Walking hand in hand: The role of affection-sharing in understanding the social network effect in same-sex, mixed-sex, and gender-diverse relationships.

Individuals who perceive greater support or approval for their relationships from friends and family also report greater relationship stability and commitment and better mental and physical health (known as the "social network effect"). These associations have been explained, in part, through three cognitive-affective processes: uncertainty reduction, cognitive balance, and dyadic identity formation. However, we know less about cognitive- mechanisms that might help explain the social network effect.

Femmephobia Is a Uniquely Powerful Predictor of Anti-Gay Behavior.

The current study explored a form of femmephobia (specifically, negative attitudes toward femininity in men) as a predictor of anti-gay behaviors among a sample of heterosexual men (N = 417). Additional predictor variables included hierarchical worldviews (i.e.

On guard: Public versus private affection-sharing experiences in same-sex, gender-diverse, and mixed-sex relationships.

This study compared public versus private affection-sharing experiences of individuals in mixed-sex ( = 1018), same-sex ( = 561), and gender-diverse ( = 96) relationships. Private affection-sharing was similar across groups, except those in mixed-sex relationships reported somewhat less comfort doing so. Despite having a stronger desire to engage in public affection-sharing, those in same-sex and gender-diverse relationships shared public affection less frequently, were less comfortable doing so, refrained from doing so more often, and experienced much higher levels of vigilance related to public affection-sharing, compared to those in mixed-sex relationships.

Menstrual Cycle Changes in Daily Sexual Motivation and Behavior Among Sexually Diverse Cisgender Women.

We used a one-month daily diary assessment to measure menstrual cycle-related changes in same-gender and other-gender sexual motivation and behavior in 148 cisgender women (32% lesbian-identified, 35% bisexually identified, and 33% heterosexual-identified). Women with exclusive same-gender orientations reported increased motivation for same-gender sexual contact during the higher-fertility phase of the cycle, but women with exclusive other-gender orientations did not show a parallel increase in other-gender sexual motivation during the higher-fertility phase. Bisexually attracted women showed no phase-related changes in same-gender or other-gender sexual motivation, regardless of whether they generally preferred one gender versus the other.

Who Counts as Sexually Fluid? Comparing Four Different Types of Sexual Fluidity in Women.

Previous research has examined the phenomenon of "sexual fluidity," but there is no current consensus on the specific meaning and operationalization of this construct. The present study used a sample of 76 women with diverse sexual orientations to compare four different types of sexual fluidity: (1) fluidity as overall erotic responsiveness to one's less-preferred gender, (2) fluidity as situational variability in erotic responsiveness to one's less-preferred gender, (3) fluidity as discrepancy between the gender patterning of sexual attractions and the gender patterning of sexual partnering, and (4) fluidity as instability in day-to-day attractions over time. We examined how these four types of fluidity relate to one another and to other features of women's sexual profiles (bisexual vs.

Stability of Sexual Attractions Across Different Timescales: The Roles of Bisexuality and Gender.

We examined the stability of same-sex and other-sex attractions among 294 heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 years. Participants used online daily diaries to report the intensity of each day's strongest same-sex and other-sex attraction, and they also reported on changes they recalled experiencing in their attractions since adolescence. We used multilevel dynamical systems models to examine individual differences in the stability of daily attractions (stability, in these models, denotes the tendency for attractions to "self-correct" toward a person-specific setpoint over time).

Differential Associations of Communication and Love in Heterosexual, Lesbian, and Bisexual Women's Perceptions and Experiences of Chronic Vulvar and Pelvic Pain.

The literature on genital and pelvic pain has largely focused on heterosexual women. An online study examined characteristics of vulvar pain in 839 lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women 18-45 years of age and investigated associations between relationship qualities such as love and communication with participants' perceptions of pain's influence on relationships. Characteristics of vulvar pain were similar across groups.

Go long! Predictors of positive relationship outcomes in long-distance dating relationships.

Little is known about long-distance dating relationships. This study aimed to investigate differences between long-distance dating relationships and geographically close relationships and to explore predictors of relationship quality. Participants were 474 women and 243 men in long-distance dating relationships and 314 women and 111 men in geographically close relationships.

Women's sexual satisfaction as a predictor of well-being in same-sex versus mixed-sex relationships.

Structural equation modelling was used to assess the strengths of the links between sexual satisfaction and self-reported (a) relationship well-being, (b) mental health, and (c) physical health for women in same-sex (i.e., homosexual, n = 114) versus mixed-sex (i.

Sexual desire, communication, satisfaction, and preferences of men and women in same-sex versus mixed-sex relationships.

In an online study, measures of subjective sexual experiences in one's current relationship were compared across four groups: Men and women in mixed-sex (i.e., heterosexual) and same-sex (i.

Maintenance treatment of schizophrenia with risperidone or haloperidol: 2-year outcomes.

Objective: Most controlled studies comparing second-generation and conventional antipsychotics have focused on the acute treatment of schizophrenia. The authors compared symptom outcomes, side effects, and social adjustment in stable schizophrenia outpatients who received 2 years of maintenance treatment with risperidone or haloperidol.

Method: This was a 2-year, randomized, double-blind comparison of 6 mg of risperidone versus haloperidol in 63 patients with stabilized DSM-IV schizophrenia.

In vivo amplified skills training: promoting generalization of independent living skills for clients with schizophrenia.

In Vivo Amplified Skills Training, IVAST, functions to bridge the gap between clinic-based skills training and use of social and independent living skills in everyday life for persons with schizophrenia and other serious and persistent mental illness. IVAST utilizes a specialist case manager who provides individualized, community-based teaching using behavioral techniques to promote clients' use of skills that were learned in classroom group sessions. The IVAST trainer also liaises with the client's psychiatrist and other clinic-based staff, family members, and community agencies to create opportunities, encouragement and reinforcement for the client's independent use of skills in the community.

Supplementing clinic-based skills training with manual-based community support sessions: effects on social adjustment of patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Although skills training is a validated psychosocial treatment for schizophrenia, generalization of the skills to everyday life has not been optimal. This study evaluated a behaviorally oriented method of augmenting clinic-based skills training in the community with the aim of improving opportunities, encouragement, and reinforcement for outpatients to use their skills in their natural environment.

Method: Sixty-three individuals with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to 60 weeks of clinic-based skills training alone or of clinic-based skills training supplemented with manual-based generalization sessions in the community.