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Research reveals a vibrant courtship process during adolescence in the United States. Fewer studies exist, however, on the courtship process in China, a country which is undergoing tremendous economic change, and even fewer studies employ a cross-cultural approach to examine dating during adolescence. One such study from nearly two decades ago found more liberal attitudes and behavior regarding dating among American college students compared to their relatively conservative Chinese counterparts. In the same spirit, the present study investigates similarities and differences in the dating process between American and Chinese college students and changes over time. The Chinese sample (N = 240) was collected at convenience from three Chinese universities located in two large cities in central China. The American sample (N = 405) was gathered from a 4-year public university located in the Mid-Atlantic. The findings reveal that considerable differences in courtship processes continue to persist despite unprecedented economic development in China. The American students continue to use a dating script that is far more liberal. They also initiate the dating stage at much younger ages. Although not exhibiting norms similar to the American students, the Chinese students were not strongly shackled to conservative Chinese traditions either. Cultural differences in approaches to dating, family and education are likely responsible for the persistent gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem definition: Motivated by our collaboration with an online dating company, we study how a platform should dynamically select the set of potential partners to show to each user in each period in order to maximize the expected number of matches in a time horizon, where a match is formed only after two users like each other, possibly in different periods. Academic/practical relevance: Increasing match rates is a prevalent objective of online platforms. We provide insights into how to leverage users' preferences and behavior toward this end. Our proposed algorithm was piloted by our collaborator, a major online dating company in the United States. Methodology: Our work combines several methodologies. We model the platform's problem as a dynamic optimization problem. We use econometric tools and exploit a change in the company's algorithm in order to estimate the users' preferences and the causal effect of previous matches on the like behavior of users, as well as other parameters of interest. Leveraging our data findings, we propose a family of heuristics to solve the platform's problem and use simulations and field experiments to assess their benefits. Results: We find that the number of matches obtained in the recent past has a negative effect on the like behavior of users. We propose a family of heuristics to decide the profiles to show to each user on each day that accounts for this finding. Two field experiments show that our algorithm yields at least 27% more matches relative to our industry partner's algorithm. Managerial implications: Our results highlight the importance of correctly accounting for the preferences, behavior, and activity metrics of users on both ends of a transaction to improve the operational efficiency of matching platforms. In addition, we propose a novel identification strategy to measure the effect of previous matches on the users' preferences in a two-sided matching market, the result of which is leveraged by our algorithm. Our methodology may also be applied to online matching platforms in other domains. History: This paper has been accepted as part of the 2021 Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Practice-Based Research Competition. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.1107. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014 approximately 14.4% of Americans ages 18 to 24 had some type of disability. Compared to their peers without disabilities, disabled emerging adults typically have more difficulty dating and finding romantic and sexual partners. One way that they may escape disability stigma and smaller dating pools is through online dating. However, little is known about their experiences seeking romantic and sexual relationships online, and even less is known about the experiences of emerging adults with disabilities who identify with sexual orientations and have gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender. In the present study 27 LGBTQ+ emerging adults with various disabilities, genders, and sexual orientations completed 47 item online surveys before COVID in which they described their experiences with online dating and starting and sustaining romantic relationships. Results from qualitative data analyses suggest that rather than being neutral spaces that exist separately from stigma and social prejudice, dating apps and web sites typically perpetuate normative ideas of ableism, sexuality, and gender and stimulate questions of timing of disability disclosure. Despite challenges, however, online dating also offers opportunities to interact with multiple interested daters and appears to offer LGBTQ+ emerging adults with disabilities an often beneficial though sometimes vexing venue for relationship development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexities of older Black women's dating behaviors and preferences were uncovered in this phenomenology study with 14 older Black single and/or widowed women. The participants recognized that, as older Black women, their sexuality did not simply pertain to whether they were dating, it encompassed various factors that influenced their decisions about whether to date. These factors were categorized into three major themes: pursuing intimacy, dating preferences, and barriers to dating. The adoption of the Black feminist standpoint theory helped to understand their dating experiences in the context of the participants' Blackness. The women's subjective experiences with dating and the challenges that they face as older Black women demonstrated the complexities and intersections of race, gender, class, and age within this contextual analysis. These findings hold important practical implications for understanding the influence of the older women's Blackness on their experiences and how it shapes their dating behavior. These understandings will help social workers and gerontologists better appreciate and validate older Black women's self-determination in their dating choices and the need to support them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexuality and relationship education (SRE) occurs in many formats. In order to inform best practices, current trends of SRE sources must be characterized. Using an online survey of autistic and neurotypical adults in the United States, we compared eleven potential sources of SRE across nine content areas. Source use did not differ significantly across five of the content areas. Same-aged peers were consulted less often by the autistic adults for flirting, dating, and consent. For partnered sexual behavior, neurotypical adults reported consulting romantic partners significantly more often than autistic adults. Across all groups, use of the internet as a source of information was high. The need for improving SRE access based on existing trends is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the centrality of dating relationships for teens, it is unclear whether the influence of romantic partners' alcohol use on adolescents' under-age drinking is distinct from the influence of peers and parents. To address this gap, this study used longitudinal data from a population-based sample of 825 adolescents (49% male, 51% female), ages 12 to 19. Adolescents completed a survey using laptops for privacy, and a parent completed a survey separately. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression models assessed alcohol use frequency and alcohol problems and included dating partners' drinking, adolescents' prior drinking, peers' drinking, parents' substance use, parental monitoring, and sociodemographic background characteristics. Alcohol use frequency and alcohol problems were influenced by dating partners' alcohol use and dating partners' influence was stronger on older adolescents and male adolescents. The study results are useful for public health messaging and prevention efforts by demonstrating the influence of parents, peers, and dating partners on teens' alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a relationship ends, former partners must make decisions about their online, often public, connections and history, which involve a complex disentangling process. We examined post-breakup behaviors including monitoring, interacting, deleting posts/photos, deleting the former partner, deleting the partner's family/friends, stopping social media (SM) use, and keeping digital possessions. Participants (N = 256) who had experienced a breakup within the last year completed an online survey. Approximately 38 percent reported experiencing distress over the breakup sometimes or more often. Utilizing latent profile analysis, we identified four latent classes (or profiles) of breakup SM behaviors; we also examined associations between the class and breakup emotional distress. Most participants were clean breakers (61.3 percent), who did zero to very little monitoring, interacting, or deleting and were unlikely to delete their ex-partner, stop use, or keep digital possessions. Wistful reminiscers (12.9 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little of any deleting behaviors, stopping use, or keeping digital possessions; however, they engaged in frequent amounts of monitoring their ex-partner as well as interacting with their ex-partner and their ex-partner's family/friends. Ritual cleansers (15.6 percent) were similar to clean breakers in terms of engaging in very little to no monitoring and interacting; however, they engaged in deleting their SM history, their ex-partner's family/friends, and their ex-partner. Impulsives (10.2 percent) engaged in high amounts of all the SM behaviors. In terms of emotional distress, impulsives showed the highest levels of distress, followed by wistful reminiscers, ritual cleansers, and then clean breakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea‐level dynamics, sediment availability, and marine energy are critical drivers of coastal wetland formation and persistence, but their roles as continental‐scale drivers remain unknown. We evaluated the timing and spatial variability of wetland formation from new and existing cores collected along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Most basal peat ages occurred after sea‐level rise slowed (after ~4,000 years before present), but predominance of sea‐level rise studies may skew age estimates toward older sites. Near‐coastal sites tended to be younger, indicating creation of wetlands through basin infilling and overwash events. Age distributions differed among regions, with younger wetlands in the northeast and southeast corresponding to European colonization and deforestation. Across all cores, wetland age correlated strongly with basal peat depth. Marsh age elucidates the complex interactions between sea‐level rise, sediment supply, and geomorphic setting in determining timing and location of marsh formation and future wetland persistence. Plain Language Summary: Marshes, a type of coastal wetland, form under stable, slow rates of sea‐level rise (SLR). Although many marshes along the East Coast of the United States formed after the most recent slowing of SLR (approximately 4,000–6,000 years ago), there is evidence that sediment erosion from colonial deforestation expanded marshes. This study uses sediment cores to determine when and where marshes formed to understand what drives modern marsh formation. We found that most marshes did form following SLR slowing after around 4,000 years ago. We also found evidence of marshes forming during European colonization in the northeastern and southeastern United States. Finally, we found recent formation of marshes closest to the coast, possibly driven by storm events and associated overwash. Through this study, we outline a novel way to easily determine marsh age and to better understand why marshes form through future research. Key Points: Marshes largely formed after SLR slowed (after 4,000 ybp). A second formation period occurred (~400 ybp), coinciding with land cover changeStudies that dated marshes to assess historic sea‐level rise had an older and less varied age distribution than other studiesCoastal marshes are younger nearer the coast and in regions where land use change may have delivered large amounts of sediment to the coast [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores perceived and collective social norms pertaining to consent for sexual activity, comfort with sexism, stereotypes about rape, attitudes regarding relationships, and the use of dating apps. Data were collected via an anonymous online questionnaire administered to 338 active duty male soldiers between the ages of 18 and 24 at an Army post in the mid-South region of the United States. Analyses examined the extent soldiers accurately perceived the collective norms of their peers. Men were inaccurate in their estimation of the extent to which other male soldiers followed principles of consent in their sexual behaviors, such as stopping the first time a woman says "no" to sexual activity, stopping sexual activity even if aroused, and garnering a verbal affirmation for sex. Soldiers were inaccurate in their perception of peer norms regarding indicators of sexual interest and consent, including the belief that when a woman lets a man kiss her she wants to have sex, and if a woman wears a sexy dress she's asking for sex. Soldiers were also inaccurate in their estimations of other male soldier's comfort with sexism including feeling uncomfortable with sexist comments or sexual jokes that put down women. In addition, soldiers underestimated men's preference for a good relationship with one woman rather than many sexual partners and overestimated their peers' use of dating sites to locate sexual partners. These findings highlight the need to correct misperceived norms regarding dating and sexual activity among soldiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and sociodemographic associations of online dating in a demographically diverse U.S. national cohort of early adolescents., Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (Year 2, 2018-2020, ages 11-12; N = 10,157). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate associations between sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, household income, parental education) and early adolescent-reported online dating behaviors., Results: Overall, 0.4% (n = 38) of participants reported ever using a dating app. Males (AOR 2.72, 95% CI 1.11-6.78) had higher odds of online dating compared to females, and sexual minority identification (e.g., lesbian, gay, or bisexual; AOR 12.97, 95% CI 4.32-38.96) was associated with greater odds of online dating compared to heterosexual identification., Conclusion: Given the occurrence of online dating among early adolescents despite age restrictions, interventions might address age misrepresentation. Adolescent sexual health education may consider incorporating anticipatory guidance on online dating, especially for males and sexual minorities. Future research could further investigate online dating patterns from early to late adolescence and associated health effects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We present data from a nationally representative 2017 survey of American adults. For heterosexual couples in the United States, meeting online has become the most popular way couples meet, eclipsing meeting through friends for the first time around 2013. Moreover, among the couples who meet online, the proportion who have met through the mediation of third persons has declined over time. We find that Internet meeting is displacing the roles that family and friends once played in bringing couples together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By merging Online College Social Life Survey data from heterosexual students at 21 U.S. colleges and universities (N = 17,897) with campus-level data, this article examines the effects of student body size, density, and racial composition on students’ hookups, dates, and committed relationships. We examine relationship frequency, whether the most recent of each relationship type occurred with a fellow student, and the effects of racial composition by student race and gender. We find that students at schools with the largest, versus smallest, student body sizes have higher rates of hookups and dates, but are less likely to partner with one another. The percent of white undergraduate students is negatively associated with the number of hookups for white and black women, but positively associated with the number of hookups for Asian women and all Hispanic students, men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of recent research has linked romantic relationships, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating. Exploring these linkages in the present study by using a broader framing than in previous research, we investigated the influence of normative romantic ideologies on college women's bodies. Drawing on post-structural feminism, we examined effects of gendered dating and marital scripts and 'singlism' (investing in romance as a primary life goal) on investment in thinness/appearance and disordered eating among 496 undergraduate women attending a large U.S. Southwestern university. We predicted that higher endorsement of romantic relationship ideologies will directly predict higher disordered eating as well as directly predict higher investment in thinness/appearance. We also predicted that investment in thinness/appearance will directly predict disordered eating. Using Structural Equation Modeling, our findings indicated that higher endorsement of normative romantic ideologies was associated with higher preoccupation with thinness/appearance and preoccupation with thinness was linked to higher disordered eating. Normative romantic ideologies were not directly related to disordered eating. Our findings indicate that underlying ideologies about normative romance are likely contributing to a desire to be thin/look attractive which, in turn, puts women at risk for disordered eating. We call attention to problematic normative heterosexual romantic ideologies and post-feminist sensibilities circulating within contemporary contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of legal status on romantic relationships has not been adequately explored in the literature. Based on video and phone interviews with 25 undocumented activists from the ages of 18 to 28 years old, this research examines how legal status affects the romantic relationships of undocumented women and men. The hegemony of traditional dating scripts made it difficult for those without legal status to participate. Gender roles were consistent with stereotypical male and female roles in dating, which often attribute more power and responsibility to men. As such, women experienced a slight advantage because traditional notions of courtship did not require them to provide the resources required for dating, such as money or transportation, which in contrast were commonly expected of the men. In contrast, women noted the difficulties of disclosing their legal status and depending on their partners for everyday activities. Additionally, both men and women faced exclusion that inhibited their dating lives, as a direct result of their legal status. This suggests that the impact of legal status may be salient at all stages of family formation and that undocumented young adults are experiencing a distinct phenomenon compared to their documented and native-born peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What role do companion animals play in the dating lives of single adults? As dogs and cats are increasingly viewed as family members, a person's pets may wield significant influence in partner choice. Here, we provide descriptive quantitative data on the role pets play in mate appraisal and mate selection; we also test two hypotheses regarding the role of pets in single Americans’ dating lives. We hypothesized that single women will place more value on a how a potential mate interacts with their pet, than will single men. We also hypothesized that dogs will serve more prominent roles as “social tools” in the dating arena than cats, given that dogs are more social and dogs require more constant care. Thus, dogs may be a better measure of a potential mate's caregiving capacity. Data were obtained from a 2014 survey sent to a random selection of people in the US registered on the online dating site Match.com who had indicated pet information in their dating profiles. A sample of 1,210 individuals responded, 61% of whom were women. Dogs and cats were the most common pets for both sexes. In support of our first hypothesis, on eight of 11 dependent variables (such as whether one has ever been attracted to someone because of a pet), women were more discriminating of a potential partner's associations with pets than were men. Consistent with our second hypothesis, dogs served more commonly as social barometers in the dating arena than cats did, with respect to nine of 11 dependent variables (such as whether one would date someone because of a pet). We discuss the findings with respect to changing family profiles, including lower fertility and expanded roles of companion animals as extended kin. We conclude with the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A profusion of studies have demonstrated that body size is a major factor in mate selection for both men and women. The particular role played by weight, however, has been subject to some debate, particularly with respect to the types of body sizes deemed most attractive, and scholars have questioned the degree to which body size preferences are constant across groups. In this paper, we drew from two perspectives on this issue, Sexual Strategies Theory and what we termed the cultural variability perspective, and used survey data to examine how body size was associated with both casual dating and serious romantic relationships. We used a United States sample of 386 African American adolescents and young adults between ages 16 and 21, living in the Midwest and Southeast, and who were enrolled in either high school or college. Results showed that overweight women were more likely to report casually dating than women in the thinnest weight category. Body size was not related to dating status among men. Among women, the results suggest stronger support for the cultural variability argument than for Sexual Strategies Theory. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While racial intermarriage is heralded as the last stage in integration processes, endogamy (intragroup marriage) is the overwhelming norm in the United States. What are the familial, dating, and community processes that produce endogamy? Drawing from 70 in-depth interviews with heterosexual Latinos concerning dating and marriage, this article reports that surveillance, punishment, and self-discipline harden racial boundaries and induce endogamy. Typically construed as highly personal, romantic preferences are, in fact, socially constructed and policed through family, peer, and community-level processes. "Third parties" such as family members, friends, and community members enforce intramarriage via advice, threats, censure, and violence. In turn, outsiders' surveillance and punishment converts into self-discipline, which constrains romantic preferences and choices. To maintain social distance, both non-Hispanic whites and Latinos discipline their kin and their kin's cross-racial romantic interests away from those who stand lower on the racial order. Latinos enjoy racial privilege relative to African Americans and preserve privilege by excluding blacks as romantic possibilities. Latino endogamy is a disciplined response to accumulated racial messages and racial boundary policing. Results show that racial communities are invested in perpetuating endogamy to preserve relative privilege and exert social pressures that largely support the contemporary racial hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the inter- and intraracial dating preferences of heterosexual Asian males and females as well as gay Asian males. Using data collected from 1270 Internet dating profiles, logistic regression is employed to examine the odds of one’s willingness to date someone who is Asian, White, Black, Hispanic, and some other race. The findings suggest that heterosexual females and gay males prefer to date Whites over nonwhites. Moreover, respondents from both sexual orientations were less likely to express a preference to date another Asian compared to their heterosexual male counterparts. Our results also reveal that educational attainment influences the willingness among Asians to date a fellow Asian. Finally, the analyses indicate significant differences in dating preferences based on the region of residence and age. The current results are discussed in relation to both the historical and present sociocultural racial climate, focusing on how media depictions and identity formation may play a part in shaping racial dating preferences for Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent available research demonstrates the pervasive use of communication technologies among emerging adults. The utilization of such digital media has redefined the process of contemporary coupling. The determination of appropriate behaviors in pre-romantic relationships differs on the basis of a variety of intrapersonal variables. This study examines the intrapersonal constructs of gender and religious involvement in the determination of acceptable pre-romantic relationship behaviors. Researchers collected data from 1,003 participants (aged 18–25) through an online survey about communication technology and “acceptable” dating behaviors. Data were analyzed using chi-square testing in and between independent variable groups to determine significance. Significant differences in gender and religious involvement were discovered. Application of findings is presented, and future directions for research are set forth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Widowhood in an American City (1973), Helena Lopata observed that widows struggle with new romantic relationships because their children often are resentful toward these new partners. Since the publication of Lopata's classic work, however, few studies have explored empirically the ways that widow(er)'s dating affects their relationships with children. We use prospective data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples study (CLOC) to explore: (1) the impact of bereaved spouses' dating on positive and negative aspects of parent–child relationships six and 18months postloss; (2) the extent to which these associations are explained by preloss characteristics; and (3) the factors that moderate the association between widow(er) dating and parent–child relations. Multivariate analyses show that widowers who are interested in dating six months postloss report low levels of support and high levels of conflict with their children, yet widows report enhanced relationship quality. This pattern reflects the fact that men who are interested in dating do form new relationships, whereas women's interests are not translated into actual dating. Widowers' dating six months postloss compromises parent–child closeness among those with a history of strained parent–child relations, yet enhances closeness among those with historically good relationships. Dating takes a harsher toll on parent–daughter compared to parent–son relationships. Overall, dating threatens parent–child relationships in specific cases, yet it may also strengthen widow(er) s' parent–child bonds. We discuss the implications for the well-being of older widow(er)s and adult children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Numerous studies have examined sexual functioning among persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia. None have detailed a group skill model teaching social skills in the areas of dating and intimate relationships and little in the literature has focused on this important aspect of sexuality. A psychoeducational group for individuals with spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D) was developed to address social, dating, and relationship skills, as well as improve self-efficacy, confidence and quality of life. Seven male veterans with SCI/D, age 32–51, participated in a 12-week psychoeducational social skills training group that met weekly for 60 min. Sessions were structured to focus on one theme or set of skills, and homework was given at the end of each session. Participants answered pre and post questionnaires about their general well-being, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social skills in general and specific to dating and relationships. A 12-week follow-up session reviewed the constructs. All participants reported positive experiences in the group and improvement in targeted areas. A detailed outline of session topics, exercises and handouts are presented as well as pre and post feedback on functioning, knowledge and attitudes among group participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating in later life is likely common, especially as the proportion of older adults who are single continues to rise. Yet there are no recent national estimates of either the prevalence or factors associated with dating during older adulthood. Using data from the 2005-2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative sample of 3,005 individuals ages 57-85, the authors constructed a national portrait of older adult daters. Roughly 14% of singles were in a dating relationship. Dating was more common among men than women and declined with age. Compared to non-daters, daters were more socially advantaged. Daters were more likely to be college educated and had more assets, were in better health, and reported more social connectedness. This study underscores the importance of new research on partnering in later life, particularly with the aging of the U.S. population and the swelling ranks of older singles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing body of empirical research indicating a significant co-occurrence of multiple forms of experiences with violence among US youth. However, very little information is available about shared risk factors across forms of violence. Current analyses were based on cross-sectional data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS includes a nationally representative sample (n = 16,410) of high-school students in 9–12th grades in the US. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to test the associations between risk factors and reports of multiple violence exposures (i.e. physical fights, dating violence, forced sex, and being bullied at school). Among high-school students, 33.0% reported one experience, 11.4% reported two experiences, and 4.0% reported 3–4 experiences with violence. Multinomial regression analyses indicate that experience with 3–4 forms of violence were highly associated with sadness, feeling too unsafe to go to school, early alcohol use, binge drinking, drug use, weapon carrying, asthma, low academic grades, and suicide attempts relative to those who did not report any experience with violence. These findings underscore that multiple experiences with violence are relatively common among US high-school students. Moreover, multiple experiences with violence are associated with a relatively broad range of risk factors. Youth who report multiple experiences with violence seem to be particularly vulnerable and in need of assistance, in particular because of the strong association between multiple violent experiences and suicidal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orders of protection help combat dating violence by ensuring a period of separation between the victim and the abuser. The prevalence of dating violence is similar to that of spousal abuse and the effects on the nonmarried victims are just as severe. Some jurisdictions in the United States do not offer victims in dating relationships protective orders and two states restrict orders for same-sex couples only. Other state statutes are inadequate. A uniform statute that permits participants in dating relationships access to protective orders should be implemented across the country. Key Points for the Family Court Community: See and understand the changes in dating domestic violence statutes, Up to date as of 2011 with 2012 amendments to state statutes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents two studies examining scripts for the actual initial romantic encounters of young heterosexual Hispanic adults in the Southeastern U.S. In Study 1, 242 Hispanic undergraduates were asked to describe their most recent first romantic encounter using a cognitive script methodology, and then to classify the encounter as being a date, hangout, hookup, one-night stand, or other type of encounter. Encounters were most frequently classified as a date, followed by hangouts; very few individuals indicated that their most recent encounter was a hookup or one-night stand. Dates were described as highly gender stereotypic, with men performing significantly more actions overall than women. The date script also included more gender-typed actions, was more structured, and was considered more ideal than a hangout. In Study 2, a checklist of 60 actions derived from Study 1 was used to assess the most recent initial romantic encounters of 217 Hispanic undergraduates. Dates were reported most frequently, followed by hangouts. Dates continued to be highly gender stereotyped with men being responsible for more actions than women, and the date script continued to include more gender-typed actions than the hangout. A date was also more structured and rated as more ideal and satisfying than a hangout. The predominance of and preference for dates, the most gender-typed way for young adults to get together romantically, was consistent with Hispanic cultural norms that support traditional gender roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the efficiency of Internet search is changing the way Americans find romantic partners. We use a new data source, the How Couples Meet and Stay Together survey. Results show that for 60 years, family and grade school have been steadily declining in their influence over the dating market. In the past 15 years, the rise of the Internet has partly displaced not only family and school, but also neighborhood, friends, and the workplace as venues for meeting partners. The Internet increasingly allows Americans to meet and form relationships with perfect strangers, that is, people with whom they had no previous social tie. Individuals who face a thin market for potential partners, such as gays, lesbians, and middle-aged heterosexuals, are especially likely to meet partners online. One result of the increasing importance of the Internet in meeting partners is that adults with Internet access at home are substantially more likely to have partners, even after controlling for other factors. Partnership rate has increased during the Internet era (consistent with Internet efficiency of search) for same-sex couples, but the heterosexual partnership rate has been flat. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dating violence prevention programs, which originated in the United States, are beginning to be implemented elsewhere. This article presents the first adaptation of a violence prevention program for a European culture, Francophone Switzerland. A U.S. dating violence prevention program, Safe Dates (Foshee & Langwick, 1994), was reviewed in 19 youth and 4 professional focus groups. The most fundamental program concepts-- "dating" and "violence"--are not the same in Switzerland and the United States. Swiss youth were not very focused on establishing monogamous romantic relationships, and there is no ready translation for "dating." Violence has not become the focus of a social movement in Switzerland to the same extent that it has in the United States, and distinctions among terms such as "dating violence" and "domestic violence" are not well known. Psychoeducational approaches are also less common in the Swiss context. As the movement to prevent violence extends worldwide, these issues need greater consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating is a normative behavior for youth, yet few studies have examined the relationship between romantic partner-seeking and sexual behavior among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). This omission is most notable across studies examining YMSM's partner-seeking behaviors online. In this study, we examined the relationship between sexual behaviors and online partner-seeking behaviors for casual and romantic partners in a sample of YMSM ( N = 431; M = 21.49 years old, SD = 1.94) who reported using the Internet to meet other men. Using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), we found YMSM in the High Romantic/High Casual group had more unprotected partners than YMSM in other categories. YMSM in the High Romantic/Low Casual group had fewer unprotected partners than the High Romantic/High Casual group. We discuss the implications of our findings and conclude that there is a need to further examine romantic partner-seeking among YMSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Debris flows debauch from tiny but steep mountain catchments throughout metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Urban growth in the past half-decade has led to home construction directly underneath hundreds of debris-flow channels, but debris flows are not recognized as a potential hazard at present. One of the first steps in a hazard assessment is to determine occurrence rates. The north flank of the Ma Ha Tuak Range, just 10km from downtown Phoenix, was selected to determine the feasibility of using the varnish microlaminations (VML) method to date every debris-flow levee from 127 catchment areas. Only 152 of the 780 debris-flow levees yielded VML ages in a first round of sampling; this high failure rate is due to erosion of VML by microcolonial fungi. The temporal pattern of preserved debris-flow levees indicates anomalously high production of debris flows at about 8.1ka and about 2.8ka, corresponding to Northern Hemisphere climatic anomalies. Because many prior debris flows are obliterated by newer events, the minimum overall occurrence rates of 1.3 debris flows per century for the last 60ka, 2.2 flows/century for the latest Pleistocene, and 5 flows/century for the last 8.1ka has little meaning in assessment of a contemporary hazard. This is because newer debris flows have obliterated an unknown number of past deposits. More meaningful to a hazards analysis is the estimate that 56 flows have occurred in the last 100years on the north side of the range, an estimate that is consistent with direct observations of three small debris flows resulting events from a January 18–22, 2010 storm producing 70mm of precipitation in the Ma Ha Tuak Range, and a 500m long debris flow in a northern metropolitan Phoenix location that received over 150mm of precipitation in this same storm. These findings support the need for a more extensive hazard assessment of debris flows in metropolitan Phoenix. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Beaches and barrier spits of the Columbia River littoral cell (CRLC), 160km in length, experienced substantial progradation, 0.5–2.5km in width, during the late Holocene. The accreted beach plains and barriers preserved evidence of episodic catastrophic retreat that was forced by coseismic subsidence. The abrupt subsidence events (0.5–1.5m submergence) are associated with slip on the underlying Cascadia megathrust, with a mean recurrence interval of ∼500yr. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiles taken across the barriers and beach plains show high-angle beach retreat scarps (3–15m vertical relief) and foredune-ridge slump scarps (5–15m vertical relief). The upper-shoreface retreat features are correlated throughout the littoral cell by radiocarbon age, position relative to abandoned foredune ridges, and distinct sequences of large and small scarps. Particularly large retreat scarps (10–15m in height) are associated with the first oldest and fourth oldest prehistoric scarps, ‘A’ and ‘D’, respectively. A maximum of 10 retreat scarps in the Long Beach subcell date from 216±211 calRCYBP to 4756±114 calRCYBP. The youngest seven scarps (A–G) are correlated between all four subcells, showing a regional response to the coseismic strain cycles. Backshore disturbance features (1–3m vertical relief) are observed in the GPR profiles, but they are not identified here due to their discontinuities between adjacent profiles at ∼5km longshore spacing. The seven regional scarps (A–G) are directly correlated to seven coseismic subsidence events, reported to date between 0.3 and ∼3.2ka. The correlation of scarps to earthquake events provides high-resolution proxy ages for shoreline positions in late Holocene time. The proxy shoreline positions are dated at 0.3, 1.1, 1.3, ∼1.7, ∼2.5, ∼2.8, and ∼3.2ka, based on buried wetland sequences from adjacent tidal basins. The paleoshoreline dating demonstrates that the onset of net shoreface progradation (between 4.7 and 0.3ka) was delayed with increasing distance (0–100km) from the Columbia River sand source. The history of beach progradation reflects the sequential filling of bay and shoreface accommodation spaces located down-drift of the Columbia River mouth. These late Holocene shoreline changes portend future redistributions of existing sand within the littoral system as the limited sand reserves continue to migrate away from the Columbia River mouth source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dating is an important courtship activity in the U.S., and food consumption is part of dating events. Students use dating scripts to guide decisions and behaviors on dates, and perform scripts on dates to construct positive impression management. This study examined how students conceptualized dating foods. A questionnaire was administered in one large university class, and data from 301 students were analyzed. Students were asked to name three dating foods, three foods that are not dating foods, what makes foods dating foods, and what makes foods not dating foods. Findings revealed that both common and uncommon foods were named as dating and not dating foods. Alcoholic beverages were sometimes named as dating foods. Women often named feminine foods (considered appropriate for females) as dating foods, but men were not more likely to name masculine foods (considered appropriate for males) as dating foods. Neat and easy-to-eat foods were often named as dating foods, while pungent foods and foods causing bad breath were named as not dating foods. These findings support the conception that dating scripts guide thinking about food choices to enhance impression management. Dating food choices are important for current health and as potential precursors for long-term eating relationships like marriage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acceptance by the dominant group reveals the current standing of racial groups in the U.S. hierarchy, as well as the possibility for assimilation. However, few researchers have addressed the gendered nature of racial preferences by whites. We examine whites’ exclusion of blacks, Latinos, Asians, Middle Easterners, East Indians and Native Americans as possible dates, using a sample of profiles collected from an internet dating website. We find that white men are more willing than white women to date non-whites in general, yet, with the exception of their top two preferences for dates, whites and Latinos, the racial hierarchies of males and females differ. Among daters with stated racial preferences, white men are more likely to exclude blacks as possible dates, while white women are more likely to exclude Asians. We argue that exclusion relates to racialized images of masculinity and femininity, and shapes dating and marriage outcomes, and thus minority groups’ possibilities for full social incorporation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article explores the ways that second-generation Chinese American youths (from both mainland and Taiwan origins) construct their dating attitudes and behaviors. Based on an analysis of 20 in-depth interviews, this study finds that respondents use both Chinese and American lenses to construct their dating attitudes and behaviors. Chinese and American dating are constructed as oppositional among the respondents. When discussing parents' roles, commitment, premarital sex, and gender expectations, second-generation Chinese American youths pick and choose from their constructions of Chinese and American dating cultures. In so doing, they cope with discomfort and attempt to present a "positive" image of themselves in front of both Chinese and American dating cultures, thereby inventing a "positive" culture of dating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how second-generation Patel women and men navigate dating in the context of their bicultural identities as Indian-Americans, and the gender structures of the Patel community in Florida. It finds that second generation Patel women and men reject alike their parents' perception of dating as non-Indian behavior and the American perception of dating as healthy fun. Rather, Pate! women and men have reconceptualized dating in a manner that appeals to their identities as Indian-Americans. Accordingly, dating for them is not on!y a means of exploring their preferences in intimate partnering, but must necessarily have an end goal binding it — namely marriage. Gender structures within the Pate! community create differential dating experiences for Pate! women and men. In response, Pate! women and men have devised strategies in their dating behaviors evinced in their partner selections, age at onset of dating, their employing of secrecy in dating, and utilizing particular semantics of dating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divorce is a personal experience, often negative, and each couple experiences it differently. However. the divorce experience may provide opportunities for personal growth. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the challenges and growth opportunities women who have divorced experience from their own perspective. Ten women with similar backgrounds participated in personal interviews. Individual interviews revealed the following themes: (a) dating reflections, (b) married life, (c) self-perceptions, (d) support or lack of support, (e) family, (f) personal emotions, (g) personal growth, and (h) the future. Mezirow's (2000) theory of transformational learning was the framework used to organize the findings to understand growth through transitional phases. This article presents the findings of this study and implications for women going through divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Measurements of the cosmogenic 3He (3Hec) content of various size aliquots of exposed olivines show that the fine fraction (<140 μm) has 3Hec concentrations between 14 and 100% lower than that of the coarse fractions (0.14–1 mm). Such differences attest to a grain size dependent partial release of 3Hec from the phenocrysts matrix during the preliminary in vacuo crushing. This result might have important implications since most 3Hec measurements have used for ∼20 yr a standard routine based on the fusion of bulk powdered phenocrysts, whatever their grain size. A suite of new data obtained from coarse olivine grains yielded a mean Sea Level High Latitude 3Hec production rate (SLHL P3) of 128±5 and 136±6 at. g−1 yr−1, depending on the scaling factors used. This new value, which is ∼15% higher than previously published rates, is obtained from 5 ropy flow surfaces of Mt Etna (38°N) and Hawaiian (19°N) volcanoes, at elevations between sea level and 870 m and ranging in age from 1.47±0.05 to 149±23 ka according to independent 14C or K/Ar dating. 3He loss during the crushing step might account for the discrepancy between the standard reference value of 110–115 at. g−1 yr−1 and the higher SLHL P3 proposed here. More generally, removal of the powdered fraction before fusion is an important point to consider in further studies in order to avoid any 3Hec systematic underestimates. An altitudinal section has also been sampled on the ropy surface of a ∼1500 yr single flow of Mauna Loa (19°N) which allowed a new empirical atmospheric attenuation length of 149±22 g cm−2 to be documented for 3Hec in olivines between 2400 and 4000 m elevations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Analyses of all published cosmogenic exposure ages for moraine boulders show an average age range of 38% between the oldest and youngest boulders from each moraine. This range conflicts with the common assumption that ages of surface boulders are the same as the age of the landform. The wide spread in boulder ages is caused by erosion of the moraine surface and consequent exhumation of fresh boulders. A diffusion model of surface degradation explains the age range and shows that a randomly sampled small set of boulders (n = 3–7) will always yield a lower age limit for the moraine. The model indicates that for identical dating accuracy, six to seven boulders are needed from old and tall moraines (40,000–100,000 yr, 50–100 m initial height) but only one to four boulders from small moraines (20,000–100,000 yr, 10–20 m). By following these guidelines the oldest obtained boulder age will be ≥90% of the moraine age (95% probability). This result is only weakly sensitive to a broad range of soil erosion rates. Our analysis of published boulder ages indicates that <3% of all moraine boulders have prior exposure, and 85% of these boulders predate the dated moraine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Personal advertisements placed by lesbians were examined to determine how often butch/femme descriptors were used: (a) as a form of self-identification or (b) to indicate the type of partner being sought. The 388 personal advertisements were drawn from 16 alternative newspapers around the U.S., as well as from one Internet site (Qworld) that contained personal ads by lesbians. Each advertisement was coded for the presence or absence of butch/femme descriptors. The majority of advertisers did not mention butch or femme labels either in terms of self-identity or type of partner sought. Among the minority of advertisers who self-identified as butch or femme, more described themselves as femme than butch. Among advertisers seeking butch or femme partners, femme partners were sought most often. Explanations for the preference for femme lesbians were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of research on romantic relationships has tended to focus on marriage, with relatively less attention paid to dating. This study examined the relationship between Asian American dating, both interracial and intraracial, and a variety of factors thought to be associated with dating in this population, including acculturation, ethnic identity, attractiveness, interracial dating experience, ethnicity of friends, parental influence over dating, and density. Participants were administered measures of these variables and were asked questions regarding their likelihood of dating both Asian Americans and White Americans. An interesting pattern of results emerged when the variables were put into regression equations to predict both interracial and intraracial dating. Findings are presented and implications discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between courtship violence and later spouse abuse was investigated. Subjects were 82 women clients at domestic violence shelters across the state of Michigan whose histories were examined with regard to physical violence during childhood, courtship and marriage in an attempt to discern patterns of experience. Findings demonstrate a remarkable similarity between courtship and marital violence. The existence of relationship violence rather than courtship or spouse abuse as separate phenomena is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a preventive educational program that acknowledges and addresses the issue of dating violence. The program, which was successfully used for three years with students and teachers at the junior high and high school level, centers on attitudes and popular myths that surround the dating activity of young people. The program is experientially based to increase students' attention and involvement during presentations and discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents chronometric age determinations of petroglyphs from the Cow Range and Cima volcanic field and relative dating from other locations in the western United States using the new rock varnish technique of cation-ratio dating. Our results verify the proposed Great Basin relative stylistic chronology, which indicates that curvilinear abstract was followed by rectilinear abstract and representational. However, these styles have greater antiquity than previously proposed, suggesting new interpretations for the significance of the Coso Range rock art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to address standards of physical attractiveness in the United States and the effects these standards have on Asian Americans. In the U.S., attractiveness appears to be defined overwhelmingly by White criteria, and people of color are often neglected or overlooked. There appears to be convergence from a number of fields (i.e., ethnic studies, film studies, and literature, in addition to experts in the field of ethnic minority mental health) that White standards of attractiveness exert a deleterious effect on Asian Americans. This article will discuss the limited mental health research that does exist in this area and make suggestions for further research in this field. Discussion will center around acculturation and ethnic identity as possible mediating factors that may influence reactions to standards of attractiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data on 838 middle adolescents, the current study compared the associations between three types of romantic involvement and alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Off-time (i.e., serious romantic relationships) but not on-time (i.e., romantic socializing and dating) types of involvement were expected to be associated with increased odds of using each substance. Participating in romantic socializing was unrelated to substance use and dating was only positively associated with alcohol use. Participation in serious romantic relationships, however, was associated with an increased likelihood of having used each substance. Associations did not differ between males and females. Based on these results some but not all forms of romantic involvement may place middle adolescents at risk for substance use. Implications for parents and relationship education are discussed., (Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)