Social Connection
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[edit] Definitions and Overview
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[edit] Related GoodWiki Pages
[edit] Often-Cited or New Studies with Accompanying Summaries
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[edit] Family Relationships and Meals
Beals, D.E., & Tabors, P.O. (1993). “Arboretum, Bureaucratic, and Carbohydrates: Preschoolers’ Exposure to Rare Vocabulary at Home.” Symposium conducted at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, Louisiana.
To examine relationships between children's exposure to and use of new or rare words during preschool years and their later performance on vocabulary-related measures, this study explored frequencies of rare word use in different conversational settings. The study also tracked the use of rare words by mothers and children and related those results to vocabulary test scores and the ability to give definitions of a set of common words when the children were 5 years old. Children eligible for Head Start programs were recruited for the study. Eighty-four low-income families were visited at home once each year when the children were 3 and 4 years old. During these visits each mother performed a variety of tasks with her child. These tasks were reading two books to her child (one provided by the researcher and one familiar to the child); eliciting a report from the child of an interesting recent event; and playing with toys provided by the researcher. All events were tape recorded. Each mother was also asked to record a mealtime conversation. Analysis of the transcribed recordings indicated that the largest proportion of rare words were used during the reading of the book familiar to the child and during everyday conversation at mealtimes. However, no correlation was found between the use of rare words in book readings and later vocabulary measures.
Branscomb, K.R., Larson, R.W., & Wiley, A.R. (2006). “Forms and functions of family mealtimes: Multidisciplinary perspectives.” New Directions for Chid and Adolescent Development, 111, 1-15.
This introduction to the volume examines the evolution of contemporary family mealtime practices and how they have changed, and it synthesizes theory and research from across disciplines regarding the opportunities that mealtimes provide for child and adolescent development.
Satter, E. (1995). “Feeding Dynamics: Helping Children to Eat Well.” Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 9, 178-184.
Pediatric nurse practitioners are in a key position to help parents learn to effectively feed their children. Classic research studies, current research, and clinical observations on feeding have identified children's capabilities, behaviors, and potential competencies with their eating. An appropriate feeding relationship supports children's developmental tasks at every age and allows them to eat the right amount of the proper food to achieve their genetically determined growth endowment. Children must, in turn, attain developmental tasks. In defining and managing feeding problems, the pediatric nurse practitioner may emphasize prevention by building positive feeding interactions, and promoting early detection and management as well as providing treatment for established problems.
Satter, E. (1992). “The Feeding Relationship”. Zero to Three Journal.
The feeding relationship is the complex of interactions that takes place between parent and child as they engage in food selection, ingestion, and regulation behaviors. Successful feeding demands a caretaker who trusts and depends on information coming from the child about timing, amount, preference, pacing, and eating capability. An appropriate feeding relationship supports a child's developmental tasks and helps the child develop positive attitudes about self and the world. It helps him/her learn to discriminate feeding cues and respond appropriately to them. It enhances the ability to consume a nutritionally adequate diet and to regulate appropriately the quantity eaten. The feeding relationship is characteristic of the overall parent-child relationship. Distortions that show up in feeding are likely to appear in other aspects of the interaction. Dietitians who intervene with feeding must be aware of the implications for the relationship. A primary objective with any feeding intervention is to increase or protect the parents' sensitivity to the child's feeding cues. If the feeding relationship is disrupted, the dietitian should consider a referral for psychosocial evaluation.
Valentine, G. (1999). “Eating in: home, consumption, and identity.” The Sociological Review, 47, 493.
Food is perhaps one of the most mundane and taken for granted parts of our everyday life, yet the ways we think about shopping, cooking and eating are actually intensively reflexive. This paper uses the example of food to explore questions of identity in relation to the specific cultural location of ‘the home’. Using case study examples the paper illustrates some of the complex ways in which identities, throughout the lifecourse, are produced, articulated and contested through food consumption and the spatial dynamics of cooking and eating. In doing so the paper demonstrates that households, rather than being single units of food consumption, can be sites of multiple and sometimes contradictory consumption practices and that it is necessary to understand how patterns of eating are negotiated and contested within households in order to understand how the home functions as a ‘consumption site’.
[edit] Parent Relationships
Barr, A., Bryan, A., & Kenrick, D.T. (2002). “Sexual Peak: Socially Shared Cognitions About Desire, Frequency, and Satisfaction in Men and Women Personal Relationships.” Personal Relationships, 9, 3, 287–299.
Is a man's sexual peak earlier than a woman's? Three studies were conducted to examine (a) whether the perception that men achieve their sexual peak at a younger age than do women is shared across individuals of different ages and sexes, (b) whether sexual peak is defined differently for men and women, and (c) whether differences between definitions contribute to differences in the age at which men and women are perceived to reach sexual peak. Study 1 suggested that participants believed that females reach their sexual peak at an older age than do males. Study 2 indicated that the defining feature of sexual peak for males was sexual desire and for females was sexual satisfaction. Study 3 suggested that predictions of male sexual peak coincided with participants' predictions of male age of highest desire and frequency, but not satisfaction, and that female sexual peak coincided with participants' predictions of female age of highest satisfaction but not frequency or desire. Discussion focuses on potential reasons for differences between the perception of male and female sexuality, as well as the social and evolutionary importance of each of the dimensions of sexuality for both males and females.
Booth, N., Dixon, M., & Powell, R. (2000). “Sex and relationships following childbirth: A first report from general practice of 131 couples.” British Journal of General Practice, 50, 223-224.
Changes in a couple's sexual relationship following childbirth may be more significant than previous studies have suggested. Around 50% of first-time parents in this study described their sex life as 'poor' or 'not very good' eight months after the birth of their baby, and one in five said that they would like help for this. First-time parents rating their general relationship as 'poor' or 'not very good' rose from 1% before pregnancy to 20% eight months after childbirth. Changes in the general relationship and the quality of sex life were associated in these couples.
Bianchi, S.M. (2000). “Maternal Employment and Time with Children: Dramatic Change or Surprising Continuity?” Demography, 37, 4, 401-414.
Despite the rapid rise in mothers' labor force participation, mothers' time with children has tended to be quite stable over time. In the past, nonemployed mothers' time with children was reduced by the demands of unpaid family work and domestic chores and by the use of mother substitutes for childcare, especially in large families. Today employed mothers seek ways to maximize time with children: They remain quite likely to work part-time or to exit from the labor force for some years when their children are young; they also differ from nonemployed mothers in other uses of time (housework, volunteer work, leisure). In addition, changes in children's lives (e.g., smaller families, the increase in preschool enrollment, the extended years of financial dependence on parents as more attend college) are altering the time and money investments that children require from parents. Within marriage, fathers are spending more time with their children than in the past, perhaps increasing the total time children spend with parents even as mothers work more hours away from home.
Branje, S.J.T., Meeus, W.H.J., & Van Doorn, M.D. (2007). “Longitudinal Transmission of Conflict Resolution Styles from Marital Relationships to Adolescent-Parent Relationships.” Journal of Family Psychology, 21: 3, 426-434.
This study longitudinally investigated transmission: Can the way adolescents resolve conflicts with their parents be explained by the way parents resolve conflicts with each other? Questionnaires about conflict resolution styles were completed by 282 young adolescents (mean age = 13.2) and their parents. Path analyses with cross-lagged effects indicated that transmission of conflict resolution styles from marital relationships to adolescent-parent relationships occurs: Conflict engagement and positive problem solving in marital relationships were significantly related to, respectively, conflict engagement and positive problem solving in adolescent-parent relationships 2 years later. No significant longitudinal effects emerged with regard to withdrawal. Thus, the study shows that the way marital conflicts are handled affects how adolescents deal with conflicts.
Call, V., Schwartz, P., & Sprecher, S. (1995). “The Incidence and Frequency of Marital Sex in a National Sample.” Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 3, 639-652.
Data on marital sex based on the 1988 National Survey of Families and Households are offered. The incidence and frequency of marital sex changes over the life course.
Christensen, A., De la Garza-Mercer, F., & Doss, B. (2006). “Sex and Affection in Heterosexual and Homosexual Couples: An evolutionary perspective.” Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, 9.
The current study aimed to contribute to this burgeoning area of research by investigating cross-sectionally the linkage between sexual satisfaction, satisfaction with physical affection, sexual jealousy, and relationship satisfaction, and examine whether these interconnections vary with gender. Specifically, this study looked at the strength of associations between individuals’ reports of the frequency and acceptability of partners’ behaviors (i.e. physical and verbal affection, sexual activity, and inappropriate sexual behavior with another person), and explored how these associations changed with gender. Additionally, this study endeavored to analyze how different types of relationships (heterosexual and homosexual) diverge and correspond to one another in terms of biological gender, and how these interactions parallel and possibly substantiate evolutionary theory.
Claxton, A., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (2008). “No Fun Anymore: Leisure and Marital Quality Across the Transition to Parenthood.” Journal of Marriage and Family, 70: 1, 28-43.
This study examines changes in leisure patterns across the transition to parenthood for dual-earner, working-class couples, as well as the relationship between leisure and marital quality. To this end, 147 heterosexual couples were interviewed across the transition to parenthood. Findings indicate that during the transition to parenthood, husbands and wives experience an initial decline in leisure, followed by a gradual incline after the wife's return to work. Overall, wives who reported more shared leisure prenatally also reported more marital love and less conflict 1 year later. Husbands with more independent leisure prenatally reported less love and more conflict 1 year later. Conclusions suggest leisure time is integral to well-functioning marriages, with effects lasting throughout the first year of parenthood.
Cummings, E.M., Goeke-Morey, M.C., & Papp, L.M. (2007). “Children and Marital Conflict Resolution: Implications for Emotional Security and Adjustment.” Journal of Family Psychology, 21: 4, 744-753.
This study addresses multiple gaps in understanding the implications of marital conflict resolution for children. Mothers' diary home reports (N = 102 mothers, N = 578 reports) of marital conflict resolution (i.e., compromise, apology, submission, agreement to disagree, withdrawal) and of children's responses, along with the reactions of children (N = 163) to analogue presentations of the same conflict endings in the laboratory, were examined. The significance of specific marital conflict endings, including the emotionality of endings, was supported and demonstrated for the first time in the home. Parents' and children's appraisals of resolution were generally similar, although for some endings these appraisals differed, supporting the notion that children are sensitive to the broader implications of conflict endings for interparental relations and family functioning. Children's responses to conflict resolution were related to their broader adjustment, further indicating the significance of conflict endings to understanding the impact of marital conflict.
Cummings, E.M., Schermerhorn, A.C., & Schoppe-Sullivan, S.J. (2007). “Marital Conflict and Children’s Adjustment: Evaluation of the Parenting Process Model.” Journal of Marriage and Family.” Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1118-1134.
This investigation tested whether parenting mediates longitudinal associations between marital conflict and children’s adjustment. Data were drawn from a three-wave study of 283 families with children aged 8 – 16 years at Wave 1. Relations among marital conflict, parenting (behavioral control, psychological autonomy, and warmth), and children’s adjustment (externalizing and internalizing) were examined. Structural equation models indicated multiple dimensions of parenting mediated relations between marital conflict and children’s adjustment. When including controls for earlier adjustment, behavioral control continued to mediate relations between marital conflict and change in children’s internalizing symptoms over time. These results advance parenting process models for relations between marital conflict and child adjustment and provide impetus for study of other pathways, including direct and child effects.
Cummings, E.M. & Simpson, K.S., & Wilson, A. (1993). “Children’s Responses to Interadult Anger as a Function of Information About Resolution.” Developmental Pschology, 29: 6, 978-985.
In everyday family environments, conflict resolution in the presence of children is often not feasible. Analog studies presented 5- and 6-yr-old and 9- and 10-yr-old children with videotaped scenarios of interadult conflicts ending in various ways. Study 1 demonstrated that negative effects of adults' disputes on children are reduced even by "resolution behind closed doors." Study 2 showed that negative reactions are also reduced by an adult's subsequent description of a resolution. Even 5- to 6-yr-olds were capable of inferring resolution from incomplete information.
Cummings, E.M., Vogel, D. (1989). “Children’s Responses to Different Forms of Expression of Anger between Adults.” Child Development, 60, 1392-1404.
Anger is not a homogeneous stimulus, but can vary on a variety of dimensions and domains. This study examined children's responses to anger as a function of: (a) the mode of expression of anger (nonverbal, verbal, verbal-physical), and (b) whether or not anger between others was resolved. Children were presented with videotaped segments of angry and friendly interactions and asked questions concerning their responses. All angry interactions, including non-verbal anger, were perceived as negative events and elicited negative emotions. Unresolved anger was perceived as a far more negative event than resolved anger and induced greater feelings of anger and distress in children. Verbal-physical anger was perceived as the most negative form of expression of anger. Boys reported more angry feelings in response to anger than girls. Distress responding was greater in children from homes in which there was interparent physical aggression and in children with behavior problems. Finally, the utility of this methodology is supported by relatively high test-retest reliability and limited evidence of context effects.
Dadds, M.R., Atkinson, E., Turner, C., Blums, G., & Lendich, B. (1999). “Family conflict and child adjustment: evidence for a cognitive-contextual model of intergenerational transmission.” Journal of Family Psychology, 13, 194-208.
Three cohorts of 10- to 14-year-old adolescents were sampled to obtain perceptions of their parents' conflict-resolution styles, their own conflict-resolution styles, and their behavioral adjustment, to test J. H. Grych and F. D. Fincham's (1990) cognitive-contextual model of the relationship of marital conflict to child adjustment. As found previously, boys and girls were not exposed to different levels or types of interparental conflict, although boys tended to blame themselves more. Adolescents' reports of their own conflict-resolution styles with siblings were clearly related to level and types of their more general adjustment levels. A series of regressions supported Grych and Fincham's model for internalizing problems (and avoidant resolution style) in adolescents; only minimal support was found with externalizing problems (and attacking resolution style). Gender-specific patterns of intergenerational transmission of resolution styles were found and are discussed.
Elliott, M.L. & Harper, J.M. (1988). “Can There Be Too Much of a Good Thing? The Relationship Between Desired Level of Intimacy and Marital Adjustment.” The American Journal of Family Therapy, 16, 4, 351-360.
Examined relationship of discrepancy between couple's actual level of intimacy and desired level of intimacy and marital adjustment using data from 185 randomly selected couples. Results revealed that discrepancy between actual and desired intimacy of husbands and wives was highly predictive of marital adjustment. Couples with low intimacy scores who did not desire more intimacy had good marital adjustment.
Giordano, F.G., Patrick, S., Sells, J.N., & Tollerud, T.R. (2007). “Intimacy, Differentiation, and Personality Variables as Predictors of Marital Satisfaction.” The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 15, 4, 359-367.
This study attempted to integrate theories of intimacy and differentiation with previously studied relationship variables to generate a predictive model of marital satisfaction. Findings from this study supported intimacy and spousal support as strong variables in predicting marital satisfaction but found no relationship between differentiation and marital satisfaction. Length of marriage, children, age, prior cohabitation, division of labor, and income were not found to be significant predictors of satisfaction.
Greef, A.P., & Malherbe, H.L. (2001). “Intimacy and Marital Satisfaction in Spouses.” Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 27, 247-257.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between intimacy and marital satisfaction of couples in different stages of the family life cycle. The Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) questionnaire (Schaefer & Olson, 1981) and a subscale of the Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) questionnaire (Olson, Fournier, & Druckman, 1982) were administered to 57 couples. Significant differences between men and women were found on two of the five aspects of experienced intimacy (sexual and recreational) as well as for social and sexual discrepancy scores (difference between experienced and desired intimacy). With the exception of social intimacy as experienced by women, a positive correlation was found for both sexes between all the components of experienced intimacy and marital satisfaction. No differences were found for experienced intimacy or marital satisfaction according to family developmental stages.
Harold, G.T., Aitken, J.J., & Shelton, K.H. (2007). “Inter-parental conflict and children’s academic attainment: a longitudinal analysis.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48: 12, 1223-1232.
Background: Previous research suggests a link between inter-parental conflict and children's psychological development. Most studies, however, have tended to focus on two broad indices of children's psychological adaptation (internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems) in considering the effects of inter-parental conflict on children's development. The present longitudinal study extends this body of research by considering the impact of inter-parental conflict on children's low academic attainment among a sample of 230 schoolchildren (age 11–13 years) living in the United Kingdom.
Method: Controlling for teacher reports of children's initial levels of aggression (Time 1), the proposed theoretical model linked parent and child reports of inter-parental conflict at Time 1 (1999) to children's perceptions of negative parent–child relations, appraisals of self-blame for marital conflict and teacher reports of children's aggressive behavior at Time 2 (2000), which in turn were linked to children's performance on standardized academic tests (English, Math, Science) at Time 3 (2001). Structural equation modeling was used to test all hypothesized relations in the proposed theoretical model.
Results: Support was found for the role of children's self-blaming attributions for parents’ marital arguments, not negative parenting behavior, as a mechanism through which variation in their academic attainment is explained.
Conclusions: Contrary to the focus emphasized in most current family and school-based intervention programs, findings suggest that the attributional processes engendered in children who live in households marked by high levels of inter-parental conflict and hostility have important implications for their long-term academic success.
Harold, G.T., & Shelton, K.H. (2007). “Marital Conflict and Children’s Adjustment: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Children’s Coping Strategies.” Social Development, 16, 3, 497-512.
This prospective, longitudinal study examined the role of children's coping strategies in the link between interparental conflict and children's psychological adjustment. Using a sample of 100 parents and children aged 11–14 years, this study investigated children's venting of negative emotion, social support seeking, and problem solving strategies as mediators and moderators of the relationship between marital conflict and child adjustment. Venting negative emotion mediated the long-term effects of marital conflict on children's psychological adjustment. This coping response also moderated the relationship between marital conflict and children's anxiety-depression. The role of non-constructive coping strategies as a mechanism through which marital conflict affects children's psychological well-being is discussed, together with the need for research to identify intervention strategies aimed at improving children's coping efficacy in the context of interparental conflict.
Kelly, J. (2000). “Children’s adjustment in conflicted marriages and divorce: A decade review of research.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 963-973.
Abstract: Objectives: To review important research of the past decade in divorce, marital conflict, and children's adjustment and to describe newer divorce interventions.
Method: Key empirical studies from 1990 to 1999 were surveyed regarding the impact of marital conflict, parental violence, and divorce on the psychological adjustment of children, adolescents, and young adults.
Results: Recent studies investigating the impact of divorce on children have found that many of the psychological symptoms seen in children of divorce can be accounted for in the years before divorce. The past decade also has seen a large increase in studies assessing complex variables within the marriage which profoundly affect child and adolescent adjustment, including marital conflict and violence and related parenting behaviors. This newer literature provides provocative and helpful information for forensic and clinical psychiatrists in their work with both married and divorcing families.
Conclusions: While children of divorced parents, as a group, have more adjustment problems than do children of never-divorced parents, the view that divorce per se is the major cause of these symptoms must be reconsidered in light of newer research documenting the negative effects of troubled marriages on children.
Liu, C. (2003). “Does Quality of Marital Sex Decline With Duration?” Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, 1, 55-60.
Abstract Does the quality of marital sex increase or decrease with marital duration? Previous research assumes that it decreases; however, there is no empirical evidence of declining quality of marital sex with duration in the literature. This study theoretically and empirically examines how the quality of marital sex changes with duration. Theoretically, two effects may influence the change of quality of marital sex: the effect of diminishing marginal utility (the marginal utility of consuming a good or service diminishes as the consumption of that good or service increases) and the effect of the investment in the marriage-specific human capital (including the partner specific skills that enhance the enjoyment of marital sex and the knowledge about the spouse's sexual preferences, desires, and habits). The quality of marital sex could either increase or decrease depending on which effect is dominant. The multivariate analysis of the National Health and Social Life Survey data shows that marital duration has a small and negative effect on the quality of marital sex. The gender difference in the quality of marital sex is discussed.
'Masche, J. (2000). “Does a Happy Marriage Make Positive Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Self-Satisfied Children?” Paper presented at the Eighth SRA Biennial Meeting, Chicago, IL March 30-April 2, 2000.
This study examined the impact of parental marriage quality on two aspects of self-esteem in their adolescent children, mediated by parent-adolescent relationship quality. Participating in the study were mothers, fathers, and 16- to 18-year-olds from 54 intact families. The first assessment was completed before the adolescents left middle school, and the second, 3 to 4 months later after their transition into an apprenticeship program or to further schooling. The quality of marital and parent-adolescent relationships was assessed as well as adolescents' self-satisfaction as rated by all family members and adolescents' global familial competence. The findings indicated that the self-concept variables correlated with marital quality. These correlations were mediated by parent-adolescent relationships. Longitudinal analyses tentatively confirmed that adolescents' self-concept was influenced by quality of marital and parent-adolescent relationships. During the school-to-work transition, self-satisfaction apparently underwent a shift from an influence by parents' approval to a prediction by fathers' guidance. Familial competence, however, was constantly influenced by all measures of relationship satisfaction. Marital quality seemed to be especially relevant for fathers' attitudes and behaviors.
Trudel, G. (2002). “Sexuality and Marital Life: Results of a Survey.” Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 28, 229-249.
This article presents the results of a telephone survey regarding the conjugal and sex life of men and women from the Montreal region. Surprising as it may seem, the relationship between sexual and marital functioning within the couple has been the focus of little study to date. In fact, relatively little is known about the relationship among sexual behavior, sexual attitudes, sexual fantasies, and marital functioning. In this survey, a questionnaire covering these four variables was administered to 996 subjects chosen at random. The results indicate that women seem to have a more positive perception of their sexual behavior, whereas men seem to have a more positive perception of their marital life. Multiple regression analyses were run to examine the relationship between marital functioning and items related to sexual functioning. The links between sexual satisfaction and other items of the questionnaire concerning sexual behavior, sexual attitudes, and sexual fantasies were also analyzed. For this purpose, we subdivided the subjects into two age groups (under 60 and 60 and over) based on the loss of interest in sexual activity that the questionnaire allowed to discern in the 60+ group. The relationship between marital functioning and items related to sexual behavior proved statistically significant. Various items pertaining to sexual functioning also proved to be related to a global assessment of sexual satisfaction. Cognitive variables (sexual attitudes and sexual fantasies) were found to influence sexual satisfaction but had a lesser impact on marital functioning. Gender and age (under 60 or 60 and over) also had an effect on these relationships.
Vandewater, E. & Lansford, J. (1998). “Influences of family structure and parental conflict on children’s well-being.” Family Relations, 47, 323-330.
Relative effects of membership in one of two family structures (married-never divorced vs. divorced-not remarried) and inter-parental conflict (high vs.low) on children's well-being (internalizing, externalizing behavior, and trouble with peers) are examined for a sample of 10- to 17-year-old children and their parents from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 618). Findings support the hypothesis that parental conflict influences children's well-being regardless of family structure.
[edit] Social Connections in Relation to Health
Stetler, C. A. (. (2008). Social contacts as modifiers of diurnal cortisol production: A potential pathway between social relationships and health. ProQuest Information & Learning). (Electronic; Print) Retrieved from www.csa.com
Abstract: "Social connections have been linked with morbidity and mortality across decades of research. Although stress buffering and health behavior models have been extensively detailed as pathways for this effect, the direct effects of social contacts on physiology have received less attention. Social contacts may help to regulate biological rhythms, particularly within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a hormonal system known to be influenced by the social environment. Dysregulation of the HPA axis has been associated with psychiatric illnesses such as depression. The current thesis includes three studies that investigated the relationship between social contact and the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion, as well as the moderating role of depression. These relationships were examined both cross-sectionally and prospectively via daily diary assessment of daily social contacts and salivary cortisol levels. In the first study, depressed women had a blunted cortisol response to waking compared to non-depressed women. Among the non-depressed but not among depressed women, the number of social contacts (especially positive ones) was associated with cortisol response to waking. In the second study, data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling and within-person results revealed that cortisol slopes following a day with more social contacts were steeper compared to cortisol slopes following a day with fewer social contacts. In the third study, daily social contacts were manipulated using a within-subjects design. Participants experienced both high and low social contact conditions in the laboratory while continuing to collect ambulatory data on their daily social contacts and cortisol levels. Results show that the manipulation successfully altered daily social contacts, but had no significant effect on cortisol slope. However, there is some evidence to suggest that frequency of contact may be an important moderator of the effect. Although causality has not been definitively demonstrated, findings from these studies suggest that in addition to previously articulated pathways, social relationships may influence health via a direct effect of social contact on physiology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved)"
Kiecolt, K. J., Hughes, M., & Keith, V. M. (2008). Race, social relationships, and mental health. Personal Relationships, 15(2), 229-245. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2008.00195.x
Abstract: "Researchers often assume that the extent, quality, and effectiveness of personal relationships explain why African Americans have relatively good mental health despite experiencing high levels of stress. This study tests this assumption using data from the 1990-1992 National Comorbidity Survey. Few racial differences emerge in patterns of social relationships, and the nature and quality of social relationships do not explain African Americans' resiliency on mental health. Several aspects of social relationships benefit African Americans' mental health more than Whites', but these moderating effects are insubstantial. Hence, the data do not support the assumption. If social relationships help explain the lack of racial differences in mental health, their nature and effects must be more adequately conceptualized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Stinson, D. A., Logel, C., Zanna, M. P., Holmes, J. G., Cameron, J. J., Wood, J. V., et al. (2008). The cost of lower self-esteem: Testing a self- and social-bonds model of health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(3), 412-428. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.94.3.412
Abstract: "The authors draw upon social, personality, and health psychology to propose and test a self-and-social-bonds model of health. The model contends that lower self-esteem predicts health problems and that poor-quality social bonds explain this association. In Study 1, lower self-esteem prospectively predicted reports of health problems 2 months later, and this association was explained by subjective reports of poor social bonds. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 but used a longitudinal design with 6 waves of data collection, assessed self-reports of concrete health-related behaviors (i.e., number of visits to the doctor and classes missed due to illness), and measured both subjective and objective indicators of quality of social bonds (i.e., interpersonal stress and number of friends). In addition, Study 2 showed that poor-quality social bonds predicted acute drops in self-esteem over time, which in turn predicted acute decreases in quality of social bonds and, consequently, acute increases in health problems. In both studies, alternative explanations to the model were tested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Reblin, M., & Uchino, B. N. (2008). Social and emotional support and its implication for health. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 21(2), 201-205. Retrieved from www.csa.com
Abstract: "Purpose of review: Recent research findings from selected publications focusing on links between social support and physical health are summarized. Recent findings: Current research is extending our understanding of the influences of social support on health. Many epidemiological studies have concentrated on further linking measures of social support to physical health outcomes. A few studies are now moving into newer areas, such as emphasizing health links with support receipt and provision. Researchers are also interested in outlining relevant pathways, including potential biological (i.e. inflammation) and behavioral (i.e. health behaviors) mechanisms. Interventions attempting to apply basic research on the positive effects of social support are also widespread. Although the longer term effects of such interventions on physical health remain to be determined, such interventions show promise in influencing the quality of life in many chronic disease populations. Summary: Recent findings often show a robust relationship in which social and emotional support from others can be protective for health. The next generation of studies must explain, however, why this relationship exists and the specificity of such links. This research is in its infancy but will be crucial in order to better tailor support interventions that can impact on physical health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Newsom, J. T., Mahan, T. L., Rook, K. S., & Krause, N. (2008). Stable negative social exchanges and health. Health Psychology, 27(1), 78-86. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from PsycARTICLES database.
Abstract: "Negative social exchanges with family, friends, and neighbors are known to be an important source of stress in daily life, and chronic stress is theorized to have especially potent impacts on health. Little is known about the health effects of stably high levels of negative social exchanges, however. In a national, longitudinal study of older adults (N = 666), we examined the association between stable negative social exchanges and health over a 2-year period. Trait-state-error models indicated that higher levels of stable negative social exchanges were significantly predictive of lower self-rated health, greater functional limitations, and a higher number of health conditions over 2 years after controlling for initial levels of health and sociodemographic variables. These results highlight the importance of examining continual and recurring interpersonal problems in efforts to understand the health effects of social relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Ahmad, W., & Bradby, H. (2008). Ethnicity and health: Key themes in a developing field. Current Sociology, 56(1), 47-56. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from Sociology: A SAGE Full-Text Collection database.
Abstract: "Ethnicity is a social division that is increasingly difficult to ignore. Ethnicity has to be considered alongside other social divisions including socioeconomic status which is crucial to explaining minority disadvantages in health. Identity is a key dimension of ethnicity, which encompasses self-ascribed and externally-imposed elements. The stigma associated with particular conditions, combined with the effects of racism and economic marginalization, can be central to some minority groups' ability to discuss disease and seek treatment. In a world where human rights are taken seriously, minority ethnic groups' presence in research has to become a routine consideration, rather than an optional extra. In research, as in service provision, planning for linguistic and cultural diversity represents additional work and will require extra resources."
Johnson, S. K. (. (2008). Medically unexplained illness: Gender and biopsychosocial implications. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Abstract: "(From the jacket) Medically unexplained illnesses are among the most common disorders in primary medical care today. Accordingly, there has been a recent surge of interest in the physiology of such illnesses as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and multiple chemical sensitivity. However, biomedical models can only go so far toward understanding a group of painful and often frustrating symptoms. These models are unable to fully answer such questions as how these vulnerabilities are aggravated by psychosocial stress factors, including childhood abuse, work, and interpersonal stress; what cognitive factors contribute to an increase in symptoms; and, perhaps more important, why medically unexplained illnesses strike women in overwhelmingly disproportionate numbers. Author Susan K. Johnson surveys the most recent research on how psychological, social, and physiological factors may interact and contribute to the development of symptoms and illustrates how this knowledge can inform practice through the use of effective therapy examples and treatment approaches. This volume will appeal to both psychologists and health care professionals interested in more fully understanding the interaction between mind and body in medically unexplained illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)"
Plaisier, I., de Bruijn, J. G. M., Smit, J. H., de Graaf, R., ten Have, M., & Beekman, A. T. F. et al. (2008). Work and family roles and the association with depressive and anxiety disorders: Differences between men and women. Journal of affective disorders, 105(1-3), 63-72. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Abstract: "Background: This study examined the associations of (combinations of) social roles (employee, partner and parent) with the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders and whether social roles contribute to the explanation of the female preponderance in these disorders. Method: This was a cross-sectional study using data from 3857 respondents aged 25-55 of NEMESIS (Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study). Depression and anxiety disorders were measured using the CIDI 1.1. Results: The OR of depressive disorders and anxiety disorders among women compared to men was 1.71 (95% CI: 1.40-2.10). Among both genders, the partner role was associated with decreased risks of depression and anxiety and the parent role was not. The work role was a significant protective factor of depression and anxiety for men (OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.24-0.69) but not for women (OR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.66-1.12). The effect of the work role was positive among women without children (OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.14-0.54), but not among those with children (OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.75-1.35). The gender risk for depression and anxiety decreased significantly by adding the work role variables into the model. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional study. This study did not give insight into the quality of social roles. Conclusion: The work role contributed to the explanation of the female preponderance in depression and anxiety disorders. Considering depression and anxiety among women, a focus upon quality and meaning of the work role, and barriers in combining the work role and parent role may be essential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Marks, N. F., Jun, H., & Song, J. (2007). Death of parents and adult psychological and physical well-being: A prospective U.S. national study. Journal of Family Issues, 28(12), 1611-1638. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from Sociology: A SAGE Full-Text Collection database.
Abstract: "Guided by a life course perspective, attachment theory, and gender theory, this study aims to examine the impact of death of a father, a mother, or both parents, as well as continuously living with one or both parents dead (in contrast to having two parents alive) on multiple dimensions of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, happiness, self-esteem, mastery, and psychological wellness), alcohol abuse (binge drinking), and physical health (self-assessed health). Analyses of longitudinal data from 8,865 adults in the National Survey of Families and Households 1987-1993 reveal that a father's death leads to more negative effects for sons than daughters and a mother's death leads to more negative effects for daughters than sons. Problematic effects of parent loss are reflected more in men's physical health reports than women's. This study's results suggest that family researchers and practitioners working with aging families should not underestimate the impact of filial bereavement on adult well-being."
Juang, L. P., Syed, M., & Takagi, M. (2007). Intergenerational discrepancies of parental control among chinese american families: Links to family conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms. Journal of adolescence, 30(6), 965-975. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from ERIC database.
Abstract: "This study investigated how discrepancies between adolescents' and parents' endorsement of parental control contribute to adolescent depressive symptoms. Family conflict was hypothesized to mediate the link between parent-adolescent discrepancies and depressive symptoms. The sample consisted of 166 pairs of Chinese American adolescents and their parents. The results indicated that, as predicted, greater discrepancies between adolescents and their parents on parental control related to greater adolescent depressive symptoms. Furthermore, adolescent's perceived degree of family conflict partially mediated this relation. Both parents and adolescents are changing and adapting to their cultural contexts; some in synchrony and some not. Identifying areas where parents and adolescents diverge concerning values, behaviors, and beliefs, is an important avenue to understanding Chinese American adolescents' mental health."
Oyserman, D., Fryberg, S. A., & Yoder, N. (2007). Identity-based motivation and health. Journal of personality and social psychology, 93(6), 1011-1027. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from PsycINFO database.
Abstract: "People do not always take action to promote health, engaging instead in unhealthy habits and reporting fatalism about health. One important mechanism underlying these patterns involves identity-based motivation (D. Oyserman, 2007), the process by which content of social identities influences beliefs about in-group goals and strategies. Seven studies show the effect of identity-based motivation on health. Racial-ethnic minority participants view health promotion behaviors as White middle class and unhealthy behaviors as in-group defining (Studies 1 and 2). Priming race-ethnicity (and low socioeconomic status) increases health fatalism and reduces access to health knowledge (Studies 3 and 4). Perceived efficacy of health-promoting activities is undermined when racial-ethnic minority participants who identify unhealthy behavior as in-group defining are asked to consider their similarities to (middle-class) Whites (Studies 5-7). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Lauder, W., Kroll, T., & Jones, M. (2007). Social determinants of mental health: The missing dimensions of mental health nursing? Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 14(7), 661-669. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Abstract: "In this paper we explore how aspects of the social world may be linked to mental health and psychiatric morbidity and propose that conditions should be created which allow individuals and communities greater opportunities for self-care and self-management. Specifically the focus is on social connections, disability and homelessness and work stress. There is a clear policy direction pursued by many national governments and international organizations such as the World Bank to build healthy communities. The environment as it relates to health and well-being can be thought of in terms of physical and social dimensions. We will argue that self-care and self-management at both the individual and the community level, in partnership with economic and health policies, are necessary to effectively address social determinants. It will also be suggested that although many in the profession will make the usual refrain that this has little relevance to mental health nurses, the opposite may be the case as mental health nurses have an important, albeit ill-defined, role to play in tackling social determinants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)"
Cohen, S., & Lemay, E. P. (2007). Why would social networks be linked to affect and health practices? Health Psychology, 26(4), 410-417. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.26.4.410
Abstract: "Objective: To examine the relation among social integration (SI), affect, and smoking and alcohol consumption. Design: The authors administered social network and psychological questionnaires to 193 adults and then interviewed them on 14 consecutive evenings about their daily social interactions, affect, and smoking and alcohol consumption. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures were positive and negative affect, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Results: Between-subjects analyses found that those with more diverse social networks (high in SI) interacted with more people and smoked and drank less. SI was not, however, associated with affect. In contrast, within-subject analyses found that the more people participants interacted with during a day, the greater their positive affect, drinking, and smoking on that day. However, this occurred primarily for persons low in SI. High-SI persons reported high positive affect irrespective of the number of people with whom they interacted, and their smoking and drinking behaviors were less influenced by number of interactants. Conclusion: SI may alter health because it affects responsiveness to the social influences of others."
Mack, D. E., Strong, H. A., Kowalski, K. C., & Crocker, P. R. E. (2007). Does friendship matter? an examination of social physique anxiety in adolescence. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37(6), 1248-1264. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00211.x
Abstract: "The role of peer group composition and influence variables on social physique anxiety was examined. Peer network data were gathered on 375 adolescents (181 male, 194 female). Females reported experiencing higher social physique anxiety, more pressure and encouragement to alter their physique from peers, greater body-related discussion, and greater identification with the peer group than did males. Regression analyses revealed 2 peer influence variables—peer pressure and relative attractiveness of peers—to be significant predictors of social physique anxiety. A third variable—extent to which the individual identified with peer network—was a significant predictor for females. Results are discussed in reference to previous research, and future research directions are identified."
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