News by Subject Social & Behavior

Conventional wisdom holds that people set themselves up for even greater heartache when they jump into bed with their ex-partner after a breakup. However, according to the findings of a study in Springer's journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, having sex with an ex doesn't seem to hinder moving on after the breakup. This is true even for those who continue to pine after their ex, says lead author Stephanie Spielmann of Wayne State University in the US.

How partners in a romantic relationship deal with laughter or being laughed at affects their every day life, their relationship satisfaction and even their sexuality. This is one of the findings of a new study by psychologists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The paper was recently published in the 'Journal of Research in Personality'.

It is a classic relationship stalemate: One partner asks the other to change something and the partner who is asked shuts down. But that type of response may actually be beneficial for the relationship of lower-income couples, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Conversely, withdrawing can negatively affect higher-income couples' relationship satisfaction, the study found.

New research at UC Riverside has greatly magnified the body of evidence asserting that the pronouns we use foretell good relationship outcomes.

In 2014, the first child to have been gestated in a donated uterus was born. Although research into uterus transplantation is still in an early phase, many see the donations as a success. Researchers at universities including Linköping University have studied ethical aspects of uterus transplantation. The results show that uterus transplantation with living donors is ethically just as problematic as altruistic surrogacy.

A researcher from the University of Missouri says that the pattern of breaking up and getting back together can impact an individual's mental health and not for the better. He suggests people in these kinds of relationships should make informed decisions about stabilizing or safely terminating their relationships.

A multinational study by University of California, Davis, sociologists charts three distinct transitions in gender attitudes associated with national characteristics. Gender equality has spread unevenly.

The study demonstrates that employees do not need to spend actual time on work in their off-hours to experience harmful effects. The mere expectations of availability increase strain for employees and their significant others -- even when employees do not engage in actual work during nonwork time.

In the past, forced or arranged marriages meant that socially inept, unattractive men did not have to acquire social skills in order to find a long-term love interest. Today, men must be able to turn on the charm if they want to find a partner. Those men who have difficulty flirting, or are unable to impress the opposite sex may remain single because their social skills have not evolved to meet today's societal demands.