Browsing by Subject "Intimacy (Psychology)"
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Item An examination of selected variables related to father-adult son intimacy(Texas Tech University, 1983-05) Skinner, ByronLittle scientific knowledge exists concerning father-son intimacy during adulthood. Four variables were identified from developmental literature and equity theory as being possible indicators of intimacy in the middle-aged father and young-adult son relationship. Commitment to the relationship, frequency of interaction, and perception of equity in the relationship were expected to be positive predictors of intimacy, while the direction of influence of son's age was uncertain. Fifty-five father and son dyads, representing three cohort groups (1980 graduates and fathers, 1982 graduates and fathers, and current freshmen and fathers) completed mailed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of their relationships. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated that only commitment to the relationship was associated with the perception of intimacy for fathers and sons. In addition, analyses of variance indicated that cohort years and generations differed in perceptions of equity and frequency of interaction. Conclusions were that father's and son's level of commitment serves as a predictor of the perceived intimacy in their relationship, and that fathers and sons assess the intimacy in their relationship by the use of different variables at different developmental stages. The results supported the developmental theories of Gould (1978) and Levinson (1987) concerning adult males. No support was found for the interpretation of equity theory. Recommendations were offered for future research.Item Attitudes toward love and intimacy in women with eating disorder characteristics(Texas Tech University, 1991-08) Raciti, MariaEating disorder literature has supported the idea that women with eating disorder characteristics have difficulty in intimate relationships. Literature has also noted that an eating disorder may be complicated by a concurrent affective disorder, substance abuse problem, or weight problem. Within the context of an intimate relationship, such a combination is likely to threaten the quality of interpersonal attitudes and behavior. The current study explored theories proposing relationship difficulties in women with eating disorder characteristics, in a sample of 208 young women. Results indicated that eating disorder characteristics were most consistently positively related to a possessive, dependent, and game-playing approach to love, and most consistently negatively related to a passionate or companionate approach to love. Also, eating disorder characteristics were found to be positively correlated with open, casual, and instrumental attitudes toward sexuality. Negative correlations were found between eating disorder characteristics and sexual self-esteem. Eating disorder characteristics were also found to be highly correlated with depression. Many of the relationships between eating disorder characteristics and interpersonal variables were reduced when the effects of depression were controlled. Other interesting findings included positive correlations between eating disorder characteristics and reported degree of substance use, and between eating disorder characteristics and problematic weight history. Also, negative correlations were found between eating disorder characteristics and sexual selfesteem.Item Emotional intimacy between heterosexual males(Texas Tech University, 1986-08) Todd, TracyNot availableItem Gender differences and perceived gender differences in love and sexual attitudes(Texas Tech University, 1993-08) Bettor, Laura LLiterature in the area of love and sexual attitudes supports the idea that different sexual standards for men and women that are held by either partner in the relationship, or by significant others, including society, may be influential in regard to the fate of the relationship. Historically, a double standard has been held concerning premarital sex for men and women, and it is evident that aspects of the double standard are embedded in gender roles. Throughout the history of the double standard, sex has been a goal for men, and women have been expected to set sexual limits if they want commitment from men. The current study examined the impact of gender differences and perceived gender differences on close relationships. Partners were studied in interaction in two types of vignettes. In one vignette, a sexual interaction had taken place in the context of a casual relationship, and in the other, a sexual interaction had taken place in a serious, romantic relationship. The sample of 148 male and 148 female subjects were asked to complete a series of questionnaires as they believed the persons in the vignettes would answer them. The questionnaires addressed love attitudes, sexual attitudes, self-esteem, sexual guilt, attitudes toward women, trait descriptors, and acceptance of a dating or marital relationship with the stimulus person for the self, a brother, or a sister. Subjects were also asked to answer a subjective measure concerning their own views on love and sex. No subject evaluated both a male and female stimulus person, and no subject evaluated a stimulus person in both relationship conditions. Results indicated that the effect of the emotional context in which the sexual interaction took place was much stronger than the effect of the gender of the stimulus person or the gender of the subject. Differing most across conditions were love attitudes, personal relevance of the stimulus person, and some sexual attitudes. Interestingly, stimulus person gender, emotional context, and subject gender had little impact on sexual guilt, and no impact on self-esteem. There were several additional interesting findings. Female raters perceived the male stimulus person to be less romantic and more game-playing than did male raters. Also, male raters perceived that the male stimulus person felt more guilt than did the female stimulus person. Overall, male subjects seemed more accepting of casual sex and were less judgmental of the people involved. Considering the subjects' subjective views on love and sex, it is evident that some gender-specific standards are still intact, and that men and women still follow certain sexual scripts. Several female subjects tended to see the male stimulus person in the serious context as a perfect mate, and males assumed that the female stimulus person in the serious context had made the male wait for sex. Both male and female respondents assumed that in the casual context, the male stimulus person was using the female. Male respondents seemed to view this as a common situation, while female respondents evidenced anger toward males. Given the changing rates of marital patterns in today's society, as well as the current political and social struggles between genders, further and more precise research in the area of gender differences in love and sex attitudes appears warranted. Once there is a better understanding of gender differences, perhaps existing sexual standards will be better understood, differences between men and women may be valued, and other changes in the social and political realms will result.Item Gender, relationship power, and coping with romantic jealousy(Texas Tech University, 1991-12) Dodge, Anthony RA spirited research interest in romantic jealousy within the past decade has not shown one gender to be more jealous than the other; however, important observations have been made concerning differences in vulnerability to jealousy threats and in the ways that men and women manage jealousy. Some researchers have noted that these differences are not attributable to gender, per se, but to sex role and power inequities in relationships. This study investigated the proposal that differences in men's and women's management of jealousy might be associated with the distribution of power in romantic relationships. Following a preliminary study, 244 female and 156 male students at two Texas universities completed a questionnaire that included items for further development of the Relationship Power Scale and self-report measures of affect responses and coping strategies used in a recent jealousy experience involving their partners. Internal reliability was shown for the resultant measure of relationship power, but validation data suggested that the construct may have had different implications for males and females. Factor analyses of jealousy affect produced a two factor solution representing anger and anxiety. Similarly, factor analyses of jealousy coping yielded four direct/bilateral and five indirect/unilateral scales. There was no difference in males' and females' scores on relationship power. The findings also failed to show that either gender or relationship power were related to anger or the engagement of direct/bilateral strategies such as seeking retribution, aggressing toward the partner or rival, or even asserting oneself. Coercion related to power only for males, but unexpectedly, greater power was inversely related to coercion. Consistent with the research hypotheses, participants with less relationship power experienced greater anxiety, but this association was stronger for males. As predicted, males reported greater use of withdrawal; however, females in equitable relationships were least likely to withdraw or avoid the partner when jealous. Except those in equitable relationships, females compared themselves to rivals more than males, and, unexpectedly, males engaged in greater self-blame and displacement. Positive reframing was utilized most by equitable status males. Although inferences pertaining to anger and direct/bilateral coping strategies are not possible, the findings suggested that high power status males and females in equitable relationships were troubled least by jealousy. Surprisingly, low and high power females appeared to manage jealousy in a similar fashion. The inclusion of additional variables in regression analyses suggested that, in addition to power, qualitative aspects of the relationship may be important predictors of females' jealousy, whereas males' jealousy may also relate to sex attitudes and degree of security concerning their partner's sexual fidelity.Item The influence of parental bonding, male gender role conflict, and affect regulation on adult attachment avoidance : predictors of men's discomfort with intimacy(2008-08) Land, Lee Nathaniel, 1976-; Rochlen, Aaron B.Past research has indicated that masculine socialization norms contribute to avoidance of intimacy in close relationships, which has been proposed to inhibit men’s psychological adjustment. The goal of the current dissertation was to examine associations among parental bonding, gender role conflict, affect regulation capacity, and adult attachment avoidance to describe the dynamic interaction between psychological and societal influences impacting adult attachment style. The present investigation employed a developmental contextual framework used to examine attachment and psychoanalytic theories describing the evolution of characteristic male interpersonal strategies. In the current study, it was proposed that parental bonding would predict adult attachment avoidance, gender role conflict, and affect regulation capacity. It was also hypothesized that both gender role conflict and three distinct affect regulation variables would predict adult attachment avoidance. Finally, the study aimed to test a model proposing that gender role conflict and affect regulation variables mediate the relationship between parental bonding and avoidance of intimacy in romantic relationships. Two hundred and sixty-six undergraduate men completed a series of online surveys and 10 of these individuals participated in open-ended, follow-up interviews. The relationships between study variables were examined with linear regression and mediational analyses. Qualitative data regarding constructs of interest were elicited from interview respondents and interpreted for themes. Results demonstrated partial support for mediation effects, indicating that gender role conflict, emotion regulation suppression, and emotion regulation reappraisal helped to explain the association between maternal bonding care and adult attachment avoidance. In addition, interview themes related to five content areas were described and integrated with implications for future research directions and clinical applications. Results of this study identified significant mechanisms underlying the development of men’s maladaptive discomfort with intimacy in adulthood. Findings revealed through investigation of male interpersonal connections and the origins of specific emotion regulation strategies will assist researchers and clinicians to further elucidate the construct of masculinity from a developmental contextual perspective. Study outcomes indicated that masculine gender role socialization and capacity to regulate affect should be key points of intervention for therapists working with men presenting with relational difficulties linked to early parental attachments.Item Love and commitment in close relationships(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Diana, Lisa Ann KaschKelley's (1979) Interdependence Theory and his (1983) conceptualization of love and commitment as well as Johnson's (1991) framework of commitment formed the basis for hypotheses regarding the prediction of commitment from love and other variables. From a sample of college students who were primarily steadily dating, mixed support for the hypotheses was obtained. Using Steck et al.'s (1983) love subscales, the caring aspect of love was not more predictive of commitment than the trust or need aspects of love. Unexpectedly, factor analysis on Steck et al.'s (1983) love scale resulted in two rather than three components of love. As expected, the predictors of commitment were associated with one another. Contrary to predictions, structural, external variables (alternatives to the current relationship) were more predictive of commitment than personal, internal variables (love and inequity). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.Item Spiritual attachment and sexual satisfaction in marriage(Texas Tech University, 2002-12) Arterburn, Don R.There is much to learn about how a couple's sexual concerns and relational concerns are interrelated. We know relatively little about fulfilling sex and lasting intimacy within long-term committed relationships such as marriage (Schnarch, 1997). Recent changes in the expectations of committed relationships may help explain this lack of understanding. Schnarch (1997) states that for most of history, marriages were arranged for social, economic, and political reasons, yet at no time have people expected more gratification and fulfillment from a long-term, intimate, couple relationship than they do today. These exalted expectations and the inability of marriages to meet them may be reflected in the high divorce rate. This could leave couples hopeless about ever finding fulfillment in relationships when all their personal problems, including intimacy and sex, cannot be solved by finding the perfect partner. Marriages may be in trouble. According to Michael, Gagnon, Laumann, and Kolata (1994), the divorce rate is over 50% and climbing, and sex is a key part of marriage that is often less than fulfilling and satisfactory. Some couples look for answers from a therapist but often lose hope that the relationship will survive the process if sexual concerns are not addressed (Mason, 1991). However, as Gottman states, "The issue isn't how frequently you have sex, it's how well you handle the inevitable differences that arise whenever two people form a partnership" (1994. p.22). With such high expectations for sex and marriage, new insights about what makes relationships fulfilling and satisfying are needed.Item Turning points of closeness in the mother-son relationship.(2008-10-15T11:32:06Z) Whiteley, Marianna.; Morman, Mark T.; Communication Studies.; Baylor University. Dept. of Communication Studies.The purpose of the current project is to investigate the historically understudied nature of the mother-son relationship. While there is a significant portion of research in parent-child relationships regarding gender identification and same-sex parent-child dyadic communication, a significant gap in communication research regarding cross-gendered parent-child relationships continues to exist. The focus of this project is twofold: (1) to discover significant turning points of closeness between mother and son, i.e. significant life events that either increased or decreased intimacy in the mother-son relationship; and (2) to examine relationship variables that influence mother-son closeness. This study hopes to identify not only significant moments of closeness within the mother-son relationship, but also what events and influences affect the fluid dynamic of intimacy between mother and son.