Myron D. Friesen

Warm and Homely or Cold and Beautiful? Sex Differences in Trading Off Traits in Mate Selection

Prior research and theory suggest that people use three main sets of criteria in mate selection: warmth/trustworthiness, attractiveness/vitality, and status/resources. In two studies, men and women made mating choices between pairs of hypothetical potential partners and were forced to make trade-offs among these three criteria (e.g., warm and homely vs. cold and attractive). As predicted, women (relative to men) placed greater importance on warmth/trustworthiness and status/resources in a potential mate but less importance on attractiveness/vitality. In addition, as expected (a) ratings of ideal standards partly mediated the link between sex and mate choices, (b) ideal standards declined in importance from long-term to short-term relationships, with the exception of attractiveness/vitality, and unexpectedly, (c) sex differences were higher for long-term (compared to short-term) mate choice. Explanations and implications are discussed.

Mapping the Intimate Relationship Mind: Comparisons between Three Models of Attachment Representations

This study compared three models of how attachment working models might be cognitively represented. Model 1 posits that attachment representations consist of a single global working model summarizing attachment across specific relationships and domains. Model 2 proposes three independent working models for the relationship domains of family, platonic friendships, and romantic partners. Model 3 postulates that specific relationship models are nested under relationship domain representations that are, in turn, nested under an overarching global working model. Participants completed standard attachment scales for the relationship domains of family, platonic friendships, and romantic partners and also provided attachment ratings for three specific relationships within each domain. As expected, confirmatory factor analyses showed that Model 3 attained the best fit, regardless of analysis strategy, measurement strategy, gender, and relationship status. Implications are discussed.

High prevalence/low severity language delay in preschool children born very preterm.

Objective: To examine the language development at corrected age 4 years of a regionally representative cohort of children born very preterm (VPT). Of particular interest was the identification of biological and socioenvironmental risk and protective factors that influence VPT childrens early language development. Method: Data were collected as part of a prospective longitudinal study of 110 VPT (VPT: ≤33 weeks gestation) and 113 full-term children (full term: 37–41 weeks gestation) born in Canterbury, New Zealand from 1998 to 2000. At corrected age 4 years, all children were assessed with the preschool version of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals. Extensive information was also collected about childrens family social background, perinatal health, childrearing environment, education/intervention exposures, and neurodevelopmental progress from birth to age 4. Results: At the age of 4 years, VPT children were characterized by poorer receptive and expressive language development than full-term children. These differences persisted after exclusion of children with neurosensory impairment as well as statistical adjustment for the effects of social risk. Within the VPT group, the key predictors of childrens overall language development were family social risk at birth (p =.05), severity of white matter abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (p =.49), observed parent-child synchrony (p =.001), and concurrent child cognitive ability (p =.001). Together, these factors accounted for 45% of the variance in childrens total Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals—Preschool scores. Conclusion: By preschool age, children born VPT show early emerging mild to moderate language delays that are likely to affect their school success and longer-term developmental progress. Findings highlight the importance of potentially modifiable factors such as early brain injury and parenting quality in predicting the language outcomes of children born VPT.

Childhood exposure to sexual abuse and partnership outcomes at age 30.

BACKGROUND In this study, 30-year longitudinal data from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) were used to examine the associations between childhood exposure to sexual abuse and intimate relationship outcomes at age 30. In addition, a broad range of early childhood and family confounding factors were tested, and the role of intervening factors from adolescence was explored. METHOD The investigation analyzed data from a birth cohort of over 900 New Zealand adults studied to the age of 30. At ages 18 and 21 cohort members reported on any exposure to sexual abuse prior to age 16. This information, along with prospective data gathered in childhood and adolescence, was used to predict partnership outcomes at age 30. RESULTS After adjustment for early childhood and family factors, exposure to more severe forms of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with earlier and more frequent cohabitation, higher rates of perpetrated interpartner violence (IPV), and early parenthood, lower relationship satisfaction and investment. Several factors from adolescence partially or fully mediated these associations, notably a history of early consensual sexual intercourse, higher number of sexual partnerships, substance abuse problems, and self-esteem. After adjustment for intervening factors, exposure to CSA remained significantly associated with IPV. CONCLUSIONS The findings support a causal chain process, whereby early childhood and family factors place some individuals at risk for CSA. The extent of CSA exposure is related to adolescent risk taking, which in turn leads to early and more frequent cohabitation, risk of IPV, and lower relationship satisfaction and investment.

Convergent Validation of an Interview-Based Personality Assessment: A Laboratory Project

This article describes a 2-session laboratory project in which students develop, conduct, and attempt to validate an interview-based personality assessment. In Session 1, students learn about effective interview procedures and then design and pilot-test an interview to assess 4 personality traits (emotionality, activity level, sociability, and impulsivity). Each student then assesses the personality of a participant using the interview along with a self-report measure that indexes the same 4 personality traits. In Session 2, students analyze the interview and questionnaire data and examine several topics concerning measurement validation, such as convergent validity, social desirability, and error. Test grades and student evaluations supported the pedagogical value of the project.

The psychological salience of religiosity and spirituality among Christian young people in New Zealand: A mixed-methods study.

This mixed-methods exploratory study examined the psychological salience of religiosity and spirituality in a sample of young people (ages 16–21, Mage = 18.9 years; SD = 1.36) from New Zealand. Participants completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire with both qualitative and quantitative questions that assessed subjective perceptions of religion and spirituality and theoretically linked social and cognitive (motivation and identity) factors associated with the psychological salience of religiosity/spirituality. The results showed considerable overlap in participants’ conceptualization of religiosity and spirituality as the two constructs related to participants’ faith; yet, the sample had greater affinity for spirituality than religiosity. Relationship quality and religious/spiritual support from family and friends were associated with a stronger community connection. This was associated with participants’ spiritual identity and extrinsic motivation to be involved in religious activities, which in turn predicted greater religious/spiritual salience. The findings replicate previous research in the relationship between religiosity and spirituality in Christian samples, and also breaks new ground in the conceptualization of the psychological salience of religiosity/spirituality and in identifying community connection as a link to increased religious/spiritual identity and motivation among adolescents and young adults.

Intergenerational changes in the context of early motherhood

Abstract Population level shifts in the timing of parenting onset and family composition have been well documented. However, the impacts of these changes on the life course experiences of high risk, teen and younger mothers remain poorly understood To address this issue, this paper examined intergenerational changes in the family formation and parenting experiences of teen and younger mothers who gave birth in the 1970s and the 2000s (G2, N = 108). The study sample consisted of two generations of early parenting women studied as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study in New Zealand Early motherhood (<25 years) was defined relative to concurrent national childbirth data. Results showed that contemporary young mothers (G2) were subject to greater parental, housing and school instability during their childhood years than early parenting women of their mothers’ generation (G1). These risks persisted following their transition to motherhood, with G2 mothers being at increased risk of non-marital childbearing (65 vs. 11%), single motherhood (38 vs. 21%) and welfare dependence (37 vs. 19%) despite gains in educational achievement (36 vs. 18% tertiary qualified). Further examination of the family circumstances and parenting practices of contemporary G2 mothers showed that about half were working in unskilled or part time employment, with many experiencing a range of financial problems (13–40%). Breastfeeding (89%) and infant immunization (92%) were common, but one in four G2 women were exposing their children to passive cigarette smoke, physical punishment (82%) and abuse (14%). These findings provide support for secular changes in the context of early motherhood, with contemporary young mothers raising their children in family contexts characterized by higher levels of psychosocial adversity than the previous generation of early parenting women. Such findings raise significant concerns for the health and wellbeing of these young mothers and their children.