The contribution of job and partner satisfaction to the homeostatic defense of subjective wellbeing

Two studies investigate subjective wellbeing (SWB) homeostasis. The first investigates the contribution of job satisfaction (JS) and partner satisfaction (PS) to the homeostatic defense of SWB. The extant model of homeostasis does not include either variable. The second study investigates the relationship between Homeostatically Protected Mood (HPMood) and other factors involved in the homeostatic model. It has been proposed that HPMood is the basic, biologically determined, positive mood that saturates SWB and other related variables, and forms the basis of the SWB set-point. Thus, if HPMood is an individual difference and it perfuses other homeostatic variables, then HPMood should be responsible for much of the shared variance between such variables. Two comparative samples are involved. One is a group of 171 Hong Kong Chinese recruited through convenience sampling. The other is a group of 343 Australians recruited via a general population survey. Results indicate that both JS and PS predict significant variance in Global Life Satisfaction beyond the existing factors in the homeostatic model. It is also found that, after controlling for the effect of HPMood, the strength of correlations between SWB and other homeostatic variables is significantly diminished. The implications of these findings are discussed.

With or without you: does partner satisfaction and partner-directed violence influence the presence of a partner on women's Facebook cover profile photographs?

Social network sites (SNSs) provide new opportunities for online self-presentation of millions of users. The cover profile photograph (CPP) along with written information regarding relationship status is a central component of online self-presentation, although their associations with actual romantic relationships are not clear. We investigated relationships between the presence of a current romantic partner on the CPP and the displayed relationship status and partner satisfaction, partner-directed violence and women's intrasexual competition with peers. A total of 28 % of the 158 women with a Facebook profile and being involved in a romantic relationship had their romantic partners on their CPP. As predicted, women with their partners on the CPP were more satisfied with their romantic relationship than others. Furthermore, women who did not have their partner on the CPP tended to conceal or lie in their displayed mating status suggesting that this may be a strategy how to attract another potential mate. The partner-directed violence and intrasexual competition hypotheses were not supported. Overall, the CPP and an honestly displayed relationship status is an expression of relationship satisfaction amongst women.

Non-resident workers: A comparison of family support services for resource, health, and defence communities

Non-resident workforces experience high labour turnover, which has an impact on organisational operations and affects worker satisfaction and, in turn, partners’ ability to cope with work-related absences. Research suggests that partner satisfaction may be increased by providing a range of support services, which include professional, practical, and social support. A search was conducted to identify support available for resources and health-industry non-resident workers. These were compared to the supports available to families of deployed defence personnel. They were used to compare and contrast the spread available for each industry. The resources industry primarily provided social support, and lacked an inclusion of professional and practical supports. Health-professional support services were largely directed towards extended locum support, rather than to Fly-In Fly-Out workers. Improving sources of support which parallel support provided to the Australian Defence Force is suggested as a way to increase partner satisfaction. The implications are to understand the level of uptake, perceived importance, and utilisation of such support services.

Provoked vestibulodynia : mediators of the associations between partner responses, pain, and sexual satisfaction.

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic, recurrent vulvo-vaginal pain condition affecting 12% of the general population, and is associated with sexual dysfunction, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. There is growing interest in the role of interpersonal variables in PVD, which have been widely neglected. In a sample of 175 couples, the present study examined the mediating roles of partner and participant catastrophizing and self-efficacy in the association between solicitous partner responses and pain intensity, and that of dyadic adjustment in the association between solicitous and negative partner responses and sexual satisfaction. Couples completed measures of partner responses, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, dyadic adjustment, and depression. Women also completed measures of pain, sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Controlling for depression and solicitousness perceived by the other member of the couple, catastrophizing and self-efficacy partially mediated the association between higher solicitous responses and higher pain during intercourse, accounting for 26 and 25% of the variance in this association for participant and partner-perceived responses, respectively. For both participant and partners, only pain catastrophizing was a unique mediator. Controlling for depression, sexual function and partner-perceived responses, dyadic adjustment partially mediated the association between higher participant-perceived solicitous responses and higher sexual satisfaction, and between higher participant-perceived negative responses and lower sexual satisfaction, accounting for 26% of the variance in each association. The current findings suggest that catastrophizing and dyadic adjustment may constitute a route by which partner responses exacerbate pain and increase or decrease sexual satisfaction in PVD couples.

Harmful or helpful : perceived solicitous and facilitative partner responses are differentially associated with pain and sexual satisfaction in women with provoked vestibulodynia.

Introduction.  Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that negatively affects women's emotional, sexual, and relationship well-being. Recent studies have investigated the role of interpersonal variables, including partner responses. Aim.  We examined whether solicitous and facilitative partner responses were differentially associated with vulvovaginal pain and sexual satisfaction in women with PVD by examining each predictor while controlling for the other. Methods.  One hundred twenty-one women (M age = 30.60, SD = 10.53) with PVD or self-reported symptoms of PVD completed the solicitous subscale of the spouse response scale of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, and the facilitative subscale of the Spouse Response Inventory. Participants also completed measures of pain, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, trait anxiety, and avoidance of pain and sexual behaviors (referred to as “avoidance”). Main Outcome Measures.  Dependent measures were the (i) Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire with reference to pain during vaginal intercourse and (ii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. Results.  Controlling for trait anxiety and avoidance, higher solicitous partner responses were associated with higher vulvovaginal pain intensity (β = 0.20, P = 0.03), and higher facilitative partner responses were associated with lower pain intensity (β = −0.20, P = 0.04). Controlling for sexual function, trait anxiety, and avoidance, higher facilitative partner responses were associated with higher sexual satisfaction (β = 0.15, P = 0.05). Conclusions.  Findings suggest that facilitative partner responses may aid in alleviating vulvovaginal pain and improving sexual satisfaction, whereas solicitous partner responses may contribute to greater pain.

Woman and partner-perceived partner responses predict pain and sexual satisfaction in vestibulodynia couples

Introduction.  Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that results in significant sexual dysfunction, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. Although some intra-individual psychological factors have been associated with PVD, studies to date have neglected the interpersonal context of this condition. Aim.  We examined whether partner responses to women's pain experience—from the perspective of both the woman and her partner—are associated with pain intensity, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction. Methods.  One hundred ninety-one couples (M age for women = 33.28, standard deviation [SD] = 12.07, M age for men = 35.79, SD = 12.44) in which the woman suffered from PVD completed the spouse response scale of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory, assessing perceptions of partners' responses to the pain. Women with PVD also completed measures of pain, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, depression, and dyadic adjustment. Main Outcome Measures.  Dependent measures were women's responses to: (i) a horizontal analog scale assessing the intensity of their pain during intercourse; (ii) the Female Sexual Function Index; and (iii) the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. Results.  Controlling for depression, higher solicitous partner responses were associated with higher levels of women's vulvovaginal pain intensity. This association was significant for partner-perceived responses (β = 0.29, P < 0.001) and for woman-perceived partner responses (β = 0.16, P = 0.04). After controlling for sexual function and dyadic adjustment, woman-perceived greater solicitous partner responses (β = 0.16, P = 0.02) predicted greater sexual satisfaction. Partner-perceived responses did not predict women's sexual satisfaction. Partner responses were not associated with women's sexual function. Conclusions.  Findings support the integration of dyadic processes in the conceptualization and treatment of PVD by suggesting that partner responses to pain affect pain intensity and sexual satisfaction in affected women.

Relationship satisfaction moderates the associations between male partner responses and depression in women with vulvodynia : a dyadic daily experience study.

This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the journal. It is not the copy of record. / Cet article ne constitue pas la version officielle, et peut différer de la version publiée dans la revue.

Actor and partner effects of self-esteem on relationship satisfaction and the mediating role of secure attachment between the partners

We examined actor and partner effects of self-esteem on relationship satisfaction, using the actor-partner interdependence model and data from five independent samples of couples. The results indicated that self-esteem predicted the individual’s own relationship satisfaction (i.e., an actor effect) and the relationship satisfaction of his or her partner (i.e., a partner effect), controlling for the effect of the partner’s selfesteem. Gender, age, and length of relationship did not moderate the effect sizes. Moreover, using one of the samples, we tested whether secure attachment to the current partner (assessed as low attachment-related anxiety and avoidance) mediated the effects. The results showed that attachment-related anxiety and avoidance independently mediated both the actor and the partner effect of self-esteem on relationship satisfaction.

How large are actor and partner effects of personality on relationship satisfaction? The importance of controlling for shared method variance

Previous research suggests that the personality of a relationship partner predicts not only the individual’s own satisfaction with the relationship but also the partner’s satisfaction. Based on the actor–partner interdependence model, the present research tested whether actor and partner effects of personality are biased when the same method (e.g., self-report) is used for the assessment of personality and relationship satisfaction and, consequently, shared method variance is not controlled for. Data came from 186 couples, of whom both partners provided self- and partner reports on the Big Five personality traits. Depending on the research design, actor effects were larger than partner effects (when using only self-reports), smaller than partner effects (when using only partner reports), or of about the same size as partner effects (when using self- and partner reports). The findings attest to the importance of controlling for shared method variance in dyadic data analysis.

La thérapie conjugale en milieu naturel: Étude du lien entre attachement amoureux, satisfaction conjugale, mandat thérapeutique et résultat de la consultation

L’objectif général de cette thèse est d’examiner le lien entre l’attachement amoureux des conjoints, la satisfaction conjugale, le mandat thérapeutique et le résultat de la thérapie conjugale telle que conduite en milieu naturel. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, des couples se présentant en thérapie conjugale ont d’abord complété une batterie de questionnaires comprenant l’Échelle d’ajustement dyadique (Spanier, 1976) et le Questionnaire sur les expériences d’attachement amoureux (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998). Les thérapeutes ont par la suite indiqué le mandat thérapeutique poursuivi avec chaque couple (réconciliation ou résolution de l’ambivalence), suivant la classification de Poitras-Wright et St-Père (2004). À la fin de la consultation, le jugement du thérapeute a été utilisé pour classer chacun des cas comme ayant abandonné ou complété le traitement. Les couples ayant complété la thérapie ont rempli l’Échelle d’ajustement dyadique au post-traitement. Dans le premier des articles composant cette thèse, le lien entre l’attachement amoureux et la satisfaction conjugale a été examiné auprès d’un échantillon de 172 couples en détresse débutant une thérapie conjugale, de même qu’auprès de 56 couples non en détresse débutant également une thérapie conjugale, pour fins de comparaison. Les résultats ont démontré que l’évitement de la proximité semble être une caractéristique distinctive des couples en détresse et que cette dimension de l’attachement est fortement liée à l’insatisfaction conjugale de ce même groupe. Dans le deuxième article, le mandat thérapeutique, l’attachement amoureux et la satisfaction conjugale ont été examinés en tant que prédicteurs de l’abandon de la thérapie conjugale, auprès de 141 couples. Les résultats ont notamment démontré qu’un mandat de résolution de l’ambivalence augmente les probabilités d’abandon de la thérapie conjugale. De plus, les prédicteurs du résultat de la thérapie ont également été examinés dans ce second article. Les résultats obtenus au moyen d’analyses acteur-partenaire ont démontré que la satisfaction conjugale pré-traitement apparaît comme le meilleur prédicteur de la satisfaction conjugale post-traitement, et ce, malgré l’inclusion de l’attachement amoureux parmi les variables investiguées. Considérés dans leur ensemble, les résultats de cette thèse suggèrent que l’insécurité d’attachement serait fortement associée à l’insatisfaction des couples en détresse, mais ne nuirait pas pour autant à l’obtention d’un résultat positif en thérapie conjugale. En somme, cette thèse contribue à l’avancement des connaissances en se penchant sur l’utilité de la théorie de l’attachement en thérapie conjugale et en soulignant la nécessité de tenir compte des mandats thérapeutiques dans les futures études en thérapie conjugale. Les implications cliniques des résultats et des recommandations pour la recherche clinique sont présentées dans la conclusion de l’ouvrage.

Impact of male partner responses on sexual function in women with vulvodynia and their partners: a dyadic daily experience study.

Note de l'éditeur : This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. / Cet article ne constitue pas la version officielle, et peut différer de la version publiée dans la revue.

Att tillämpa återkommande mätning av kundnöjdhet i IT-projekt : En vidareutvecklad modell baserad på modellerna American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) och SERVQUAL

I dagens samhälle är det allt viktigare för företag att behålla sina existerande kunder då konkurrensen blir allt hårdare. Detta medför att företag försöker vidta åtgärder för att vårda relationer med sina kunder. Detta problem är även högst relevant inom IT-branschen. Inom IT-branschen är det vanligt att arbeta agilt i IT-projekt. Vår samarbetspartner har sett ett ökat behov av att mäta servicekvalitet på ett återkommande sätt inom IT-projekt, detta för att mäta relevanta variabler som sträcker sig utanför kravspecifikationen. För att mäta framgång gällande detta arbetssätt vill man kunna mäta Nöjd Kund Index (NKI) för att kunna jämföra IT-projekt internt i företaget. Då tidigare forskning visat avsaknad av modeller innehållande både mätning av servicekvalitet samt NKI har lämplig litteratur studerats där det framkommit att modellen SERVQUAL är vedertagen för mätning av servicekvalitet och modellen American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) är vedertagen för mätning av NKI. Detta har legat till grund för arbetets problemformulering och syfte. Syftet med arbetet är att skapa en vidareutvecklad modell för mätning av NKI för att jämföra IT-projekt internt samt återkommande mätning av servicekvalitet inom IT-projekt. Framtagande av denna modell har sedan skett genom forskningsstrategin Design and Creation. Intervjuer har genomförts för kravfångst till den vidareutvecklade modellen. Resultatet av denna forskningsstrategi blev sedan en vidareutvecklad modell baserad på ovan nämnda modeller med återkommande förhållningssätt för mätning av servicekvalitet inom IT-projekt och mätning av NKI för att jämföra IT-projekt internt i företaget. Den framtagna modellen har sedan verifierats genom ytterligare intervjuer med respondenter som innehar god erfarenhet från kundsidan av IT-projekt. Från dessa intervjuer kunde sedan slutsats dras att denna modell är att anse som applicerbar i empirin gällande IT-projekt.

Sexual function and the menopausal woman: the importance of age and partner`s sexual functioning

The aim of this study was to investigate age, menopausal status, and the male partner's sexual function on the sexual function of the menopausal woman. Sexual functioning of 304 women (120 premenopausal, 76 perimenopausal, 108 postmenopausal) aged between 35 and 65 years from a community sample was investigated. Multiple regression analyses found that sexual satisfaction within the relationship was better predicted by age group than by menopausal status. Younger women were more likely to be satisfied with their sexual relationship than older women. Age group was also a better predictor than menopausal status of current frequency of intercourse, with younger women being likely to have more frequent intercourse than older women. Whether a female respondent had experienced a sexual dysfunction was better predicted by menopausal status than by age. Women who were menopausal were more likely to report a sexual problem such as lack of sexual interest, poor lubrication, and failure to have an orgasm. However, age group appeared to be a better predictor of whether the male partner had experienced a sexual dysfunction. Older men were more likely to have experienced failure to have an erection, for example. The findings of this study indicate that age and the sexual function of the partner are important factors to take into consideration when investigating the sexual function of the menopausal woman.

Longitudinal relationships among overweight, life satisfaction, and aspirations in young women

Objective: This study investigated associations of overweight status and changes in overweight status over time with life satisfaction and future aspirations among a community sample of young women.
Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 7865 young women, initially 18 to 23 years of age, completed two surveys that were 4 years apart. These women provided data on their future life aspirations in the areas of further education, work/career, marital status, and children, as well as their satisfaction with achievements to date in a number of life domains. Women reported their height and weight and their sociodemographic characteristics, including current socioeconomic status (occupation).
Results: Young women's aspirations were cross-sectionally related to BMI category, such that obese women were less likely to aspire to further education, although this relationship seemed explained largely by current occupation. Even after adjusting for current occupation, young women who were obese were more dissatisfied with work/career/study, family relationships, partner relationships, and social activities. Weight status was also longitudinally associated with aspirations and life satisfaction. Women who were overweight or obese at both surveys were more likely than other women to aspire to "other" types of employment (including self-employed and unpaid work in the home) as opposed to full-time employment. They were also less likely to be satisfied with study or partner relationships. Women who resolved their overweight/obesity status were more likely to aspire to being childless than other women.
Discussion: These results suggest that being overweight/obese may have a lasting effect on young women's life satisfaction and their future life aspirations.

Severity of ED : relationship to treatment-seeking and satisfaction with treatment using PDE5 inhibitors

Introduction. Research in the past 20 years has demonstrated that erectile dysfunction (ED) is an area of concern for men and their partners.

Aim. The current study was designed to evaluate the impact of the perceived severity of ED on treatment-seeking behavior and satisfaction with treatment among men with ED.

Main Outcome Measures. Participants completed a questionnaire to assess the above variables, as well as the duration of ED.

Methods. Participants were 410 men with ED who were primarily recruited over the Internet via men's health websites.

Results. The results demonstrated that men with more severe ED compared with men with milder ED were more likely to have discussed their ED with their partner and doctor, have sought assistance for their ED problem, but they were also less satisfied with the effectiveness of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, and said they were less likely to use them in the future. Men with more severe ED were also less likely to want ED medication to last for 24 hours.

Conclusions. Implications of these findings for the treatment of men with different levels of ED are discussed.