Papers by Amanda N Gesselman
Estimates and correlates of engagement in consensually non-monogamous relationships
Interest in consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships—in which partners have explicitly agr... more Interest in consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships—in which partners have explicitly agreed that pursuing other romantic or sexual partners is permitted—has grown both among the American public and among researchers and practitioners. Yet, little is known about the prevalence of CNM relationships or factors related to engagement in these relationships. In this review, we synthesize the past 5 years of research on CNM relationships to provide insight on (1) definitions of differing CNM relationships, (2) how many people are engaging in or have previously engaged in CNM relationships, and (3) which social identities and individual differences are associated with CNM engagement. Engagement in CNM relationships has been linked to positive aspects of sexual health such as open conversations about sexual needs and risk, and greater condom use. Researchers and practitioners should further address perceptions of and approaches to relationships outside the standard of monogamy.
Although academic and popular interest in consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) is increasing, little is k... more Although academic and popular interest in consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) is increasing, little is known about the prevalence of CNM. Using two separate U.S. Census based quota samples of single adults in the United States (Study 1: n = 3,905; Study 2: n = 4,813), the present studies show that more than one in five (21.9% in Study 1; 21.2% in Study 2) participants report engaging in CNM at some point in their lifetime. This proportion remained constant across age, education level, income, religion, region, political affiliation, and race, but varied with gender and sexual orientation. Specifically, men (compared to women) and people who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual (compared to those who identify as heterosexual) were more likely to report previous engagement in CNM. These findings
Spirituality, emotional distress, and post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and their partners: an actor–partner interdependence modeling approach
Background
The association between spirituality and emotional health has been well documented in... more Background
The association between spirituality and emotional health has been well documented in healthy individuals. A small literature has shown that spirituality plays a role in well-being for some breast cancer (BC) survivors; however, this link is virtually unexplored in partners/spouses of survivors. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between spirituality, emotional distress, and post-traumatic growth for BC survivors and their partners using a dyadic analyses approach.
Methods
A total of 498 couples who were 3–8 years post-BC diagnosis were recruited from the Eastern Oncology Group database.
Results
For BC survivors and their partners, greater levels of spirituality were associated with increases in their own post-traumatic growth. There was no relation between BC and partner spirituality and their own emotional distress, but partner's spirituality was associated with reduced occurrence of intrusive thoughts in the BC survivor. In contrast, BC survivors' spirituality was found to be wholly unrelated to partner's mental health and adjustment.
Conclusions
Following diagnosis and treatment, spirituality appears to associate with positive growth in BC survivors and their partners. However, BC survivor and partner spirituality seem to be ineffective at impacting the other's post-traumatic growth or emotional distress, with the exception of intrusive thoughts. Dyadic analysis takes into account the reciprocal influence of close relationships on health and is an important and under-utilized methodology in behavioral oncology research and clinical practice.
Romantic and dating behaviors among single parents in the United States
Little research has focused on the dating attitudes and behaviors of singles with dependent‐age c... more Little research has focused on the dating attitudes and behaviors of singles with dependent‐age children. Using data collected from a nationally representative U.S. probability sample of single adults, we provide findings on dating attitudes and behaviors among 747 single parents in the United States, aged 21 years and older, who had one or more children under the age of 18 years. Findings show gender differences between single men and single women concerning how they balance being a single parent and make time for dating. Both single fathers and single mothers considered their child's opinion about their dating life, and most parents involved their child(ren) once they knew they wanted or had established a committed romantic relationship with a new partner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Background: The transmission of sexual images and messages via mobile phone or other electronic m... more Background: The transmission of sexual images and messages via mobile phone or other electronic media (sexting) has been associated with a variety of mostly negative social and behavioural consequences. Research on sexting has focussed on youth, with limited data across demographics and with little known about the sharing of private sexual images and messages with third parties. Methods: The present study examines sexting attitudes and behaviours, including sending, receiving, and sharing of sexual messages and images, across gender, age, and sexual orientation. A total of 5805 single adults were included in the study (2830 women; 2975 men), ranging in age from 21 to 75+ years. Results: Overall, 21% of participants reported sending and 28% reported receiving sexually explicit text messages; both sending and receiving 'sexts' was most common among younger respondents. Although 73.2% of participants reported discomfort with unauthorised sharing of sexts beyond the intended recipient, of those who had received sext images, 22.9% reported sharing them with others (on average with 3.17 friends). Participants also reported concern about the potential consequences of sexting on their social lives, careers, and psychosocial wellbeing. Conclusion: Views on the impact of sexting on reputation suggest a contemporary struggle to reconcile digital eroticism with real-world consequences. These findings suggest a need for future research into negotiations of sexting motivations, risks, and rewards.
Information seeking in intimate relationships
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
Personality and Individual Differences, 2014
Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied ... more Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied in individuals, little is known about their roles in dating relationships. Forty-five heterosexual undergraduate couples (N = 90) reported measures of the Dark Triad and relationship commitment and satisfaction. Within couples, assortative mating was slightly negative for narcissism, marginally positive for Machiavellianism, and significantly positive for psychopathy. Using actor-partner interdependence models, we explored the extent to which satisfaction mediated the direct associations between the Dark Triad and commitment. Men's satisfaction marginally mediated the women's Dark Triad ? men's commitment negative association. Among the three Dark Triad subscales, satisfaction marginally mediated both of the actor-effect-based psychopathy ? commitment negative associations. We discuss possible implications for couples' relationship strategies.
Two Sides of the Same Coin? Viewing Altruism and Aggression Through the Adaptive Lens of Kinship
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2012
Abstract Are altruism and aggression polar opposites, or are they two sides of the same coin? In ... more Abstract Are altruism and aggression polar opposites, or are they two sides of the same coin? In this review, the authors examine the evolved biological roots of these behaviors and focus on the psychology of kinship and how it can serve to bridge both behaviors. Drawing on inclusive fitness theory (Hamilton, 1964), the kinship, acceptance, and rejection model of altruism and aggression (KARMAA; Webster, 2008), and a sociofunctional threat-based approach to prejudice (Cottrell & Neuberg, 2005), the authors propose that altruism and ...
Mutually attracted or repulsed? An actor-partner interdependence model of the dark triad in couples
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
Personality and Individual Differences, 2014
Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied ... more Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied in individuals, little is known about their roles in dating relationships. Forty-five heterosexual undergraduate couples (N = 90) reported measures of the Dark Triad and relationship commitment and satisfaction. Within couples, assortative mating was slightly negative for narcissism, marginally positive for Machiavellianism, and significantly positive for psychopathy. Using actor-partner interdependence models, we explored the extent to which satisfaction mediated the direct associations between the Dark Triad and commitment. Men's satisfaction marginally mediated the women's Dark Triad ? men's commitment negative association. Among the three Dark Triad subscales, satisfaction marginally mediated both of the actor-effect-based psychopathy ? commitment negative associations. We discuss possible implications for couples' relationship strategies.
Inclusive fitness affects both prosocial and antisocial behavior: target gender and insult domain moderate the link between genetic relatedness and aggression
Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior, 2012
Although prior research has examined the relationship between genetic relatedness and helping beh... more Although prior research has examined the relationship between genetic relatedness and helping behavior (Burnstein, Crandall, and Kitayama, 1994), less is known about its role in aggressive responses to insults (Fitzgerald and Ketterer, 2011). Drawing on inclusive fitness theory (Hamilton, 1964) and the Kinship, Acceptance, and Rejection Model of Altruism and Aggression (KARMAA; Webster, 2008; Webster et al., 2012), we designed a 2 (participant gender) × 2 (target gender) × 2 (insult: status vs. reproductive) × 3 (relatedness: stranger vs. cousin vs. sibling) between-person experiment in which 489 participants (a) read vignettes in which a stranger, cousin, or sibling was insulted and (b) reported their emotional reaction and retaliation likelihood (six-item α = .91) in response to the insult. Consistent with theory and prior research, men were significantly more aggressive than women, and people were significantly more aggressive responding to insults against kin than non-kin. These...
A life history theory of father absence and menarche: a meta-analysis
Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior, 2014
Is the absence of biological fathers related to their daughters' earlier age at menarche? Dra... more Is the absence of biological fathers related to their daughters' earlier age at menarche? Drawing on evolutionary psychology and life history theory, prior research has suggested such a relationship (Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper, 1991; Draper and Harpending, 1982; Ellis, 2004). Although qualitative reviews have shown narrative support for this relationship (Allison and Hyde, 2013; Ellis, 2004; Kim, Smith, and Palermiti, 1997; Susman and Dorn, 2009), no quantitative review exists to provide empirical support for this relationship or to explain mixed results. Thus, we conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of correlations (Card, 2012) on father absence and daughter menarcheal age (k=33; N=70,403). The weighted mean correlation was .14, 95% CI [.09, .19], suggesting that father absence was significantly related to earlier menarche; effect sizes were heterogeneous. Egger's regression (Egger, Smith, Schneider, and Minder, 1997) showed no evidence of publication bias (file-draw...
Personality and Individual Differences, 2014
Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied ... more Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied in individuals, little is known about their roles in dating relationships. Forty-five heterosexual undergraduate couples (N = 90) reported measures of the Dark Triad and relationship commitment and satisfaction. Within couples, assortative mating was slightly negative for narcissism, marginally positive for Machiavellianism, and significantly positive for psychopathy. Using actor-partner interdependence models, we explored the extent to which satisfaction mediated the direct associations between the Dark Triad and commitment. Men's satisfaction marginally mediated the women's Dark Triad ? men's commitment negative association. Among the three Dark Triad subscales, satisfaction marginally mediated both of the actor-effect-based psychopathy ? commitment negative associations. We discuss possible implications for couples' relationship strategies.
Two Sides of the Same Coin? Viewing Altruism and Aggression Through the Adaptive Lens of Kinship
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2012
Abstract Are altruism and aggression polar opposites, or are they two sides of the same coin? In ... more Abstract Are altruism and aggression polar opposites, or are they two sides of the same coin? In this review, the authors examine the evolved biological roots of these behaviors and focus on the psychology of kinship and how it can serve to bridge both behaviors. Drawing on inclusive fitness theory (Hamilton, 1964), the kinship, acceptance, and rejection model of altruism and aggression (KARMAA; Webster, 2008), and a sociofunctional threat-based approach to prejudice (Cottrell & Neuberg, 2005), the authors propose that altruism and ...
PLoS ONE, 2013
Background: How accurately do people perceive extreme water speeds and how does their perception ... more Background: How accurately do people perceive extreme water speeds and how does their perception affect perceived risk? Prior research has focused on the characteristics of moving water that can reduce human stability or balance. The current research presents the first experiment on people's perceptions of risk and moving water at different speeds and depths.
Personality and Individual Differences, 2014
Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied ... more Although the Dark Triad traits -narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy -have been studied in individuals, little is known about their roles in dating relationships. Forty-five heterosexual undergraduate couples (N = 90) reported measures of the Dark Triad and relationship commitment and satisfaction. Within couples, assortative mating was slightly negative for narcissism, marginally positive for Machiavellianism, and significantly positive for psychopathy. Using actor-partner interdependence models, we explored the extent to which satisfaction mediated the direct associations between the Dark Triad and commitment. Men's satisfaction marginally mediated the women's Dark Triad ? men's commitment negative association. Among the three Dark Triad subscales, satisfaction marginally mediated both of the actor-effect-based psychopathy ? commitment negative associations. We discuss possible implications for couples' relationship strategies.
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2013
Two studies (N = 80; N = 91) investigated whether sharing an autobiographical memory increases em... more Two studies (N = 80; N = 91) investigated whether sharing an autobiographical memory increases empathy for a person experiencing chronic pain. Across studies, empathy was assessed after reading a pain-related narrative of either a 25-or 85-year-old target and again after assignment to one of two recall conditions. Conditions involved recalling a pain-related autobiographical memory (Studies 1 and 2), or as comparisons, recalling the target's pain narrative (Study 1) or recalling a character in pain from a movie (Study 2). Looking across both studies, empathy levels appear to increase after sharing an autobiographical memory but not in the comparison conditions. Increases in empathy were related to trait-level agreeableness. When target-age differences emerged (Study 2), participants felt greater empathy for the older person. Findings are discussed in terms of the function of autobiographical memory in eliciting pro-social emotions such as empathy and implications for training empathic responding.
Individual differences in women's salivary testosterone and estradiol following sexual activity in a non-laboratory setting
Objective: The current study evaluated women's salivary testosterone and estradiol levels before ... more Objective: The current study evaluated women's salivary testosterone and estradiol levels before and after exposure to sexual stimuli in a U.S. sex club. Methods: Behavioral data and salivary samples were collected from 19 women during semi-structured interviews. Results: Findings demonstrate substantial individual differences in the magnitude and direction of women's hormonal changes following sexual activity. Conclusions: In an age of individualized medicine, these findings highlight the need to better understand factors shaping variation in physiological responses to sexual activity. Findings contribute to a relatively small and contradictory literature on women's hormonal responses to sexual stimuli.
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Papers by Amanda N Gesselman
The association between spirituality and emotional health has been well documented in healthy individuals. A small literature has shown that spirituality plays a role in well-being for some breast cancer (BC) survivors; however, this link is virtually unexplored in partners/spouses of survivors. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between spirituality, emotional distress, and post-traumatic growth for BC survivors and their partners using a dyadic analyses approach.
Methods
A total of 498 couples who were 3–8 years post-BC diagnosis were recruited from the Eastern Oncology Group database.
Results
For BC survivors and their partners, greater levels of spirituality were associated with increases in their own post-traumatic growth. There was no relation between BC and partner spirituality and their own emotional distress, but partner's spirituality was associated with reduced occurrence of intrusive thoughts in the BC survivor. In contrast, BC survivors' spirituality was found to be wholly unrelated to partner's mental health and adjustment.
Conclusions
Following diagnosis and treatment, spirituality appears to associate with positive growth in BC survivors and their partners. However, BC survivor and partner spirituality seem to be ineffective at impacting the other's post-traumatic growth or emotional distress, with the exception of intrusive thoughts. Dyadic analysis takes into account the reciprocal influence of close relationships on health and is an important and under-utilized methodology in behavioral oncology research and clinical practice.