Affinity Through Instant Messaging: An Exploration Of Initial Interactions

This thesis sought to extend work on relationship initiation in an online setting by examining the initial interaction of cross-sex dyads. Sixty male-female dyads interacted for 20 minutes with instructions to find out enough information to determine if they would interact with their partner again. Results indicated that individuals who are more accurate at determining when their partner showed liking had partners that reported more liking towards those individuals and perceived more liking by those individuals. Liking is also increased when trust is established. Moreover, liking is increased when there is little disliking shown and partners share more intimate disclosures. Future interactions are desired when more flirting and greater appropriateness are perceived. Implications for seeking, testing, and signaling affinity are presented

Affinity Through Instant Messaging

This is the Author's Pre-Print.The present manuscript explores affinity seeking, testing, and signaling in initial interactions of opposite-sex strangers using instant messaging. Sixty dyads (N = 120) interacted for 20 minutes and participants identified when they showed liking and when they perceived their partner showing liking in the interaction transcript. Participants also reported overall liking for and the perception of being liked by their conversation partner on a survey instrument. The results indicated that participants who perceived more liking in the text and accurately decoded messages of liking from their partner, believed their conversational partner liked them more. Participants who perceived more disliking messages in the text liked their conversational partners less and believed their partner liked them less as well. Six dyadic analyses using structural equation modeling demonstrated that effects of affinity seeking, testing, and signaling were moderated by participant sex. For females, sending messages of disliking, perceiving messages of disliking, and accurately decoding of disliking were associated with overall liking of their male conversational partner. The implications of interpreting affinity messages in the formation of online relationships are discussed

Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

IMPORTANCE: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with persistent, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects occurring after acute infection, termed postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long COVID. Characterizing PASC requires analysis of prospectively and uniformly collected data from diverse uninfected and infected individuals. OBJECTIVE: To develop a definition of PASC using self-reported symptoms and describe PASC frequencies across cohorts, vaccination status, and number of infections. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective observational cohort study of adults with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection at 85 enrolling sites (hospitals, health centers, community organizations) located in 33 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Participants who were enrolled in the RECOVER adult cohort before April 10, 2023, completed a symptom survey 6 months or more after acute symptom onset or test date. Selection included population-based, volunteer, and convenience sampling. EXPOSURE: SARS-CoV-2 infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: PASC and 44 participant-reported symptoms (with severity thresholds). RESULTS: A total of 9764 participants (89% SARS-CoV-2 infected; 71% female; 16% Hispanic/Latino; 15% non-Hispanic Black; median age, 47 years [IQR, 35-60]) met selection criteria. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.5 or greater (infected vs uninfected participants) for 37 symptoms. Symptoms contributing to PASC score included postexertional malaise, fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, palpitations, changes in sexual desire or capacity, loss of or change in smell or taste, thirst, chronic cough, chest pain, and abnormal movements. Among 2231 participants first infected on or after December 1, 2021, and enrolled within 30 days of infection, 224 (10% [95% CI, 8.8%-11%]) were PASC positive at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A definition of PASC was developed based on symptoms in a prospective cohort study. As a first step to providing a framework for other investigations, iterative refinement that further incorporates other clinical features is needed to support actionable definitions of PASC