bims-chumac 2021-08-29 papers

Issue of 2021–08–29
three papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society

J Sex Res. 2021 Aug 25. 1-14

Is Infidelity Predictable? Using Explainable Machine Learning to Identify the Most Important Predictors of Infidelity.

Laura M Vowels, Matthew J Vowels, Kristen P Mark.

Infidelity can be a disruptive event in a romantic relationship with a devastating impact on both partners' well-being. Thus, there are benefits to identifying factors that can explain or predict infidelity, but prior research has not utilized methods that would provide the relative importance of each predictor. We used a machine learning algorithm, random forest (a type of interpretable highly non-linear decision tree), to predict in-person and online infidelity across two studies (one individual and one dyadic, N = 1,295). We also used a game theoretic explanation technique, Shapley values, which allowed us to estimate the effect size of each predictor variable on infidelity. The present study showed that infidelity was somewhat predictable overall and interpersonal factors such as relationship satisfaction, love, desire, and relationship length were the most predictive of online and in person infidelity. The results suggest that addressing relationship difficulties early in the relationship may help prevent infidelity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.1967846

Sex Roles. 2021 Aug 19. 1-18

These Boots Weren't Made for Walking: Gendered Discrepancies in Wearing Painful, Restricting, or Distracting Clothing.

Renee Engeln, Anne Zola.

Using the framework of objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts in Psychology of Women Quarterly 21(2): 173-206, 1997), the current studies explored how often women (vs. men) reported wearing clothing that is painful, distracting, and/or restricting (PDR clothing). Additionally, we examined differences in body surveillance (i.e., chronically monitoring the appearance of one's body) and body appreciation between those who reported wearing various types of PDR clothing and those who did not. In both a sample of U.S. college students (n = 545) and a broader sample of U.S. adults (n = 252), results indicated that women were substantially more likely to wear PDR clothing than men. Across both samples, the largest differences between men and women were in wearing uncomfortable or painful shoes and in wearing clothing that is distracting because it requires ongoing monitoring or adjusting. Women and men with higher body surveillance were more likely to report wearing PDR clothing. Though some findings pointed toward a negative association between body appreciation and wearing PDR clothing, these results were inconsistent. Overall, results were consistent with the notion that the gendered nature of clothing might reflect and provoke chronic vigilance of the body's appearance. Gendered differences in the extent to which clothing promotes comfort and movement vs. discomfort and distraction has clear implications for women's quality of life.

Keywords: Body appreciation; Body surveillance; Clothing; Fashion; Gender; Objectification; Sex roles

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-021-01230-9

Fam Process. 2021 Aug 25.

Becoming what you are seeking: Building Relational Self-Awareness in emerging adults.

Alexandra H Solomon, Carolina J Martinez, James Eric Wren.

Emerging adults are attempting to navigate a rapidly shifting and immensely complicated landscape of modern love, often without meaningful sex and relationship education. Although individually oriented relationship education programs for emerging adults make a difference in the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the recipients (Simpson et al., Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2018, 47, 477) and most emerging adults report they yearn for relationship education (Weissbourd et al., The talk: How adults can promote young people's healthy relationships and prevent misogyny and sexual harassment, 2017), these programs are not widely available. Educators who are working with emerging adults in a classroom or psychoeducational setting are well-positioned to help emerging adults identify and enact healthy and purposeful relational and sexual choices. The first part of the paper orients readers to the "topography" of the modern love landscape by describing four macro cultural themes that impact the intimate lives of emerging adults. The second part of the paper introduces relationship educators to Relational Self-Awareness (Solomon, Loving Bravely: 20 lessons of self-discovery to help you get the love you want, New Harbinger, 2017), an integrative approach to helping emerging adults understand the self-in-relationship. Each of the five pillars of Relational Self-Awareness is defined and operationalized, and specific recommendations are provided for how educators can integrate these pillars into their existing curricula. Clinical implications and future directions are offered.

Keywords: Dating; Emerging Adulthood; Intimate Relationships; Psychoeducation; Relationship Education; Sex Education; adultez emergente; citas; educación sexual; educación sobre las relaciones; psicoeducación; relaciones amorosas; 亲密关系; 关系教育; 刚成年的成人期; 心理教育; 性教育; 约会

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12697