ABSTRACT Regulatory focus, a person's approach to pursuing gains and avoiding hazards, has been mostly linked to self‐regulatory processes, leaving the related interpersonal mechanisms poorly understood. We tested hypotheses on the association between regulatory focus and dyadic empathy—the empathic tendencies between romantically involved partners—and relationship satisfaction. Two hundred and twenty‐seven Greek couples reported on promotion and prevention regulatory goals, dyadic empathic concern and perspective taking, and relationship satisfaction. Results from initial Actor‐Partner Interdependence Models found that promotion focus was positively related to actors' empathic concern and perspective taking toward the other, as well as partners' empathic concern and higher actor relationship satisfaction. Results from Actor‐Partner Interdependence Mediation Models indicated that partners' empathic concern and perspective taking separately mediated the relationship between promotion focus and relationship satisfaction, with varying patterns of actor and partner indirect effects for each mediator. Prevention focus was not associated with either empathic concern or perspective taking but was negatively associated with both actors' and partners' relationship satisfaction. The findings shed light on the interpersonal processes through which regulatory focus is linked to the relationship functioning in romantic relationships.

ABSTRACT Cognitive jealousy, which involves thoughts and suspicions of a partner's infidelity, is linked to various negative outcomes. Yet, little is known about how it fluctuates over time or across different relationships. This longitudinal study examined 891 young, unmarried adults in romantic relationships over 5 years (11 assessment points), capturing 1507 total relationships. About 42% of participants reported being in more than one relationship during the study period. The study examined how cognitive jealousy varies within individuals, across different relationships, in relation to individual traits such as neuroticism, attachment anxiety, and gender, and in relation to experiences of extradyadic sexual involvement (either self‐ or partner‐reported). Results showed that while 28.2% of the variance in cognitive jealousy was due to differences between individuals, the largest proportion (39.8%) was due to differences between relationships. Within a particular relationship, initial levels of cognitive jealousy remained relatively stable over time. Higher levels of neuroticism, attachment anxiety, and experiences of extradyadic sexual involvement (both self‐ and partner‐reported) were associated with greater cognitive jealousy. Men reported higher initial levels of cognitive jealousy than women. These findings suggest that relationship‐specific dynamics as well as individual differences play a crucial role in the experience of cognitive jealousy.

ABSTRACT The casual sex literature has mostly ignored the fact that casual sexual encounters typically occur in the broader context of lives lived single. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the casual sex experiences of single people. Using a discovery (Study 1, N = 747) and replication/extension (Study 2, N = 483) design, we investigated the frequency and characteristics of casual sexual relationships during singlehood and explored factors distinguishing singles who do and do not engage in casual sex in the domains of attachment, singlehood satisfaction, and wellbeing. Within our samples, 15.1% and 26.1% of singles reported being sexually active. These sexual relationships were characterized by limited exclusivity, low emotional closeness, and little interest in transitioning to a committed romantic relationship. Across both studies, singles engaging in casual sex reported lower attachment avoidance, greater sexual satisfaction, and higher self‐perceived mate value compared to those not sexually active, challenging previous research linking casual sex participation with negative outcomes. Considering casual sex as one part of lives lived single may provide a clearer picture of both decisions around casual sex opportunities and thriving during singlehood.

ABSTRACT Despite the popular use of the term “toxic” while addressing the high prevalence of abuse in Indian romantic relationships, the scientific literature on “toxic” relationships remains scarce and prompts a fundamental inquiry into the precise criteria by which a relationship qualifies as “toxic.” Using an exploratory approach, the present study aimed to conceptualize “toxic romantic relationships” based on semi‐structured interviews of 48 young adults from India, recruited using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts offered a comprehensive view of toxic relationships across three facets, that is, healthy characteristics of a romantic relationship, unhealthy characteristics of a romantic relationship, and the subsequent negative impact on the individuals. It could be inferred that a romantic relationship can be regarded as “toxic” only when there is at least one unhealthy relationship characteristic present, the severity of which should be such that it has at least one negative impact on the individual(s) involved, regardless of whether there are healthy relationship characteristics present or not. The study offers insights that can inform educational programs, mental health interventions, and social policies to support individuals navigating such relationships, both within the Indian cultural context and beyond.

ABSTRACTPositivity resonance is a collective emotion experienced by two or more individuals during moments of shared positive affect; it is theorized to constitute the experience of love, yet this claim has not been empirically tested. Using archival data from 148 long‐term married couples, we examined whether dyad‐level indicators of positivity resonance are linked to dyad‐level indicators of trait and state love. Trait love was assessed as a latent variable using partners' ratings of their spouse on validated adjectives prototypic of love (e.g., affectionate, warm) and previously validated nonverbal cues of love displayed in synchrony (i.e., head tilts, body leans, Duchenne smiles, and nodding) during a recorded spousal interaction. State love was assessed as synchronous nonverbal cues of love during successive 30‐s segments of this interaction. A global measure of positivity resonance, as well as measures of its constituent components of co‐expressed and co‐experienced positive affect (but not physiological linkage), were positively associated with the latent index of trait love. Within‐couple variation over time in the global measure of positivity resonance was associated with within‐couple variation over time in state love. These findings provide initial support for convergent validity between the measures of positivity resonance and love at trait and state levels.

ABSTRACTThis article reports a study on the impact of online mindfulness sessions in improving marital quality, satisfaction, and happiness of couples from South Asian and African home countries in long‐distance marriages due to work‐related migration of partners either within domicile countries or overseas (pre‐test n = 96, post‐test n = 85) compared to a control group (pre‐test n = 83, post‐test n = 76). Mindfulness sessions were effective, and post‐test scores on marital quality, satisfaction, and happiness outcomes were higher for dyads who had postgraduate or professional degrees, salaried jobs, Hindus and Christians, who had children and whose intervention compliance was high (≥ 64% sessions attended and homework posts completed). Intervention adherence had fairly strong predictor effects. Actor‐partner interdependence analyses confirmed associated and interdependent effects on outcomes. The online mindfulness sessions were effective for commuter couples with some modifications needed for male partners, dyads with lower formal education, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, and Muslim dyads, and childless couples.