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Technologies that stimulate human social and sexual impulses could affect users and societies. Here, we report on two experiments designed to test participant responses to (1) "virtual friend" chatbots that vary in capacity to engage users socially and emotionally (i.e., emotional sophistication) and (2) "digital lover" technologies—in the form of sex toys, sex robots, or virtual reality entities—that vary in capacity to physically stimulate users (i.e., physical sophistication). Participants (173 female, 176 male) read vignettes that each described a particular technology and then answered whether, if their romantic partner were to use the described technology, they would anticipate jealousy or anger, and whether they would prefer to see the technology banned. Participant anticipations of jealousy and anger were so similar that we combined them in a single composite measure. In experiment 1, both the anticipation of jealousy-anger and the inclination to ban chatbots increased with emotional sophistication, particularly in female participants. In experiment 2, both sexes anticipated greater jealousy-anger and were more inclined to ban more physically sophisticated digital lovers. Female participants expressed higher levels of both responses across the range of sophistication. Experiment 2 participants were more likely to anticipate jealousy-anger and more inclined to ban sex robots than sex toys or virtual reality lovers. Our results show only limited consistency with evolutionary theories concerning sex differences in jealousy. Generally, the anticipated levels of jealousy-anger and inclination to ban the described technologies were low, suggesting low levels of resistance to the idea of the technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses conditions like urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain, significantly affecting women's quality of life. Despite its prevalence, few studies have adopted a qualitative approach to understanding women's perceptions and emotions regarding these issues. This study aims to delve into how women with pelvic floor disorders perceive their condition and its impact on their daily lives. Methods: We analyzed qualitative data from interviews with 160 women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunctions. Using inductive qualitative content analysis, we systematically examined the data to identify variations, differences, and similarities. Results: The analysis revealed four primary themes in the women's narratives: "Physical Impacts", "Emotional and Psychological Impacts", "Social and Relational Impacts", and "Sexual Health Impacts", along with 12 subthemes. The findings predominantly highlight how pelvic floor dysfunctions detrimentally affect women's quality of life and emotional well-being, instilling fear and insecurity in daily activities, compounded by sleep disturbances and sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: Women living with pelvic floor dysfunction face multifaceted challenges that adversely affect various aspects of their lives, diminishing their overall quality of life. This includes notable impacts on sleep, physical, and sexual activities. However, not all affected women report these issues, often due to fear of stigma, choosing instead to conceal their struggles in an effort to maintain an appearance of normalcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the moral dimensions of capitalism in various African contexts. It analyzes the moral underpinnings of economic practices and behaviors, highlighting the role of social and cultural principles. The article also explores the gendered nature of markets and the role of market disciplinary committees. It emphasizes the tensions between neoliberal economic ideals and the lived experiences of individuals and communities, and calls for a critical examination of dominant narratives. Additionally, the article discusses how corporations use moral discourse and partnerships to further their own interests, and suggests that understanding the political dimensions of moral economies may lead to a more equitable society. [Extracted from the article]

Background Due to increased addiction of the social media. Facebook addiction became now more problematic among the college student. It would be difficult to find a college student who does not know what Facebook is, or to find one who does not have his or her own Facebook account. Facebook has become one of the biggest "procrastinating tools" for college students. Aim:- To find out the role of facebook addiction in medical student with respect to self-esteem, jealousy. MATERIALS AND Methods:- A total of 100 participant participated in my study. After providing informed consent, questionnaires on demographic information, General Information Schedule, Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, Facebook Jealousy Scale were administered via an online platform. The time required for the survey was approximately 25-30 minutes. Results:- The results indicate that there is a significant difference between facebook non-addict females and facebook addict females with respect to self-esteem (t-value= 3.21), jealousy (t-value=2.24). Facebook addict males (M=3.05) are found to have higher jealousy than facebook non-addict males (M=1.89). The mean and standard deviation of facebook non-addict females and facebook non-addict males with respect to self-esteem, and jealousy indicate no significant difference between these two groups with respect to these variables. Also The mean and standard deviation of facebook addict females and facebook addict males with respect to self-esteem and jealous indicate no significant difference between these two groups with respect to these variables. Conclusion:- Self-esteem tends to be higher in females who are addicted to facebook than those who are not addicted to facebook. Facebook addict females tend to have higher jealousy than facebook addict males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to measure the invariance of the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (MJS) and of the Quality of Relationships Inventory (Friend) (QRI-F) across gender, age, education, and being in a romantic relationship in a Portuguese sample (N = 662). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the fit of different potential factor structures. The results pointed out that both MJS and QRI-F were most suitable if represented by three first-order factors correlated between them. Results from multi-group analyses suggested there was factorial invariance for these structures across groups, suggesting that the MJS and the QRI-F provide, respectively, an assessment of romantic jealousy and quality of relationship that are equivalent across gender, age, education, and being in a romantic relationship. The study established the strong psychometric properties of its instruments, validating reliability and convergent and discriminant validity, thereby bolstering the research's overall credibility. Additionally, cognitive jealousy is primarily influenced by heightened conflict values, with education, relationship status, and gender moderating the associations between QRI-F dimensions and MJS behavioral and cognitive jealousy. The research offered in-depth perspectives on jealousy, underscoring its diverse manifestations across demographic variables and illuminating the complexities within the dynamics of friendships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new measure to assess friendship jealousy in the context of social media was developed. This one-factor, seven-item measure was psychometrically sound, showing evidence of validity and reliability in three samples of North American adults (Study 1, n= 491; Study 2, n=494; Study 3, n=415) and one-, two-, and three-year stability (Study 3). Women reported more social media friendship jealousy than men (Studies 2 and 3) and younger women had the highest levels of social media friendship jealousy (compared with younger men and older men and women; Study 2). Social media friendship jealousy was associated with lower friendship quality (Study 1) and higher social media use and trait jealousy (Study 2). The relation between social media friendship jealousy and internalizing symptoms indicated positive within time associations and longitudinal bidirectional relations (Study 3). Specifically, social media friendship jealousy predicted increases in internalizing problems, and internalizing problems predicted greater social media friendship jealousy accounting for gender and trait levels of social media friendship jealousy and internalizing problems. Anxious and depressed adults may be predisposed to monitor threats to their friendships via social media and experience negative consequences because of this behavior. Although social media interactions can be associated with positive wellbeing and social connectedness, our results highlight that they can also undermine friendships and mental health due to jealousy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]