News by Subject Social & Behavior

Men are willing to purchase more showy, expensive engagement rings when they imagine themselves with an attractive woman rather than a woman with average looks. Appearance also plays a role for women but, in contrast to men, they are more likely to select an expensive ring with a big stone when they are partnered with a less attractive man.

Couples in non-monogamous relationships have the same level of relationship satisfaction, psychological well-being and sexual satisfaction as those in monogamous relationships, a new University of Guelph study has found.

Living together is often a first step before marriage, or for a growing number of millennials, an alternative to tying the knot. Money or debt can be a common reason for this decision, but there are long-term financial implications to cohabitation, according to research from Iowa State and Kansas State universities.

Refraining from bad behavior toward a significant other during stressful life events is more important than showing positive behavior, according to a Baylor University study.

A new longitudinal study finds that having a good relationship with a sibling may help buffer the distress of ongoing hostility between parents.

How a new mother reacts to her partner's early interactions with their baby may affect his parenting quality later on, a new study suggests. Researchers found that fathers did not perform as well as a parent to their 9-month-old child if the dads felt their partner was critical of their parenting skills six months earlier.

The research identifies a new structure in human sperm that functions in the zygote and may provide new avenues for addressing male infertility and insights into early embryo developmental defects.

A combination of the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol can help bring closure to some women and their families suffering from miscarriage, and reduces the need for surgical intervention to complete the painful miscarriage process. Results of a new clinical trial show that while the standard drug regimen using misoprostol on its own frequently fails to complete the miscarriage, a combination of misoprostol and the drug mifepristone works much more reliably.

A growing body of research links divorce to a wide range of poor health outcomes, including greater risk for early death. A new University of Arizona study points to two possible culprits: a greater likelihood of smoking after divorce and lower levels of physical activity.