The interview study reported here sought to identify the perceived trajectory of romantic relationships of a cohort of Oakland African American gay/bisexual adolescents. Biographical interviews were used to identify cultural models of romantic relationships in the study sample and discovered a trajectory of four phases. In the antecedent to the…

The study describes the perspectives of individuals with Asperger syndrome and other autism spectrum disabilities (ASDs) regarding social challenges and supports. Eighteen adults with ASDs were individually interviewed. They were asked to describe their experiences navigating their social worlds, and recommend effective social supports and…

Background: In the UK and elsewhere, there is a growing policy and legislative imperative to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities are supported to develop relationships, including sexual ones. However, gay, lesbian and bisexual people with intellectual disabilities may have additional needs or face particular barriers in this area of…

With the emergence of a new generation of strong and empowered female student leaders on college campuses, a special type of female leader, the Alpha Female, has developed. This study examines the essence of having an Alpha Female identity for 13 undergraduate women at a Midwestern university. Extensive interviews were conducted; transcripts were…

This study explored females' adolescent experiences with sexual aggression using event-level data. A community sample of women, ages 18 to 30 years (N = 319), were interviewed regarding their most recent unwanted sexual experience. Incidents were categorized as occurring during adolescence (ages 14 to 17) or adulthood (after age 18). Preliminary…

The aim of the present study was to explore the social cognitions of socially withdrawn anxious early-adolescents regarding the concept of friendship. From a pool of children referred to an after-school social skills and social contact program, 38 withdrawn/anxious participants were identified and matched with community controls. Interviews…

Purpose: We describe the prevalence, types, duration, frequency, and severity of intimate partner violence ("partner violence") in older women. Design and Methods: We randomly sampled a total of 370 English-speaking women (65 years of age and older) from a health care system to participate in a cross-sectional telephone interview. Using 5…

A basic premise of social approaches to studying communication is that theories of interpersonal communication and personal relationships are reflexively defined, socially constructed, and historically situated. In contrast to the tradition of psychological models of relational processes and message transmission, social approaches encourage…

Spiritually based resources (SBR) generally have a salutary effect on coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Few studies address this relationship in long-term cancer survivorship, however. As part of a study on long-term prostate cancer survivorship, wives' ways of coping with cancer-related issues were explored through longitudinal…

The present study examined how adolescents' and their romantic partners' romantic working models and relational styles were related to their interactions with each other. Sixty-five couples (M age=18.1 years) were observed interacting. Romantic working models were assessed in interviews about their romantic experiences; romantic styles were…

Links between living in a partner-violent home and subsequent aggressive and antisocial behavior are suggested by the "cycle of violence" hypothesis derived from social learning theory. Although there is some empirical support, to date, findings have been generally limited to cross-sectional studies predominantly of young children, or…

This qualitative study examines parent-adolescent communication on sexual topics in Thai Binh province, Vietnam. Data were collected from 45 in-depth interviews and seven focus groups with parents and adolescents of high school age. Results indicate that parents were apprehensive when it comes to sexual communication. Parents warned their children…

Relatively little is known about how adolescents overcome being suicidal. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of adolescents' perceptions of the role of attachment relationships in the process of overcoming suicidality. Forty-one female and nine male adolescents, previously suicidal between the ages of 13 and 19, were…

Inspired by the work of Tolman and others, this longitudinal qualitative study was designed to explore how women feel about sexual intimacy in the first year of college and how these feelings change over time. In-depth interviews with 14 young women were conducted over a period of 2 years. Findings suggest that the valence of sexual intimacy…

The interview focuses on the "back-to-the-land" lifestyle led by Scott and Helen Nearing, their intimate relationship, the books they coauthored, their difficulties with their families, and their social and political views as pacifists. Also includes a brief biography of Scott and Helen Nearing. (KS)