Fertility cycle patterns in motives for sexual behavior.

Three studies examined the relationship between fertility, as indexed by day in cycle or salivary estradiol levels, and reported motives for sexual intercourse. Data from university and community samples in both cross-sectional and repeated-measures designs showed that sex-for-intimacy motives are endorsed significantly less by women who are relatively more fertile or show higher salivary estrogen levels. Sex for enhancement, self-affirmation, and partner approval also declined, although the data were less consistent.

Seventy years of research on personality and close relationships: substantive and methodological trends over time.

The present review is based on a quantitative analysis of the abstracts for 477 studies published since 1932 on the topic of personality and close (romantic) relationships. This approach enables a "bird's-eye" view of the content and methods that have characterized research in this area and an examination of publication trends over time. Results showed that 60% of all published studies in this area relied exclusively on cross-sectional and self-report methods; that nearly all used convenience samples, though more than half used nonstudent samples; and that more than one-third relied exclusively on data from individuals rather than couples.