Love in the Time of COVID: Perceived Partner Responsiveness Buffers People from Lower Relationship Quality Associated with COVID-Related Stressors

External stressors can erode relationship quality, though little is known about what can mitigate these effects. We examined whether COVID-related stressors were associated with lower relationship quality, and whether perceived partner responsiveness—the extent to which people believe their partner understands, validates, and cares for them—buffers these effects. When people in relationships reported more COVID-related stressors they reported poorer relationship quality at the onset of the pandemic (N = 3,593 from 57 countries) and over the subsequent three months (N = 1,125). At the onset of the pandemic, most associations were buffered by perceived partner responsiveness, such that people who perceived their partners to be low in responsiveness reported poorer relationship quality when they experienced COVID-related stressors, but these associations were reduced among people who perceived their partners to be highly responsive. In some cases, these associations were buffered over the ensuing weeks of the pandemic

The Spanish adaptation of the relationship power inventory

Power dynamics are fundamental when negotiating conflicts. However, no instrument for measuring power in romantic relationships has been adequately adapted to Spanish culture. The goal of this research was to adapt the Relationship Power Inventory (RPI; Farrell et al., 2015) to Spanish culture and language, filling this gap by providing a rigorous instrument for evaluating this construct. Study 1 was conducted to obtain evidence based on Spanish adaptation of RPI content. Once the Spanish adaptation of the RPI was built and we obtained validity evidence based on the test content, in Study 2, the scale was administered to two different samples of the adult population following a cross-validation approach. Specifically, in Sample 1 (N = 400), the training sample, a statistical analysis and an exploration of the dimensional structure and reliability of the measure were carried out. In Sample 2 (N = 755), the validation sample, the internal structure of the scale was confirmed, and evidence of external validity and generalization was obtained. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for the four-factor structure. These dimensions were invariant to gender and had adequate validity based on their relationship with other variables (dependence on the partner, conflict-resolution strategies, and psychological well-being). In sum, the Spanish version of the RPI (SARPI) is a reliable instrument with sufficient valid evidence to provide accurate measurement of power differences in the context of romantic relationships

El Sexting no siempre es deseado: consecuencias sobre la satisfacción y el papel de la coerción sexual y la victimización sexual en línea

The understanding of sexting as a new form of interpersonal communication is increasing; however, little is known about whether the incidence, correlates, and outcomes of sexting vary depending on whether such behavior is done willingly or not. In this non-experimental study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of sexting among 310 Spanish young adults, who completed an online survey re-garding their previous experiences of wanted and unwanted sexting behav-iors, their sexual coercion and online sexual victimization experiences, and their levels of sexual and life satisfaction. The results showed that more than half and one third of the sample had been involved in wanted and unwanted sexting behaviors, respectively. Additionally, sexual coercion and online sexual victimization predicted a higher probability of engaging in unwanted sexual behaviors and, with that, a decrease of life satisfaction. Finally, having experienced more instances of sexual coercion was associated with lower life satisfaction by increasing the likelihood of suffering online sexual victimization experiences and engaging in additional unwanted sexting behaviors. Our findings show the importance of discerning between wanted and unwanted sexting and how doing so differently conditions the predictors and consequences of this phenomena.La comprensión del sexting como una nueva forma de comunicación interpersonal es cada vez mayor; sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre si la incidencia, correlatos y resultados del sexting varían en función de si se realiza de forma voluntaria o no. En este estudio no experimental, nos proponemos investigar la prevalencia, los predictores y las consecuencias del sexting entre 310 jóvenes españoles, que completaron una encuesta online sobre sus experiencias previas de sexting deseado y no deseado, coerción sexual y victimización sexual online, así como sus niveles de satisfacción sexual y vital. Los resultados mostraron que la mitad y un tercio de la muestra habían estado involucrados en comportamientos de sexting deseados y no deseados, respectivamente. Además, la coerción sexual y la victimización sexual online predijeron una mayor probabilidad de participar en conductas sexuales no deseadas y, con ello, una disminución de la satisfacción vital. Por último, haber experimentado mayor coerción sexual se asoció con menor satisfacción vital al aumentar la probabilidad de sufrir victimización sexual online y de participar en conductas adicionales de sexting no deseado. Nuestros hallazgos muestran la importancia de discernir entre el sexting deseado y el no deseado y cómo el hacerlo de forma diferente condiciona los predictores y las consecuencias de este fenómeno

The Detrimental Effect of Sexual Objectification on Targets’ and Perpetrators’ Sexual Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Sexual Coercion

Sexual objectification is a variable to consider for understanding the sexual violence that takes place into intimate context. The set of studies presented here aims to connect sexual objectification phenomena with sexual coercion and explore the consequences that both have on sexual satisfaction. Two studies examined the association between sexual objectification and sexual satisfaction for both views: female target (Study 1) and male perpetrator (Study 2) perspectives. The results of the first study (n = 138 heterosexual women) demonstrated that perceiving partner objectification (but not reporting general sexual objectification victimization) is indirectly linked to a lower sexual satisfaction because of lower rejection and higher sexual coercion rates. The second study (n = 136 heterosexual men) showed the indirect effect of partner objectification and general sexual objectification perpetration on sexual satisfaction after sexual coercion perpetration. Results of both studies demonstrated the negative consequences that sexual objectification has on sexual satisfaction for both male perpetrators and female targets.This research was made possible, thanks to the financing provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness for the R&D project “New forms of Gender Violence: Risks and protective factors for psychosocial wellbeing [PSI2017-84703-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE)].

Connecting perceived economic threat and prosocial tendencies: The explanatory role of empathic concern

Recent research suggests that perceived economic threat constitutes a valid predictor of people’s attitudes and behaviors. While accumulated empirical evidence has mostly underlined the deleterious psychological effects (e.g., reduced psychological well-being) of perceived economic threat in times of economic strain, we postulate that individuals experiencing higher economic threat linked to the Spanish economic crisis are more prone to engage in other-beneficial prosocial behavior. Across two independently collected community samples, we tested this theoretical formulation and examined the potential mediating roles of empathic concern (Studies 1 & 2) and identification (Study 2). Study 1 (N = 306) revealed that participants who descended in the social scale due to the negative national economic context were engaged in a larger number of helping behaviors over the last three months compared to participants who did not descend the social ladder—independently of several sociodemographic and ideological factors. Moreover, our data indicated these effects were driven by increased empathic concern. Study 2 (N = 588), in which two hypothetical helping-behavior scenarios were randomly administered (crisis-related vs. control), showed that participants under high perceived financial threat exhibited an undifferentiated pattern of prosociality. However, moderatedmediation analyses indicated that empathic concern explained the perceived financial threathelping behavior link in the hypothetical crisis-related scenario but not in the hypothetical control scenario. Together, these findings extend prior literature on the psychosocial effects of perceived economic threat and the determinants of other-oriented behavior. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ref. PSI2014-59659-R and Ref. PSI2017-83966- R [MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE]). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Empowerment in the health sphere

El Empowerment es un constructo multinivel que ha sido analizado por distintas disciplinas. En el presente estudio, partiendo de la distinción entre Empowerment Estructural y Empowerment Psicológico que proponen Jáimez y Bretones (2011), se pretende estudiar la relación entre dichas variables y la influencia que éstas tienen sobre la Satisfacción y la Motivación Laboral, con una muestra de 95 sujetos (médicos, enfermeros y técnicos) en diferentes Hospitales Públicos de Granada. Los datos obtenidos tras la administración de cuatro escalas corroboran las hipótesis planteadas y muestran una nueva versión del modelo de partida, donde la Satisfacción Laboral de los sujetos media la relación entre la percepción de Empowerment Estructural y Psicológico.The Empowerment is a multilevel construct that has been analyzed by distinct disciplines. In the present study, belonging to the distinction between Structural Empowerment and Psychological Empowerment proposed by Jáimez and Bretones (2011) , it aims to study the relation between such variables and the influence that these have on Job Satisfaction and Motivation, with a sample of 95 individuals (doctors, nurses and technicians) from different Public Hospitals in Granada. The data obtained after the administration of four scales confirmed the proposed hypothesis and suggests a new version of the starting model since it proposes that the Job Satisfaction of the individuals mediates the relation between the percepti on of Structural and Psychological Empowerment.ReiDoCrea. Departamento de Psicología Social. Universidad de Granada

Sexting durante el confinamiento en España: prevalencia, motivaciones y variables predictoras

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the mandatory isolation of the entire population, reducing the opportunities for casual sexual encounters or between partners who do not live together. However, it is plausible to assume that other forms of sexual contact like sexting are occurring. This research aimed to analyse the behaviours and motivations to engage in sexting and to examine some predictors of mental health and loneliness that could be associated with sexting during confinement. The sample consisted of 510 participants: 280 emerging adults and 230 adults. The results showed higher prevalence of sexting behaviours among emerging adults (vs. adults) and among males (vs. females). Moreover, emerging adults reported more motivations to engage in sexting. Finally, the analysis revealed that loneliness would predict engagement in sexting by emerging adults. These findings could have implications for the implementation of sexual education programmes aimed at achieving adequate social interactions associated with sexting.El SARS-CoV-2 ocasionó el aislamiento obligatorio de toda la población, reduciendo las oportunidades de las relaciones se-xuales casuales o entre parejas no convivientes. No obstante, es viable asumir que se están produciendo otras formas de contacto sexual, como el sexting. El propósito de esta investigación fue analizar los comportamientos y motivaciones involucradas en el sexting y examinar algunos predictores de salud mental y soledad que podrían estar asociados con el sexting durante el confinamiento. La muestra consistió en 510 participantes: 280 jóvenes y 230 adultos. Los resultados mostraron una mayor prevalencia de comportamientos de sexting entre los jóvenes (frente a los adultos), y entre los hombres (frente a las mujeres). Más aún, los jóvenes reportaron más motivaciones para practicar el sexting. Finalmente, el análisis revela que la soledad sería un factor de predicción para la participación de los jóvenes en el sexting. Estos hallazgos podrían tener implicaciones para la puesta en práctica de programas de educación sexual destinados a alcanzar interacciones sociales adecuadas relacionadas con el sexting.Consejeria de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidades, Junta de Andalucía [Ref.B-SEJ-472-UGR18]

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with critical influenza pneumonia

In an international cohort of 279 patients with hypoxemic influenza pneumonia, we identified 13 patients (4.6%) with autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha and/or -omega, which were previously reported to underlie 15% cases of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia and one third of severe adverse reactions to live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie critical COVID-19 pneumonia and yellow fever vaccine disease. We report here on 13 patients harboring autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 alone (five patients) or with IFN-omega (eight patients) from a cohort of 279 patients (4.7%) aged 6-73 yr with critical influenza pneumonia. Nine and four patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-alpha 2, and six and two patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-omega. The patients' autoantibodies increased influenza A virus replication in both A549 cells and reconstituted human airway epithelia. The prevalence of these antibodies was significantly higher than that in the general population for patients 70 yr of age (3.1 vs. 4.4%, P = 0.68). The risk of critical influenza was highest in patients with antibodies neutralizing high concentrations of both IFN-alpha 2 and IFN-omega (OR = 11.7, P = 1.3 x 10(-5)), especially those <70 yr old (OR = 139.9, P = 3.1 x 10(-10)). We also identified 10 patients in additional influenza patient cohorts. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs account for similar to 5% of cases of life-threatening influenza pneumonia in patients <70 yr old

Coping Processes in Romantic Relationships’ Conflicts and Consequences for Well-being

El presente trabajo de investigación ha sido financiado a través del programa de Formación del Profesorado Universitario (FPU 2016: Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Gobierno de España), al que ha estado vinculada la doctoranda desde Diciembre de 2016 hasta Abril de 2021 (Ref. FPU16/03023); así como por los proyectos “Análisis psicosocial del acoso sexual: nuevas formas y nuevos contextos” (Ref. PSI2014-59200-R), “Nuevas formas de violencia de género: factores de riesgo y protectores para el bienestar psicosocial” (Ref. PSI2017-84703-R) y “Realidades macrosociales (crisis económica y clase social) y procesos psicosociales: confianza, bienestar, altruismo y política” (Ref. PSI2017-83966-R), concedidos por el Ministerio de Economía, Industria, y Competitividad (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE).Las relaciones románticas o de pareja son una de las fuentes más importantes de salud, bienestar, y felicidad para las personas (e.g., Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010; Robles et al., 2014), algo que no es de extrañar dado que las vidas de las parejas románticas se encuentran íntimamente entrelazadas (Rusbult y Van Lange, 2003). La interdependencia existente entre los miembros de una relación puede hacer que las personas se encuentren fuertemente motivadas para mantener e invertir en la relación, pero también puede convertirse en una fuente de conflictos y discrepancias cuando existen intereses incompatibles (Clark y Mills, 2012; Overall y McNulty, 2017). La forma en que las parejas navegan por estos conflictos de intereses puede ser clave para el buen funcionamiento y la satisfacción de la relación, así como para la salud y bienestar de las personas (Cameron y Overall, 2018; Joel et al., 2020). Por ello, el objetivo general de esta tesis doctoral ha sido profundizar en la comprensión de los procesos implicados en la gestión de los conflictos que surgen en las relaciones de pareja, en gran parte inexplorados. En concreto, nos centramos en analizar dos cuestiones generales: (a) qué factores propios de la relación y su interacción influyen en cómo gestionan las personas los conflictos con sus parejas, es decir, en las respuestas que emplean ante las divergencias de intereses que aparecen entre ellas en su día a día; y (b) cómo la forma en la que gestionen estos conflictos puede afectar al bienestar, satisfacción, y salud percibida de cada miembro de la relación a corto y largo plazo. Abordamos estas preguntas adoptando un enfoque tanto individual como diádico evaluando las experiencias y comportamientos de ambos miembros de la relación.Romantic relationships are one of the most important sources of people’s wellbeing, happiness, and health (e.g., Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010; Robles et al., 2014). The interdependence between the members of a relationship can strongly motivate people to maintain and invest in the relationship, but it can also become a source of conflicts and discrepancies when there are incompatible interests (Clark & Mills, 2012; Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003). The truth is that people in relationships do not always experience a correspondence of interests; that is, what is good for one person is also good for the other. Rather, sometimes, couples face situations in which the preferences of both diverge, creating conflicts (Overall & McNulty, 2017). The way couples navigate these conflicting interests may be key to the proper functioning and satisfaction of the relationship and to individuals’ health and well-being (Cameron & Overall, 2018; Joel et al., 2020). Therefore, this doctoral thesis aims to deepen the understanding of the processes involved in the management of conflicts that arise in couple relationships, which have been largely unexplored. Specifically, we focused on analyzing: (a) what factors inherent to the relationship influence how people manage conflicts with their partners, that is, the responses they use to cope with the divergence of interests that appear between them in their daily lives; and (b) how the way each member of the relationship manages these conflicts can affect their wellbeing, satisfaction, and perceived health in the short and long terms. We addressed these general questions by taking an individual and a dyadic approach to evaluating the experiences and behaviors of both members of the relationship.Tesis Univ. Granada.FPU 2016: Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Gobierno de España (Ref. FPU16/03023)“Análisis psicosocial del acoso sexual: nuevas formas y nuevos contextos” (Ref. PSI2014-59200-R),“Nuevas formas de violencia de género: factores de riesgo y protectores para el bienestar psicosocial” (Ref. PSI2017-84703-R)“Realidades macrosociales (crisis económica y clase social) y procesos psicosociales: confianza, bienestar, altruismo y política” (Ref. PSI2017-83966-R)Ministerio de Economía, Industria, y Competitividad (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE