The present dissertation project investigated relationship enhancement following a brief self-disclosure task (i.e., the Fast Friends Procedure; FFP) via self-report and observational data. Thirty-three undergraduate couples dating for less than six months asked and answered questions that required increasingly higher levels of self-disclosure for…

This article reports on findings from a phenomenological study of young people's perspectives on issues of sex, sexuality, and intimate relationships. The study utilised photovoice methodology to collect data from 15 young people aged 16-18 years. Analysis of 84 photovoice scenarios identified four narratives embodying participants' perspectives…

This study deals with perceptions of 'proper intimacy' disseminated through digital parent-teacher communication in early-childhood education and the implications for parents' reflexive projects of self. The article brings sociological understandings about perceptions of proper parenting and intimacy together with research on digital…

Although autistic people have difficulties with social-emotional reciprocity, most still desire intimate romantic relationships. This study sought to identify enablers and barriers to emotional and physical intimacy for Autistic (n = 31) and non-autistic (n = 26) individuals. All participants completed an online survey including demographic…

Students with an intellectual disability are increasingly attending inclusive postsecondary education programs (IPSEs) to equip them to thrive in adult-life environments. Students within these programs receive support in various areas, such as academics, employment, social engagement, personal development, and independent living. While It is well…

Objectives: Self-concealment is an important issue that hinders progress in the psychological help process. Considering its negative consequences in the field of mental health, it is important to address its relationship with risk factors and protective factors. Therefore, the present study examined whether self-differentiation was related to…

The aims of this study were to investigate the lived experiences of people with complex communication needs in developing romantic and sexual relationships, and identify and explore barriers and facilitators they encountered in pursuing these relationships. For the study, nine participants were interviewed. All were at least 21-years-old, used…

While substantial research focuses on genuine long-distance relationships, there is a lack of studies dealing with temporary long-distance relationships due to studies abroad. The present study with Austrian students tried to uncover differences between couples who terminated versus those who sustained their relationship during the exchange…

The reported study investigated how newlyweds linguistically encode changes in relationship commitment in retrospective courtship narratives. In particular, we explored their use of emotion words and its correspondence with "temporal agency," that is, the attribution of temporal change to human actors or to abstract events and processes.…

In 2018, reflecting in this journal on the arrival of the 'age of consent' into sexuality education, Jen Gilbert questioned what would happen to a concept drawn in part from legal contexts, but partly also driven by the passion of feminist activists, when it met the demands and logics -- the learning outcomes and lesson plans -- of the classroom.…

Using observational methods on a small sample of committed Mexican American couples (N = 10, ages 15-17, M length of relationship = 26.5 months), we describe and categorize developmental and cultural communication patterns concerning the negotiation of conflict issues. Videotaped dyadic interactions were transcribed and qualitatively coded using…

Attitudes about sexual intimacy are an important aspect of relationship satisfaction, especially for couples dealing with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can have profound effects on men and their partners, and more research is needed to better understand potential sexual barriers for these couples. Five major themes identified in the literature…

Often, themes in work and life intertwine; the author recognized that a cadre of poems she had written during the past several years were about relationship dissolution. The poems concerned romantic and friendship dissolution and the aspects of identity creation and loss this entails. The author presents the poems and makes an explicit connection…

The present study was designed to investigate links between dimensions of romantic attachment and relationship functioning in a cross-sectional sample of people in same-sex relationships, with the goals of replicating basic findings from research on heterosexual couples and advancing understanding of unique issues faced by same-sex couples. The…

Partner-assisted emotional disclosure is a couple-based intervention designed to help patients disclose cancer-related concerns to their spouses-partners. We previously found that, compared with an education/support control condition, partner-assisted emotional disclosure led to significant improvements in relationship quality and intimacy for…