant.

Facebook: A confidence boost for first-gen college students

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:51:51 EDT

Facebook connections can help first-generation college applicants believe in their abilities to both apply to school and excel once they've enrolled, according to a new study.

Excessive Facebook use can damage relationships, study suggests

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:08:08 EDT

Individuals who use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.

Why innovation thrives in cities

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:39:39 EDT

Double a city's population and its economic productivity goes up 130 percent. Researchers think they know why.

Meeting online leads to happier, more enduring marriages

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:37:37 EDT

More than a third of marriages between 2005 and 2012 began online, according to new research which also found that online couples have happier, longer marriages.

Women reject sexually promiscuous peers when making female friends

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:22:22 EDT

College-aged women judge promiscuous female peers more negatively than more chaste women and view them as unsuitable for friendship, according to psychologists.

Sleep deprived men over perceive women's sexual interest and intent

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:55:55 EDT

A new study suggests that one night of sleep deprivation leads to an increase in men's perceptions of both women's interest in and intent to have sex.

Big feet preference in rural Indonesia defies one-size-fits-all theory of attractiveness

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:44:44 EDT

People in most cultures view women with small feet as attractive and a sign of a potential mate's youth and fertility. But a new research study shows that the Karo Batak living in rural villages in Indonesia deem women with big feet as more appealing, suggesting that culture – not just genetics – plays a role in deciding what makes a mate attractive.

Putting the brakes on distracted driving

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:44:44 EDT

If you're still using your mobile phone behind the wheel, University of Alberta sociology researcher Abu Nurullah likely has your number.

Different types of psychotherapy have similar benefits for depression

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:10:10 EDT

Treatments for depression that don't involve antidepressant drugs but rather focus on different forms of talking therapy (referred to as psychotherapeutic interventions) are all beneficial, with no one form of therapy being better than the others, according to a new study.

Men, women lie about sex to match gender expectations

Tue, 28 May 2013 12:23:23 EDT

People will lie about their sexual behavior to match cultural expectations about how men or women should act – even though they wouldn’t distort other gender-related behaviors, new research suggests.

Male testosterone levels increase when victorious in competition against rivals, but not friends

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:53:53 EDT

A study has found that testosterone levels during group competition are modulated depending on the relationships among the competitors and may be related to the formation of alliances in warfare.

Power of prayer: Studies find prayer can lead to cooperation, forgiveness in relationships

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:41:41 EDT

Praying for a romantic partner or close friend can lead to more cooperative and forgiving behavior toward the partner, according to a new study.

Couples' thoughts during disagreements affect relationship satisfaction

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:50 EDT

People who are unhappy in their romantic relationship spend more time during a disagreement thinking about how angry and frustrated they are, but happy couples coordinate their thoughts so that when one partner has many emotional thoughts, the other has few, according to a new study.

Openly gay: Does it affect performance appraisal?

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

Although knowing an actor is gay significantly affected ratings of his masculinity, there was no significant effect on ratings of his acting performance, researchers say.

Fun and friends help ease the pain of breast cancer

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Breast cancer patients who say they have people with whom they have a good time, or have "positive social interactions" with, are better able to deal with pain and other physical symptoms, according to a new study.

Laughter perception networks in brain different for mocking, joyful or ticklish laughter

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

A laugh may signal mockery, humor, joy or simply be a response to tickling, but each kind of laughter conveys a wealth of auditory and social information. These different kinds of laughter also spark different connections within the "laughter perception network" in the human brain depending on their context, according to new research.

Social isolation of young adults with autism spectrum disorder examined

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

Young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be socially isolated. That’s the finding of new research that studies the social outcomes of young adults with an ASD.

Humor styles and bullying in schools: Not a laughing matter

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:06:06 EDT

There is a clear link between children’s use of humor and their susceptibility to being bullied by their peers, according to a major new study.

Risk of depression influenced by quality of relationships

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:40:40 EDT

After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 American adults, researchers found that the quality of a person’s relationships with a spouse, family and friends predicted the likelihood of major depression disorder in the future, regardless of how frequently their social interactions took place.

Good days, bad days: When should you make sacrifices in a relationship?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:21 EDT

A new study suggests that while making sacrifices in a romantic relationship is generally a positive thing, doing so on days when you are feeling especially stressed may not be beneficial.

A text message a day keeps the asthma attack away

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Simply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes.

Researchers successfully treat autism in infants: Playing games that infants prefer can lessen severity of symptoms

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:25:25 EDT

Most infants respond to a game of peek-a-boo with smiles at the very least, and, for those who find the activity particularly entertaining, gales of laughter. For infants with autism spectrum disorders, however, the game can be distressing rather than pleasant, and they'll do their best to tune out all aspects of it -- and that includes the people playing with them.

Do you fear you are missing out?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Does checking Twitter and Facebook to see what your friends are up to make you feel like you are missing out on all the fun? Researchers have come up with a way of measuring the modern day concept of the “fear of missing out” (FoMO).

Visitors and residents: Students' attitudes to academic use of social media

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Research has shown that university students behave very differently when using social media as part of their academic learning.

Sexually explicit material affects behavior in young people less than thought

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:15:15 EDT

Viewing sexually explicit material through media such as the Internet, videos, and magazines may be directly linked with the sexual behavior of adolescents and young adults, but only to a very small extent. The findings suggest that the practice is just one of many factors that may influence the sexual behaviors of young people.

Pedophiles identified accurately with implicit association tasks

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:14:14 EDT

A combination of two tasks for implied sexual associations has distinguished -- with more than 90 per cent certainty -- a group of pedophilic men from a group of men with a sexual preference for adult women. In the long term this could lead to a diagnostic test, for example for men who have applied to work with children.

Reasons for attending college affect students' academic success

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Students not performing well academically? Look no further—the answer may be in their motivation for attending college in the first place. Researchers found that student motivation for attending college is related to academic success. And, they uncover unique relationships that exist between the different types of student motivation —- as conceptualized by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) -— and academic achievement and persistence.

Facebook and romantic relationships

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:07:07 EDT

A Western Illinois University faculty member who published a widely covered study about Facebook and narcissism last year has authored another study about Facebook and romantic relationships.

Social gaming promotes healthy behavior, reveals new research

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:01:01 EDT

Adding social gaming elements to a behavior tracking program led people to exercise more frequently and helped them decrease their body-mass index, according to new research.

Brain-behavior associations: Researchers look at ties between early social experiences and adolescent brain function

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:59:59 EDT

Brains develop in the context of experience. Social experiences may be particularly relevant for developing neural circuits related to the experience of feeling or emotion. Factors such as negative life events and the quality of relationships also matter. New findings come from four large, longitudinal studies of high-risk adolescents from varied backgrounds.

Children and teens with autism more likely to become preoccupied with video games

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:07:07 EDT

Children and teens with autism spectrum disorder use screen-based media, such as television and video games, more often than their typically developing peers and are more likely to develop problematic video game habits, a researcher found.

Not everyone likes the company picnic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:39:39 EDT

The workers who may have the most to gain from attending company social events may be the ones who actually get the least value from them, a new study suggests.

The bigger the group, the smaller the chance of interracial friendship

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:23:23 EDT

The larger the group, the smaller the chance of forming interracial friendships, a new study shows.

In sex, happiness hinges on keeping up with the Joneses

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:47:47 EDT

In sex, happiness hinges on keeping up with the Joneses, a new study finds. Sex apparently is like income: People are generally happy when they keep pace with the Joneses and they're even happier if they get a bit more.

Strong urban cores promote socializing in the city

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:44:44 EDT

Opportunities for social interaction -- which are important for individual, economic and social well-being -- are hampered in decentralized cities, even more than by fragmented urban layouts and long commute times, say researchers.

Teenage smoking behavior influenced by friends' and parents' smoking habits

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:24:24 EDT

The company you keep in junior high school may have more influence on your smoking behavior than your high school friends, according to newly published research.

Romantic comedies affect beliefs about relationships less strongly than expected

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:42:42 EDT

Romantic-comedy films are not a major source for developing unrealistic expectations about relationships among young adults, finds a new study to be published online this week in the National Communication Association’s journal Communication Monographs.

Individual donation amounts drop when givers are in groups

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:17:17 EDT

An anthropologist recently found that even when multiple individuals can contribute to a common cause, the presence of others reduces an individual's likelihood of helping.

Information technology amplifies irrational group behavior

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:40:40 EDT

Web tools and social media are our key sources of information when we make decisions as citizens and consumers. But these information technologies can mislead us by magnifying social processes that distort facts and make us act contrary to our own interests. Companies such as Google and Facebook have designed algorithms that are intended to filter away irrelevant information -- known as information selection -- so that we are only served content that fits our clicking history. Researchers say this is, from a democratic perspective, a problem as you may never in your online life encounter views or arguments that contradict your worldview.

Relationships: Team women versus distant men

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:28:28 EDT

Women immerse themselves in their romantic relationships, while men place their best friendships and romantic partners on an equal but distant footing.

Social media: The perils and pleasures

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:18:18 EDT

Too much social media activity may damage strong relationships.

There is no single sexy chin, study shows

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:51:51 EDT

A new global study finds significant geographic differences in chin shapes.

Low on self-control? Surrounding yourself with strong-willed friends may help

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:20:20 EDT

People with low self-control prefer and depend on people with high self-control, possibly as a way to make up for the skills they themselves lack, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Subtle hallmarks of psychiatric illness can reveal themselves even remotely

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:59:59 EDT

Researchers discovered that healthy people and those with borderline personality disorder displayed different patterns of behavior while playing an online strategy game, so much so that when healthy players played people with borderline personality disorder, they gave up on trying to predict what their partners would do next.

How stepdads can avoid missteps

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:46:46 EDT

A new study found three factors that contribute to feelings of closeness in stepfamilies: the couple keeps arguments to a minimum; mothers help children feel comfortable sharing their frustrations; and the stepfather and mother agree on how to parent.

Marriages benefit when fathers share household, parenting responsibilities, MU researcher says

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:39:39 EDT

Although no exact formula for marital bliss exists, a researcher has found that husbands and wives are happier when they share household and child-rearing responsibilities. However, sharing responsibilities doesn't necessarily mean couples divide chores equally.

Marriage can threaten health: Study finds satisfied newlyweds more likely to gain weight

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:04:04 EDT

A study of 169 newlywed couples finds that spouses who are more satisfied with their marriage are more likely to gain weight because they are less likely to consider divorce and thus find a new partner.

Artifacts shed light on social networks of the past

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:40:40 EDT

The advent of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have made us all more connected, but long-distance social networks existed long before the Internet. A new study led by an anthropologist provides new information on social networks in the pre-Hispanic Southwest in A.D. 1200-1450. Among the findings are that people were able to maintain surprisingly long distance relationships in a time when the only mode of transportation was walking.

Parent-child violence leads to teen dating violence, study suggests

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:02:02 EDT

Teen dating violence is all too common and according to researchers it is a reflection of the relationships teens have with their parents or their parent’s partner.

Same-sex parents are judged more harshly than heterosexual parents, study suggests

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:53:53 EDT

Is there a double standard for gay parents? A new study suggests that gay parents are being judged more harshly than straight parents.

Feeling sick makes us less social online, too

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

When it comes to posting on social media, there are few areas of our lives that are off limits. We post about eating, working, playing, hunting, quilting – you name it. Just about everything is up for public consumption … except our health.

Do i know you? Memory patterns help us recall the social webs we weave

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:19:19 EDT

With a dizzying number of ties in our social networks – that your Aunt Alice is a neighbor of Muhammad who is married to Natasha who is your wife’s boss – it’s a wonder we remember any of it. How do we keep track of the complexity? We cheat, says a sociologist.